If you are a journalism student, this is what senior editors are looking for. Speaking at the ONA 2007 conference, Kinsey Wilson of USAToday said J-school students need a grounding in the fundamentals of journalism – research, reporting, writing.
But secondly, they need a complete immersion in the news media and the technology that surrounds it. Wilson wants students who are comfortable and conversant with the new media tools, and with the knowledge on how to integrate them into the news industry. Journalism today, says Wilson, requires flexibility and an enterpreneurial spirit.
His comments were echoed by Jim Brady of the WashingtonPost.com. Brady reiterated that students still need the basic journalism skills. But this needs to come hand in hand with an understanding of the cultural changes impacting news consumption Brady wants J-school students who understand how technology is changing media habits, such as the impact of new services like Facebook and Twitter.
This has implications for journalism educators in North America and worldwide. It is not enough to teach the basics of journalism. Those of us who are journalism educators need to be aware of the technological changes impacting the news business and be able to relate how it affects the job of the journalist.
Filed under: education, internet, journalism, new media , ONA, Online News Association, USAToday, Washington Post
