Rene Salvatore Assignment #1

Hi my name is René Salvatore I am a sophomore broadcast journalism student at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland in College Park. I am going to talk about the challenges facing several professional and non-professional journalists these days. The first is the new technology that is being integrated into newsgathering. Journalists are no longer being sent out with an entire team. They can be sent out to shoot, report and edit a story together all on their own. The new term for this is backpack journalism. Older journalists in the field are having new technology thrown at them and being told they need to learn it immediately. Another challenge facing many journalists is the undetermined future of print media. With the world of online journalism not completely figured out yet there is a lack of jobs for print journalists. Newspapers are going under and no one has figured out a way to successfully monetize their online forms. The future is a little uncertain but what many journalists seem to be doing is branding themselves. They are branching out from their network or show and marketing themselves. Many do this via Twitter or Facebook or with their own blogs. Branding oneself as a individual journalist could make one more marketable in the future. 

Mike Gasper, Assignment #1

My name is Mike Gasper, and I am a sophomore journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. I currently have an internship at ESPN 980 in Rockville, Md., and hope to become a sports journalist, but I am fully aware of how challenging of a goal that is to reach with the current direction of journalism.

In modern journalism, a reporter cannot be skilled in just one area, such as print or video. A journalist must be able to skillfully report in a variety of ways. Sure, journalistic organizations are cutting back on personnel, but this is because they have come to expect their reporters to be able to report through audio, video, photography, and of course, writing. With these expectations, it simply isn't necessary to have as many people on staff all doing different jobs that one reporter could easily do.

The reason for this increase in importance in the use of audio, video, and photography is that today's news consumers are no longer satisfied with simply reading a reporters take on an event. They want to see it and hear it, otherwise, a reporter will have a hard time keeping the consumers attention.

At this point in my journalistic career, my plan is to gain a solid understanding of all the ways that reporting can be done, and then to gain valuable experience at various internships.  

Mark Sanchez Assignment #1

Journalism Video Assignment #1

Learning how to produce videos for the web is hugely important. I can tell you personally, when I’m applying for internships and jobs, on nearly every job description it states that candidates must be well versed in “videos and multimedia”. When I’ve read this on job descriptions, I’ve always been very hesitant about applying as I have no experience, until now, with making videos for the web. But as I’m becoming more adept in learning how to produce video for the web, there are many challenges I will face along the way.

Making videos for websites is not traditional journalism; when I aspired to become a journalist at a young age, I did not even consider Internet multimedia skills. I idolized Seymour Hersh and Woodward and Bernstein; I imagined breaking important news and writing the information for the next day’s newspaper. I’m no computer expert or even a public speaking expert – in my childhood dreams, I was never broadcasting the news, which has become a staple for today’s journalist. So when I make content for the web, I am working in a field in which I am inexperienced and not exactly suited for. But, because I want so desperately to be a well-rounded journalist, I will still learn these skills.

A less abstract and more tangible reason for struggling with producing content for the Internet is money. There is, as any journalist can tell you, little money to be made in the field. But to create a moving or effective piece for the Internet, there are so many tools a journalist must use. I’ve never even owned a camera, much less a video camera. And I’ve definitely never owned a tripod. Moreover, even if I had the physical tools, the online programs can be very costly. Photoshop and Quicktime Pro are essentials for a journalist concerned with multimedia and they can cost a few hundred dollars. There are many obstacles, both abstract and physical, that hinder a journalist from producing quality video for the web. But, to become the best journalist (and one who can be hired), I must learn to produce video for the web.

John Brill, Assignment #1

Hi, I’m John Brill. As a sophomore journalism student it is clear that the field is changing dramatically from the past. Journalists must learn new skills in order to be successful.

With the advent of the internet, information moves very quickly, meaning stories are expected very quickly. Blogs and social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter get headlines to readers almost instantaneously. Journalists much get their information and stories written as fast as possible in order to stay competitive.

It is clear that online media is overshadowing the print industry as newspapers around the country downsize. Journalists must familiarize themselves with all new technology. A Journalist should not only know how to write, but must also be a jack of all trades. He or she must know how to shoot and edit video, use audio, and be decent photographer. These skills are basically required in order to get a job. Those in favor of print must adapt to multimedia in order to survive in this dynamic industry.

William Jackson Assignment #1

Assignment #1 Self-Report

Hello, my name is Luke Jackson and I am a sophomore at the University of Maryland. I am broadcast journalism major here at College Park.

Probably the biggest challenge about being an up-and-coming journalist these days is that there is no blueprint for becoming a paid journalist after college. The field is changing rapidly. No longer can one go to a highly esteemed journalism school and expect a job right out of college.

With the newspaper industry facing more and more challenges by the day, it is becoming increasingly important for current and aspiring journalists to know how to perform multiple tasks at once. No longer can journalists just be writers. Journalists have to be writers, photographers, videographers, and be familiar with audio equipment in order to be proficient at the job. Journalists also have to be able to use social media to their advantage.

Employers tend to be looking for journalists who do a little bit of everything, and are not proficient at just one particular skill. Just because one can’t only be a writer anymore doesn’t mean the profession is dead. It means the profession is changing. And if journalists don’t change as well, they’ll be left behind.

Personally, I’ve written for a number of websites. But it’s time for me to get some internships and become a complete journalist.

Assignment 1, Chris Leyden

Jour 203 Video Slice Assignment #1

For many years journalists went to school to learn the skills needed to work at a newspaper. While many journalists share those same aspirations today, most understand the need to be a well-rounded reporter. To get a job in today’s shrinking market it is important that a journalist not only know how to write, but also how to shoot video and edit it.

It is an important that early on in a potential journalists training they learn how to take and edit their own video so that it becomes second nature to them. While many of the older journalists in the profession are struggling of late to make the transition, an entire new younger class of journalists has mastered the multimedia aspect.

The biggest challenge facing a journalist who in creating video content for the web is the concept that people’s attention span when surfing the Internet is only a few seconds per page. Because of this, the video that is put together needs to be extremely engaging right away.  Another aspect that is important to keep in mind when in the field is that any story that can be told in words can be told better with visuals. This means that not only do reporters have to go out into the field and find quotes to write a story, but they also should take video or pictures of the subject to attach to the story online.

Producing video itself is not that easy, as there is a lot that goes into making a piece look good. With the invention of pocket cams reporters can easily have a camera on them at all times. The problem with these cameras is that unless they are on a tripod it is very obvious that they are shot handheld. It is also important that print journalists understand the rule of thirds, and use that as a visually appealing technique. There is a lot more that goes into shooting video than just setting up a camera and talking into it, and reporters in the future will have to do this instinctively.

The concept of being a strictly print journalist is completely gone from the journalism landscape, and the reporters who get jobs are going to be the ones who can do video also.  That is why it is so important the students learn the skills from a young age so they can apply them moving forward.

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