Hello, my name is Amanda Perez and I’m a sophomore journalism major at the University of Maryland. Here in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, it’s very evident that the field of journalism is changing rapidly. If we’re going to succeed, journalists must evolve with it. It’s up to journalists to use multimedia to our advantage and find the most compelling way to tell a story. Ten years ago, a great journalist may only have known how to write. These days, we must be much more technologically savvy to stay competitive. Necessary skills including shooting and editing video, taking and editing photos, and using the Internet. The production of a broadcast piece that may have taken five people in the past is now a one-man-band enterprise.
Journalists also have much more responsibility now. With the Internet, there’s pressure to get news out to the public much faster. There’s a constant battle between speed and credibility. Online, anyone can be a reporter of sorts through the use of Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. This focus on speed often causes the amount of editing to decrease. Because fewer eyes see stories before they’re made available to the public, journalists must be especially careful with their writing and fact checking. It’s also up to journalists to make sure any information they get from the Internet is credible.
Despite the new challenges that multi-media journalists are faced with, these changes in the field of journalism are exciting. The news is more accessible to people than ever before. A good multi-media journalist is able to tell a story much more effectively than solely through print. The future of journalism is uncertain but if we adapt to these changes, it could thrive.
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