The transformation of global media with Craig Dubow, Gannett CEO (Comm Week)

About to commence liveblogging…
The transformation of global media with Craig Dubow

7:31 p.m.
Dubow gave an overview of changes in media consumption in the past decade and discussed where Gannett stands.

8:57 p.m.
I apologize for the missing liveblog–both of my laptop batteries died. I took notes with (prepare yourself) a notepad and pen. I also had a digital recorder plugged into the sound board, so all is not lost.

I will summarize some key points and add multimedia soon.

10:20 p.m.
Here are Dubow’s answers to a couple questions I asked him after the event. (It took longer to upload than it did to make…)

Wanted: Resident Butt-Kicker (Thoughts on journalism education)

Lately, I have been doing a lot of thinking about journalism schools and what journalism students are not learning.

One of the problems is that there’s too much talk. Educators have known about the Internet, multimedia storytelling and convergence for years.

No more excuses.

I realize that this post constitutes talk, but I would like to think of it more as a call to action. To make sure change happens at J-schools, I propose hiring a Resident Butt-Kicker.

I plan to expand on these in future posts, but here’s where we need to start:

1. Online first, print second: Print is not dead, but the idea of a purely “print” major should be thrown out the window. Who wants to pay money to be taught in preparation for the last century?

Start with the essential concepts of writing, reporting, editing, critical thinking, law and ethics, but don’t limit it to merely one form of storytelling. Also, online journalism should not be some 400- or 500-level class that only some students take – it should be drilled into everyone’s head early.

2. Think outside the classroom: How can you teach journalism without practical experience?
Ideas: Structure your class like a newsroom and provide an outlet for publication (e.g. class Web site); require students to work on campus media; require an internship and help place them; etc.

3. Old dogs, learn new tricks: There’s a disconnect among different classes, depending on the professor, as well as an even greater disconnect between professors who have been out of the newsroom for years and those who just came from the newsroom.

The journalism world is moving quickly and schools need to keep pace with their local news outlets so students may be viable job and internship candidates. Just like journalists in the professional world, professors need to be able to adapt and learn new concepts and skills.

Also, why are we being taught in a strict, limited mindset (i.e. print) that we will need to unlearn later? Don’t teach me for today, or even tomorrow.

A journalism school should look ahead, being innovative and proactive in its approach, not reactive. Professors need to be a part of that.

4. Selecting J-students: There should be a multi-dimensional, more personalized interview process for students applying to an academic journalism program. Program directors should ask students about their specific interests in the field, evaluating if the candidate is open minded and willing to evolve.

5. Grades are failing: The grading process needs to change. It seems as if more students worry about getting good grades than actually learning. Grades aren’t worthless, but learning – and getting good experience – matters more.

Unintended, entrepreneurial failure (i.e. not because of laziness) should be embraced and utilized as a teaching tool it is part of the learning process. Thus, students should be encouraged to go out and make mistakes while they are still in school.

6. Establish mentor programs: I hit on this general concept in my Top Ten List of Tips for Journalism Students (No. 7).

Upperclassmen should be paired with underclassmen in a formal, voluntary peer counseling system. Furthermore, every student should meet with a faculty adviser or mentor from time to time and not just to discuss next semester’s schedule.

SPJ recently started a mentor program for members, which is great. Nevertheless, it can’t replace the local insight of a student or professor at your own J-school.

Weigh in: What do you think of these ideas? Students, what else do you want to see done at your school?

Note: The original time stamp on this post was incorrect. It has since been corrected.

Wasserman: Can journalism live without ads?

Yes, I am few days behind in reading my journalism feeds in Google Reader, but here’s an interesting take from Ed Wasserman on the changing nature of journalism and advertising:

Can journalism live without ads? – Miami Herald

One interesting idea he mentions:

“Maybe the solution isn’t to escape the market, but to empower it. Modern computing offers unparalleled capacities to track and calculate. Imagine a vast menu of news and commentary offered to you ad-free for pennies per item, the charges micro-billed, added up and presented like a utility bill at month’s end. The money that journalism providers got would depend on their audience.”

It’s a reasonable idea and seems more palatable than other such concepts, but the general notion of charging for content online still raises questions in my mind.

Weigh in: What do you think about Wasserman’s ideas and what the future could hold for journalism’s financial support?

Liveblogging the Pulitzer panel (Comm Week)

Description from School of Communication site

Blog post announcing the event

LIVEBLOG

Anders Gyllenhaal, executive editor of The Miami Herald and the panel’s moderator, began by giving an overview of the Pulitzer Prize. He noted that they will talk more about the craft than the actual stories.

Panelists (L-R):

(NOTE: Titles and links added after the event.)

7:26 p.m. and forward

Gyllenhaal: What do these prizes mean to the younger generation of journalists?

Sallah: “I think it’s the level of work that is required to win one of these prizes. It raises the importance of writing. It challenges you to do your very best as a writer or a reporter or an editorial cartoonist. Be the very best at your craft.”

“They help uphold the standards of our industry in way that other awards can’t do”

Oglesby: It gives journalists a reason to continue what they’re doing.

Blais: “A posh Bingo” is one way she’s heard it referred to

Morin: Gave a presentation of his cartoons and explained how his editor always mentioned the Pulitzers, but Morin never wanted to think much of it.

Ojito: Won for a series on race relations, which she said was geared for the award from the beginning–though no one explicitly said so.

“The most difficult thing was to find the people, find the characters.”

—-

Blais didn’t understand the importance of collaboration a young reporter. She needed more eyes and ears to better understand and tell a story.

Ojito originally heard terrible things about journalism, but came to love it.

Oglesby told a story about him and Gene Miller traveling to Georgia for a story related to then-President Jimmy Carter. That experience showed him that he could do great things in the field.

“Each of you is unique. Each of you has something to offer. If you trust it and go with it, it will come out in time”

Sallah: “It’s important that people can trust you and know you are seeking the truth.”

His winning series at the Toledo Blade about Tiger Force in Vietnam taught him about the personal nature of reporting.

“Stories can turn on a dime and so much of it is luck. You need to convince them [sources] that you are there for the truth and you want to tell their story.”

There are certain parts of reporting that never die, he said. Shoeleather reporting is one of those.

Ojito: She doesn’t like going out to get general reactions to a story, but she does it.

7:53 p.m. and forward

Now, it’s on to audience questions…

Are there jobs in newspapers?

Gyllenhaal: It’s cyclical, but, “You have to work at it and develop the skills.”

Morin: Even though jobs may be sparse, as is the case with cartoonists today, send letters to editors and be persistent.

The panelists then answered more general audience questions ranging from having story ideas stolen as a freelancer to how not get too close to sources.

8:17 p.m.

Oglesby: “I think it’s very important to know yourself well and know your biases. … You need to be able to back off and get back into you objective mode.”

Ojito: “You’re not a reporter when you’re at work, you’re a reporter all the time–it’s how you live your life.”

If you look at everything, you’ll have more story ideas than you know what to do with, she said.

7:25 p.m. and forward

Blais: Advice from Edna Buchanan regarding when to stop persisting: She would call and say who she was, they would hang up, she would wait 60 seconds and call back. But what about a third time? “That would be harassment.”

Sallah: It’s even more difficult when people are grieving after losing a loved one.

“They sometimes want to open up. It’s a little bit of therapy for them. … You can really write a nice story and give his parents and friends some honor.”

You really are a psychologist in your job.

8:28 p.m.

How do you tell a source he/she can’t see your story?

Ojito: You should turn the question around, asking what they are concerned about. It’s ok to read back their quotes.

8:30 p.m.

Sallah: It’s OK to read back quotes, but you should only negotiate to a certain extent (i.e. if you’re certain about something). You can’t allow someone to backtrack from the heart of the story just because they don’t want it to be published.

“Be very careful in getting it right.”

8:36 p.m.

My question about not submitting awards or writing for awards because you should write for readers, not for other journalists–as Howard Owens and others have blogged about:

Oglesby: “This isn’t about winning awards. It’s about doing a good job and helping readers. If that is your goal, you can get satisfaction from the achievement every time. The award is not really important at all.”

Last thought:

Sallah: “Just don’t lose your heart for this. Don’t compromise.”