welcome to the jungle

Welcome to the Jungle

Managing, functioning and working in a new media world

My life at college =

• Evolutiono College Publisher siteo InsideVandy, Drupal platform 

• Improvemento Site change followed by structural changeo Structural change followed by content changeso And then more structural changeso And more content changeso And now more structural changes

 Are you getting the picture? 

Become a human Swiss Army knife    "The ideal is somebody who is a journalist first but who has this aptitude toward Web packaging ... When you're putting a basic Web story together, it has so many more components than a magazine story ... The absolute ideal is someone who can be a human Swiss Army knife. They need to be a journalist, a strong Web packager and have an eye toward what works on the technical side of things."

Source: Paul Conley presentation, SEJC 2008

Take care of No. 1

• Learn the basics of everything you will need to teacho Videoo Audioo Interactive tools (i.e. maps)o Slideshows

• Try something newo Blogo Sign up for Twitter

•  Hang out online to find the resourceso Online tutorialso Free programs (i.e. Audacity, iMovie, Soundslides, Atlas) o Cheap equipment (i.e. Flip cameras, digital recorders) o Social networks (i.e. Wired Journalists)o Follow new media blogs for ideas 

Take the plunge

• Figure out ideal course of actiono Structural change should enable desired content changeo Be bold, level it and start over if necessary/possibleo Equip your newsroom, but don't overspendo Stay organized (i.e. Google Docs)

• Change mentalitieso Lead by exampleo Slowly create an entire staff of Swiss Army knives

Work on developing two multimedia skills per persono  Inspire others' creativity, remain open to further change

• Be patiento Some change better than no changeo Gradual change is change 

My life after college = ?????

• Assistant online editor at USA TODAY in McLean, Va.o Very production-oriented job, little content creation o Skills: news judgment, online publishing, headline writing

Get the job

• Grow your networko New media minds - Jeff Jarvis, Mindy McAdams, Howard

Owens, Mark Luckie, Paul Conleyo Young people - Ryan Sholin, Pat Thornton, Meranda

Watling, Megan Taylor• Grow your skills

o And highlight them on your resume• Don't fear the unknown

o Sometimes the small, obscure can be better• Push the boundaries

o Ask for more out of your internships/jobso Try working for a Web-only publication

Evaluate the job

• Newsroom cultureo Number of young employees, how are they treated

 Spokane Eighto Are things changing? Have they changed recently?

•  Job dutieso Get as much specificity as possible

•  Ask aroundo Get as many opinions on employer/job as possible

Find the bright spots

• Traditional news outletso Most places Rob Curley has gone

 The Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World Las Vegas Sun

o New York Timeso Bloombergo CNNo The Guardian o Bakersfield Californian 

• But don't stop thereo  Online-only publications and news applications

EveryBlock ProPublica Politicker 

Hang in there

• Readership Institute report: Young journalist exodus o "A majority of younger journalists (age 29 and below)

seemed to us to be saying, “We’re leaving because the changes we see as necessary aren’t happening fast enough.”

• Life in the "real world"o Not a converged one in many caseso Puts us in a tough positiono Generational differences

• Leaving journalism not the answer, leaving traditional newsrooms fine by me. 

Contact me

Glenna DeRoy

ghderoy@gmail.com

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