A Decade of Convergence at BYU
Dale CressmanQuint Randle
Dale CressmanQuint Randle
A Decade of Convergence at BYUA Decade of Convergence at BYU
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
DivergingDiverging
• Broadcast and print curriculum no longer conflated
• Faculty still committed to some characteristics of convergence– “It wasn’t what we thought it was”
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
How did we get here?How did we get here?
• 1994: Midterm elections• 1995: “Unified Newsroom” concept
– “Convergence of circumstances”
• 1996: Programs, newsrooms combined• “Super Reporter” in beginning reporting
class
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
ChallengesChallenges
• Watered-down journalism experience– Balance between print and broadcast
assignments–One broadcast faculty member, two lab
instructors (difficult to teach broadcast skills to all 321 students)
• Broadcast students needed more production skills classes, forced to play catch up during senior year
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
Cultural FactorsCultural Factors
• Print paradigm– Editors instead of producers–No broadcast assignment desk
• Print management and priorities– supervision– no longer on air
• Student preferences
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
Cultural FactorsCultural Factors
• Gentry’s continuum: Easy versus Hard– (co-location, same ownership)
• Gordon’s five types of convergence: –Ownership– Tactical convergence– Structural– Information-gathering– Story-telling convergence
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
Current ModelCurrent Model
• Independent, but cooperative curricula• Independent, co-located laboratories• Multimedia class: “touchstone” of
convergence
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
Multimedia JournalismMultimedia Journalism
• Team-based, project-centered• Story-telling paradigm
–Using the medium best suited for the story•Flash•Print•Video•Audio
• Students are skilled reporters & writers in their medium
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
Multimedia JournalismMultimedia Journalism
• Work in teams with students who specialize in another medium
• Develop experience in judging which medium can best tell the story
• Opportunities to specialize in Design/Multimedia
A Decade of Convergence at BYU
Convergence: Not all or nothingConvergence: Not all or nothing
• Dramatic improvement in quality of broadcast students’ work
• Higher quality of multimedia projects• Streamlined curriculum
– Students get into broadcast program sooner–More options for print students–More focused experience before graduation
(both print and broadcast)