Journey of a Journalist

As a budding journalist, one quote I consistently hear from my professors is: “Show, don’t tell.”

Simply saying that someone is selfless means next to nothing from a journalistic standpoint. Giving a quote from an outside source depicting their charity work, or describing how someone spends their days taking care of abused and neglected puppies — that contributes to a valid story. I have personally found it somewhat difficult deciphering opinion from fact and “telling” versus “showing.” However, there is one clear alternative.

What about when you can literally “SHOW?”

As humans, we are visual creatures. (Or is that just what they say about men?!) The availability and prevalence of smartphones has made it possible for even the most entry-level journalist to capture and share visual stories that often tell more of a story than our descriptions ever could.

This might be one reason that print journalism is facing a rough period while broadcast journalism is still thriving (despite the fact that online forums still offer a plethora of videos and pictures). Readers and viewers today want to be entertained; they want to feel connected to the story. And often there is no better way to create this feeling of intimacy than through videos of your subjects.

Briggs broaches this subject and suggests that video is the newest, most versatile form of journalism. It sets the stage for a much more personal story than print itself can offer. What is more interesting, he suggests that professional-quality videos are no longer necessary. In fact, sometimes viewers prefer to watch cruder videos of live events! Just like with any news story, the trick is to be in the right place at the right time and present the right angle.

Briggs does recommend using a variety of shots in these stories, however. The most common and popular sequence is the BBC five-shot sequence, which is actually incredibly simple considering all of the shots are static (meaning no movement of the camera). If you have steady hands, and a story to tell, you are Good. To. Go.

Visual storytelling is more of an art than a science. Experiment, be open to feedback and suggestions, and continue to post. Or write. Or “show.”

The world of news is changing. Are your video skills up to the task?

Remember the good ol’ days when you put film in a camera, took a few pictures, removed the film and then paid to develop it?

Yeah…neither do I.

Just like many other types of technological innovations that have redefined our lives (does anyone still own a fax machine anymore?!), digital cameras have practically completely taken over the photography world. Various photo editing programs make it possible for even lackluster pictures to become works of art.

So what does this mean for journalism?

Essentially, we have the opportunity to communicate stories visually — and we don’t need to ask a staff photographer for assistance.

Mark Briggs discusses the significance of these advancements in the sixth chapter of “Journalism Next” and offers tips regarding best practices for digital photography. According to Briggs, journalists typically capture mug shots during interviews and must have a solid understanding of what constitutes a “good shot.” This is an elementary necessity.

However, as previously discussed, the transference of news distribution from print to screen means a complete overhaul of how such news is presented. Reading online is as much about visual appearance as it is valid content. Readers do not want to read lengthy paragraphs or pages full of text. They will simply get bored.

So what’s the best way to spark their interest?

A compelling, well-composed, revealing photo.

Briggs offers journalists these tips for shooting quality shots:

• Figure out the message. How can you best communicate your story to readers?
• Know your lighting. Is there enough natural light? Are you going to need a flash?
• Know your camera. Be comfortable with its functions. Actually read the manual.
• Hold the camera steady. A blurry shot will never be a useful shot.
• Focus on your subject and make this action fill the screen. Too much peripheral action is distracting.
• Take your time. The beauty of digital is that you can take as many pictures as necessary. Don’t rush the shot and be sure to review the photos you like. Is there any way to make them even better?

Once you have compiled your photo collection, it’s time to transfer them to your computer and begin the editing process.

• Sort through the pictures and decide on the best one (or the best ones, depending on the assignment) that reveals the story you are trying to tell.
• Make copies of these pictures. You NEVER want to edit original photos.
• Play around with the resolution and composition.
• Crop and resize the photo to eliminate background distractions.
• Tone and color-correct the photo. Most editing software programs can do this automatically.
• Save the photo as a web version.

After these steps have been taken, you’re ready to publish! Whether you are uploading photos to a blog, an online publication, or another form of social media, the visual element will add much-needed appeal to your story and help your readers feel like they are actually a part of what you are portraying.

Many, many years ago, humans fought for survival using hunting and gathering techniques. We have evolved. Today, those of us in civilized countries simply hunt for bargains and gather pre-packaged meals into our shopping carts.

Years ago, the hunter-gatherer technique served journalists well. Technology has evolved. Today, journalists need to not only locate the most valuable information, but compile it into useful and understandable segments.

Thankfully, there are many avenues to choose from. And they all rely on the power of the people.

Mark Briggs’ third chapter of “Journalism Next” is devoted to the phenomenon of crowd-powered collaboration. These recent reporting methods are rapidly changing the journalism landscape. Briggs identifies three separate types of collaborative publishing:

• Crowdsourcing
• Open-source reporting
• Pro-am journalism

All of these methods rely on the internet to provide many different sources, which contributes to an overall understanding. However, there are subtle differences between them.

• Crowdsourcing is centralized and can be thought of as an “open call” for information relating to a specific topic. This makes data collection much easier and can result in thousands of contributions. Readers provide tips, and can also be given specific tasks.
• Open-source reporting relies on transparency and involves letting readers into the story from the beginning of the reporting process. This method creates trust in the reporting process, provides new ideas, and strengthens brand identity. Some forms of open-source reporting are beatblogging and linking to other sources and documents.
• Pro-am journalism is essentially when readers provide the news topics themselves. A fundamental example of this phenomenon is CNN’s iReport, which allows the audience to upload videos and stories to share their stories with the rest of the world. It is “citizen journalism” in a pure form.

Briggs establishes that print journalism continues to be a respected and influential tool for news, but any news source that fails to establish online forms of collaborative publishing is selling themselves short. People today want to share their opinions and news that is important to them. Let them.

Considering that Mark Briggs‘ book is about journalism for the next generation, it’s no surprise that one of the first fundamentals he discusses is about blogging. (It is also no surprise that one of the main assignments for this course is to maintain a blog.) I have created blogs in the past, but I always had difficultly maintaining them for any significant period of time.

And writing in them regularly.

According to Briggs, this is a big mistake, and the reason that I never earned a following.

Blogs have changed journalism, and will continue to do so over time. They offer the opportunity to create a real community and have conversations with readers, as opposed to simply spouting out information. (As a Communication student with a PR concentration, I am well-versed in the importance of two-way communication.) But while starting a blog is simple, creating a good blog that people want to follow is not.

• Getting started

There are many foolproof blogging platforms, two of the most commonly used being Blogger and WordPress. Within a few seconds, users are able to name their blogs, choose attractive themes, and start posting. This, however, is where things can get a little more complicated.

• Getting people to read your blog

First, find a good niche, and stick with it. Trying to be “the authority” on a broad topic will cause readers to become disinterested. Develop a personality and carry it through. Blogs allow journalists to actually write in a unique voice.

Use specific headlines and summarize information. Write briefly. The idea is to inform the reader; not bore them.

Link to other information.

Post regularly (preferably once per day). This is the beauty of the blog; posts don’t need to be (and shouldn’t be) overly long, but there does need to be a lot of them.

For more information about crafting a standout blog, check out some articles from social media guru Darren Rowse. He offers techniques varying from how to work ideas into posts to garnering two-way conversation.

In his first chapter of “Journalism Next,” Mark Briggs states that in order to be successful, journalists must have a working knowledge website design and development. Considering the trend of news distribution transitioning from print to online, this makes perfect sense, but can be intimidating. Even for young adults who have been utilizing the internet for years.

Thankfully, Briggs breaks down tricky “Web speak” into comprehensive explanations and tips. Here are some of the items he addressed that were most helpful for me:

• Web browsers

I have been using Firefox for years now, ever since I bought my beloved MacBook. However, I had no idea that browsers temporarily hold onto all the files you download on the Web in a cache. Briggs recommends regularly clearing the cache, which enables the browsers to work faster and more efficiently. My eyes widened as I read this. No wonder my internet runs infuriatingly slow! My first task of chapter one: Clear cache. Check.

• Real Simple Syndication (RSS)

I’ve been hearing a lot about RSS feeds in my classes recently. Although I had an elementary understanding of what they were, I didn’t see how they were really going to be useful to me. It almost seemed like a massive news feed of other articles, which is primarily what I use Twitter for. I receive regular news updates automatically to my phone. But when Briggs pointed out that my job is to receive information from multiple different sources (like expanding your media pyramid), I decided to go ahead and try out this whole RSS thing. This was two days ago, and I’m already hooked!

I set up an account with iGoogle, which took less than thirty seconds. Whenever I open Firefox, my homepage is now a wealth of information covering topics from local weather to news to online journalism and fitness blogs. I can even glance at Food Network’s recipe of the day.

Task two: Set up RSS feed. Check.

• Web-design basics

In order to graduate from George Mason University, I was required to take (and pass) a simple IT lecture and lab. While the process was grueling, I finished that semester with a six-page website that I was actually quite proud of. The entire page was written from basic HTML, and I played around with colors, fonts, graphics and images. I sent links to my parents, who were clearly not as impressed as I was, but nonetheless. I proved to myself I was capable of creating a (VERY basic) website all on my own.

However, I am certainly not under the impression that anyone other than my parents would spend more than twenty seconds looking at my simple, unexciting site. And that’s where CSS and XML come in.

According to Briggs, CSS “makes Web sites look cool” and XML “uses tags to describe what data is.” Both are used as a complement to HTML.

Briggs provided tutorials explaining how to use both to make Web pages more exciting. I spent about half an hour playing around with my previously created website, and sure enough, CSS definitely did make my it look cooler.

Task three: Play around with HTML, CSS and XML. Check.

While I doubt I will ever be a graphic designer, I was impressed by the difference a few lines of coding makes in a site’s overall appearance.

For anyone interested in learning more about web design (I found CSS to be the “coolest”), I highly suggest checking out this site: www.csszengarden.com.

The news industry faces a bright future despite its rapid transformation, according to Mark Briggs.

As the author of three acclaimed journalism texts, as well as an entrepreneurial journalism blog, Briggs understands the changing expectations of the industry. In 2007, he wrote “Journalism 2.0” in an effort to assist the print journalist generation transition into the multimedia climate of today and tomorrow.

His 2009 venture “Journalism Next” is written instead for journalism students and young professionals who will never be part of the traditional print news of the past. Despite the negative stereotype depicting a dying industry, Briggs remains optimistic and motivates readers that they will play a significant role in this exciting future.

Briggs argues that news media will not die; it will evolve. One century ago, newspapers faced technological upheavals similar to those seen today. That was a legendary time to be going into journalism, and Briggs provides three reasons why the same is true today.

1. Journalism has a bright future.

The demand for journalism is actually increasing – not decreasing – as audiences obtain the ability to selectively choose their news sources. Commitment, passion and the ability to provide insights or a niche that nobody else can sets successful journalists apart from the trough.

2.         The future is in your hands.

The most pertinent skills Generation Y has to offer potential employers are unique media/distribution ideas and a basic knowledge — or at least intuition — of emerging technological tools. Where major newspapers failed in their attempts to re-market an identical news structure to the online audience, the new generation of journalists can succeed by redefining the medium and techniques.

3.         Journalism will be better than it was before.

Briggs writes, “Change is inevitable, but progress is optional.”

Journalists today do not have a choice whether or not their industry is changing; it has, and will continue to do so. The good news is that journalists can modify their contributions to work with the evolution and ultimately help their audience become more knowledgeable. Advances such as Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds allow multiple pieces of information to be shared with a larger audience than ever possible before.

Journalists today will decide how citizens tomorrow are informed about some of the most crucial aspects of their lives.

Mark Briggs discusses the evolution of journalism methods.