The Modern Journalist

* In a previous post, I talked about the online tools available to online journalists. Check it out here (or see my previous post - be sure to check out the bit on how to embed a Twitter feed in your posts).

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This post is related to my one on multimedia tools, in that the modern journalist must be able to utilise online media tools including social media, blogs, etc as part of their job. Notice the use of the word 'part'. Modern journalists are expected to do so much more than simply use online tools (though this is a big part of their job). They are to do everything in a newsroom.

This post is based on something my lecturer said in the last lecture for this unit - journalists must be able to do it all.

Journalists must write stories for print, tv and radio. They must find good grabs for radio, overlay pictures for tv, and take photos for print and online. They must update all social media as they follow a developing story - facebook and Twitter included in this. They must update their online story as it develops, and rewrite radio and tv stories for the different daily bulletins.

As media organisations change to accommodate various types of media, journalists must change with them. They must be able to work across all media.

The following graphics illustrate this.

Source: Royston Cartoons

This slightly outdated picture is of a journalist who must use six different tools to their job. The cartoon is a little old, judged not just by the old fashioned video recorder being used by the journalist, but also because these days, we have smartphones. Smartphones can take pictures for online and record a bit of video, so that online stories can be written and updated almost immediately after the news occurs.

Source: The Thomas Flippen Blog

This is what a journalist probably looks like at his desk, as opposed to out on the road. He must always be writing, editing and rewriting, as well as keeping up to date with breaking news online or via his phone.

Source: YDR Insider

This picture is more accurate of the current street journalist - he has a smartphone, a tablet and a laptop, as well as the more traditional tools of pen and paper and a mobile van. This enables the journalist to keep up to date with other news organisations by reading their news from his tablet, the laptop allows him to write from the road, and the van enables him to broadcast if necessary (using the much smaller cameras he now carries). The 'Superman' belt he wears is no joke.

As journalists are required to be able to do all of these things, and not have mental breakdowns from stress, they really are carrying a heavy burden. However, if there is one thing the three graphics have in common it is this: they still carry pen and paper.

That is because, beneath all of the technology we must master, and beneath all of the media we must learn to write to, what is most important is our ability to write. We must be able to write a good story. If we can do that, the rest will follow. 

Multimedia blog tools and an example

*Note: This is a post we did in class a few weeks ago. I am posting it now because I have learnt a bit more about online journalism tools and I wanted to give an example of how they could be used in a story. I think we were told that we could use it as an example of online journalism. I added some notes at the bottom of the post about online journalism tools. 

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 This story is from the Gold Coast Bulletin, August 14, 2012. 

A teen who allegedly rammed three police vehicles while leading officers on a two-hour chase through south east Queensland has been denied bail.

The 16-year-old Stockleigh boy, who is facing 15 charges, applied for bail in Southport Magistrates Court today after handing himself in to Coomera Police Station yesterday.

Police will allege he reached speeds of up to 140km h during a two-hour chase that started at Warwick at 10.30am on Sunday when officers sighted a vehicle wanted for an earlier evade police incident.

The teen allegedly rammed a police car at about 11.30am while avoiding tyre spikes set up on the Cunningham Highway at Willowbank.

Police said the youth allegedly drove along Beaudesert-Boonah Rd to Bromelton. He  allegedly drove at an officer and rammed two police cars at 12.10pm when he avoided road spikes on Waste Facility Road at Bromelton.

Police will allege he then abandoned the vehicle on Kurragong Drive at Jimboomba.

Duty lawyer Bridget Patchell told the court the teen had gone off the rails this year after his family situation at home deteriorated.

He had been living with his father after the relationship breakdown but recently moved to live with his mother.

Ms Patchell said all his possessions were left at his father's house and he was driving to get them on Sunday when the incidents happened.

"It was a situation that just blew out of proportion," said Ms Patchell.

The teen's parents were visibly distressed in court when Magistrate Catherine Pirie denied him bail until a bail plan, including counselling and employment, was drawn up by Youth Justice Services.

He was remanded in custody and will reappear in Southport Magistrates Court on Friday.

View Larger Map 

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This post is a good example of online journalism because it contains links, pictures, maps and a video. These are not the only things you can use in an online journalism post though. As evidenced in my story for assessment, you can also incorporate:
- infograms - if you want display statistics or facts in an interesting way (make your own here)
 - a slideshow of pictures relevant to your story - could be used in a story about Emmy outfits, for examples (make a slideshow here)
- music - for an emotional or soft news story, music could add to the feel of the piece (use SoundCloud to get copyright free music for your blog)
- Printscreens - use the printscreen button on your keyboard to take pictures of your computer screen to document things you think may be useful for your blog
- Finally, you can embed a twitter feed into your blog. The twitter feed can be your own, or someone else's or the feed of a particular hastag. I used the QUTOJ1 hashtag this class has been using to create the twitter feed below. It is a great way of encouraging the audience to interact with you and others. For a great tutorial on how to embed a twitter feed, see here. It's simple - create a widget, copy the embedded code and place it in the HTML version of your blog post where you want the feed to appear.

Tweets about "#QUTOJ1"

Female Writers Dominate Literary Awards in Queensland

The Queensland Literary Awards were announced earlier this month and this year they were dominated by women.

Out of the 11 categories in this year’s awards, 10 women were awarded the top prize.

This year marks the second annual QLAs, as they were developed after the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards were scrapped in 2012.

Community support helped keep literary awards alive in Queensland, which is something writers are grateful for.

Head of Creative Writing and Literary Studies at the Queensland University of Technology Professor Sharyn Pearce, says literary awards are absolutely essential for writers.

“Awards show that literary culture does matter in Australia,” Professor Pearce said.

“Writers not only need positive reviews from their peers, but the money offered as a part of the award really does matter.

“The money helps them to keep writing.”

Jaclyn Moriarty, who won this year’s Young Adult Book Award agrees.

“At a practical level, it’s also like a sigh of relief for me because in the last few months my computer, printer, car battery and water heater have all broken down beyond repair, and I had no idea how I was going to replace them,” she said.

This year, however, the awards have done more than promote the importance of literature in Australia.

The QLAs have recognised women as being strong contenders in modern literature.

PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE WINNERS OF LITERARY AWARDS 2013 | Create infographics

Chairman of the Queensland Literary Awards Inc Dr Stuart Glover, said the number of Queensland women who won this year should not be a surprise.

“The ranks are very strong, and national recognition is overdue,” he said.

“But we were delighted that so many great writers were acknowledged.  

“We hope every other Queensland women writer is encouraged to keep on writing.”

Many writers believe the number of women recognised this year at the QLAs is simply mirroring the achievements of women across a variety of fields.

Narelle Oliver, the winner of the Children’s Book Award says women are now being supported in their writing endeavours, which is something that may not have been true of past generations.

Mrs Moriarty, citing Jane Austen and George Elliot as examples, agrees women are finally being accepted as worthy of writing literature.

“The fact that a larger number of women were recognised at the QLAs this year might indicate that the perception of female writers is shifting,” she said.

“Or that there were particularly astute judges this year.

“Either way, I think it’s a triumph, not just for women writers, but for readers generally.”

For aspiring female writers in Queensland, this is good news.

Mrs Oliver says young writers now have women they can look up to.

“It helps young women understand that ‘it’ can be done,” she said.

Mrs Moriarty, who dreamed of being a pilot as a child and was told there were no ‘lady pilots’, says it makes a difference when young women can see females actively pursuing their dreams.

Furthermore, young writers will enter a marketplace that already has an audience for women’s literature.

For young female writers, this means they have an audience in which to establish themselves.

What the QLAs really proved this year though, according to Professor Pearce, is that it is a blue-ribbon time for female writers in Queensland, and the state should be proud.

QLA Winners 2013

Not included in the slideshow are the following winners (whose work is not in published novel form):

Gadens Feature Film Script Award – Healing - Craig Monahan & Alison Nisselle

Emerging Queensland Author - Manuscript Award – Gap – Rebecca Jessen

Unpublished Indigenous Writer - David Unaipon Award – Heat and Light - Ellen van Neerven 

Tweet: 
10 women won at the #QldLitAwards this year out of 11 categories. Read more here: http://rebeccagilliesonlinejournalism.blogspot.com.au/

Apps for Journalists (Reviews)

There are so many apps these days for Apple and Android users alike, that, especially for journalists, it is difficult to chose which app works best for your circumstances. I have picked four apps that journalists should be using for different aspects of their job and I review them below.

For Writing:
Evernote

This app consistently makes lists of most useful apps ever created for a good reason. It is a very simple app; it is basically just a notebook. But once installed on every technological device you own (iPad, phone, iPod, home computer, work computer, etc), it instantly becomes irreplaceable. Whatever notes you take, including links, pictures and audio files, are saved and stored in your 'cloud', which means that all of your notes are automatically synced with every device you own. You can access your notes, anywhere, anytime. Plus, its organisational qualities are a plus for those who struggle to organise their notes. A great app for journalists always on the move.

Available on the App Store for free.

For Photos:
Pro HDR

iPhones, iPads and iPods (and even non-Apple products) are not known for having the greatest camera - if you move your hand slightly while taking a picture, your photo is not even remotely usable. Pro HDR is a great photography app because it takes two pictures (one image exposed for highlights, and one image exposed for shadows), and then merges the pictures to create an evenly balanced HDR image. Best of all, it comes with both automatic and manual settings, so amateurs and professionals alike can use the app. Great for busy journalists or bloggers who need to take high resolution and interesting photos, but do not have professional photographers or correct equipment with them and need to quickly upload high quality videos to the internet.

Available on the App Store for $1.99

For Video:
Videolicious

This video editing app has already been picked up by reporters at the Washington Post to make videos on the move. It is that useful. It is a fun and easy to use app which simplifies video making - add video, images, audio recordings and music to make a simple movie. The HD movies you create can be uploaded anywhere online including social media websites. For online journalists who want to create simple video to complement their stories, this is an app for them. It may not be the most in-depth video app available, but it is free and easy to use.

Available on the App Store for free.

For Social:
Tweetcaster

This is definitely the most expensive app I am reviewing today, but it is an almost essential app for online journalists and those who want to connect with their audience. Tweetcaster is designed to make the Twitter experience even better. For online journalists, one of the key uses of the app is the much more detailed search function, which allows you to search for nearby keywords based on your location. This can help you find stories and sources nearby. Tweetcaster simply makes social media interaction via mobile devices easier.

Available on the App Store for $5.49

Pressure Cooker Journalists (The Pressure on Online Journalists)

I read this phrase in an article recently by Paul Gillin, who writes about the decline of print and rebirth of journalism, and I felt it accurately summed up what I want to write about today: the pressure facing online journalists. My interpretation of the phrase 'pressure cooker journalists' is that modern journalists who work in an online environment essentially work in a pressure cooker - they have to write stories quickly but perfectly in a short period of time. They are always under pressure.

Online journalists are also called 24/7 journalists. There is an expectation that they are always at work - news does not sleep, and for online websites which rely on having up-to-date coverage of news events, neither do their journalists. A study conducted in 2012 by the Work Research Institute (AFI), found that online journalists feel they are expected to be available to write stories at all hours of the day. This survey also found that journalists find it difficult to separate work and spare time.*

Jemima Kiss of The Guardian also wrote a story in 2010 about a survey conducted by Oriella PR of journalists in 15 countries. This survey found that:
• 44% of respondents said "print media will shrink dramatically".
• Approximately "46% of journalists said they were expected to produce more work, 30% said they are working longer hours and 28% have less time to research stories".

It is easy to pinpoint why online journalists feel they are under so much pressure. The waning print industry has meant large companies with online profiles have had to drastically cut the number of journalists working for them. Lack of print advertising revenue and the inability (so far) to successfully get readers to pay for online news means pay cuts and more job lay-offs. This means the remaining journalists have to pick up the slack; they are doing twice the amount of work as before, as well as working across a variety of media that did not exist before. Online news is 24 hour news, which means news websites have to be constantly updated (overseas audiences who check news throughout the night also contribute to the need for websites to be updated). There is also a pressure on online journalists to be the first to post a story, which means there is less time to verify information, check facts and find decent sources. However, 'the internet never forgets', which means any mistakes are permanent and no amount of editing will make readers forget a crucial error made due to time constraints.

What is most concerning however is that the Work Research Institute's work environment survey found that 3 in 5 journalists take part in producing online content. Does this mean that it will be commonplace for journalists to be stressed or tired or burnt out? Are journalists are expected to somehow survive in this pressure cooker?

I don't have an answer to this. But I am disappointed by the fact that the online environment has created pressures for journalists and there does not appear to be an answer as to how to take some of the pressure off. I understand that without print advertising revenue it is difficult to hire large numbers of people to work online, but forcing journalists to work extreme hours and under a lot of pressure, is not the way to produce quality news. All I can do is hope that by the time I enter a newsroom as an online or new media journalists (which, admittedly, is only a few months away), there will be some solutions in play to keep the mounting pressure off journalists.

* = For more detail on the survey and its results, see this article by Berit Kvam.

Online Journalism in the Federal Election

With the federal election being held in a mere five days, media outlets all over Australia have developed a large variety of interactive, online tools to encourage reader participation with media outlets. These tools are designed to help readers decide on who to vote for, or to provide readers with comprehensive coverage of the election.

These online tools are a very creative and interesting way of encouraging readers to start a conversation with the news outlet. These tools are designed to promote the news organisation; the news outlet with the most comprehensive coverage of the election is likely to find increased readership levels.

I am not here to judge media coverage of the election - that has been done by the rest of the world already. I am simply here to give examples of the types of online tools being used by media outlets and to rank the tools.

Please note, the list below of online tools is not a complete or comprehensive list.

The Advertiser has created a candidate promises section. If you type in your electorate, you will receive a list of candidates running in the election with a detailed list of their election promises. The tool aims to help you figure out who to vote for. There is also detailed information about the electorate and how it compares to the rest of Australia. I loved this - it certainly helped me determine who was going to do what for my electorate and it definitely helped me decide who to vote for: 10/10.

The Age has developed an interactive electorate map. If you type in your electorate (for me it is Lilley - currently held by Wayne Swan), the map will detail the status of the seat (marginal) and also provide information on the income, family, education, home ownership, religion and country of birth for the electorate. There is also a short history of the electorate. It is a brilliant informational tool: 7/10.

The ABC created what is probably the most famous online tool for this election: Vote Compass. A simple questionnaire designed to help readers determine who to vote for. The questions range from policies to values and the quiz concludes by telling you which party your beliefs align with - it does all the work for you. This tool was helpful in determining where my beliefs lay in terms of the big parties, but it did not make my decision on who to vote for any easier (I wanted specifics for my area): 9/10.

The Sydney Morning Herald has a plethora of online tools available to readers. They have an interactive electorate map, an election 'reckoner' designed to help you chose which party to vote for, and the hilarious 'Whack a Pollie' game where you can hit either a cartoon version of Rudd or Abbott to see their popularity levels rise. Not only do they inject humor into their online tools, they are also relatively detailed when it comes to the serious side of politics: 9/10.

The Guardian's Campaign Watch tool is more for the politically-minded person then the average citizen, but the tool would likely appeal to The Guardian's highly educated and politically-inclined readership. The tool tracks where the two main candidates (Rudd and Abbott) have been throughout the election campaign, and includes details on what they did in each electorate they visited and promises they made. The tool, while interesting, is not necessarily helpful to your average citizen: 7/10.

The Australian also created an interactive electorate map. When you search for your electorate you are given some demographics about the electorate (though it is not very detailed) and a small paragraph detailing who The Australian thinks will win the seat. There is also a list of seats to watch. It is not the most comprehensive tool available, and the information I found on it I could easily have found on other websites: 6/10.

These are merely some of the election tools that can be found online. News outlets are wholeheartedly embracing new technology to create these interactive and informative tools for readers. Some organisations created tools which would appeal merely to their readers, while others created tools to attract new readers. Either way, the invention of these online tools has helped media outlets in their journey to cover the election comprehensively.

Hybrid Roles in the Newsroom

This week, Simon Holt, the managing editor of Brisbane Times, spoke to us about the fluidity of modern newsrooms and the fact that there are no longer strict boundaries placed on journalists. Instead, journalists are expected to have hybrid newsroom roles.

For example, print and online journalists are no longer expected to work purely in their specialized media. Instead, they are expected to be both print and online journalists, and probably have working knowledge of radio and TV. News organisations do not operate solely in one media (except for specialist, new, online media outlets like Brisbane Times). The ABC for example, operates across TV, radio and online, while papers like The Australian also have an online presence.

Journalists in these organisations have to not only be able to work with journalists in other media sectors, but also have to be able to write an article for print and then write it's online sister. No longer are print journalists writing one copy and sending it to online journalists to write an online version. Instead, they have to do both jobs.

Therefore, physical newsrooms are no longer separated into print and online. While different sectors may be evident as some journalists are required to remain in one section (such as managing directors, editors or producers), regular reporters have the ability to move fluidly around a newsroom. The following picture demonstrates a more modern newsroom structure.

Source: Fernando Samaniego - 25 Tips for a Modern Newsroom

An example of a newsroom embracing the need for a multi-media structure is The Seattle Times. According to Knight Digital Media Centre, The Seattle Times' newsroom previously had very separate print and online managing directors, each working independently of one another. Now, however, there are three branches of the newsroom: creation (news-gathering staff), curation (production staff) and community (staff who engage with the community, including local bloggers).

Executive Editor David Boardman says that the old newsroom where everything was separate was unworkable. "We were in the same newsroom physically, but it was a situation where the online operation was just a processing operation and the website was just the newspaper online with a few updates throughout the day. There was a little bit of dabbling with multi-media, blogging, but not much," he said.

However this new hybrid newsroom which focuses on the stages of producing news and not on the type of media being used to distribute news, plays to the strengths of each media. It allows reporters to focus on reporting, regardless of what media they are using.

For students, this means a few things. It means that we must be proficient in all types of journalism, and not have a specialty. We have to be able to prove to employers that we can write for online (by including pictures, videos, slideshows), write for print (formal written style, no reliance on graphics) and write for TV (over-reliance on images, casual style of talking). We also have to prove that we can tell one story over a variety of platforms without being too repetitive. It also means that we need to know our stories inside out; we are now responsible for telling this one story over every type of media and must bear the full responsibility for quotes, facts and sources.

In a way, it means that students graduating into the current workplace have an advantage. We have grown up using a variety of media and have been trained to use new media, including blogs and social media. We have an advantage over older journalists, who while have experience, may not have our knowledge of how to tell a story over a variety of platforms.

The best way to show how much value news organisations place on multi-platform journalism is to show you the following advertisement for The Guardian. Most people have probably already seen the ad. We were shown it in the lecture on Monday but my Mum showed it to me a while ago when it was first released. This ad is still considered one of the best advertisements for a news organisations because it shows how diverse and modern The Guardian is, and how this type of journalism is what all modern news organisations are striving to achieve.