If journalism has a future, here it is
Some days, you can feel really hopeful about journalism.
I felt that way yesterday, while I was training for the second day at the Freedom Forum’s Diversity Institute in Nashville, Tennessee. Why so optimistic? Because I was surrounded by journalists, real journalists, who came from newspapers all over the U.S. for a five-day training experience in online and multimedia journalism.
One good sign is their group blog, where you’ll find cheerful, positive posts from many of the attendees. (They’ll be adding stuff through Friday or Saturday.)
What’s really fantastic is that even though these 21 journalists lack multimedia experience (three are photographers, and at least a couple have some radio experience; the rest are print reporters and editors), they are all open-minded. They ask intelligent (not defensive) questions. They take the assignments seriously and work hard. They are collegial and help each other.
We hope they will all return to their newsrooms and help spread the knowledge they’ve acquired — even if only by setting a good example.
Here’s what I taught them: Audio and Audio Slideshows
Journalism will survive as long as we have people like these to practice it.
Update (1:54 p.m.): The participants’ first Soundslides are being posted to the group blog as they complete them. One team reported on the workshop itself.
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