Every aid agency in the world has a pro (often highly paid)videographer, some have dozens. Likewise Tony Hawk.

Having a newsroom produce these pieces creates “collaborator video”. It rests on an implicit agreement along the lines of “we will co-operate 100% with you, so that you can produce a video that gets our message across”.

It’s not news – unless you include Fox News. There is no such thing as an independent collaborator.

You’re SO right about storytelling being far more important than the tools. I find it’s easy to teach tools and much more challenging to teach storytelling (classroom time has to skew to storytelling, about 80 percent, in my opinion).

Hubbard’s videos themselves make this argument.

(P.S. I learned how to take notes in my print journalism undergrad. I almost never record anything, unless I intend to put the audio online.)

Seems like you took copious notes at these sessions. I wanted to share something that he said at the beginning of the session that I think is so important.

“I don’t know where online video is going, but good storytelling will always be there.”

While everyone is debating (and rightfully so) the difficulties in monetizing video, it can be easy to think newspapers will abandon video. But it is a powerful and honest way to tell important stories.

Garrett was a true professional. I only wish people hadn’t wasted so much time discussing what type of camera, tripod, etc. he uses. They are JUST TOOLS!

It was a pleasure to meet you as well. (I introduced myself after the integrating web JO into college curriculum class. I was the young multimedia reporter. I work for the Burlington Free Press, a Gannett paper. (We use Avid, but again, they’re just tools)

Thanks for the detailed posts.