the future journalist thoughts from two generations

Sree Sreenivasan@sreenet

MASHABLE POST: bit.ly/sreefuture

The Future Journalist

Thoughts from two generations

Vadim Lavrusik @lavrusik

Name Vadim Lavrusik Location New York City,

USA Web http://lavrusik.com Bio Working on social

media @nytimes | @columbiajourn digital media grad student | Building @NYC3_0 | Idea generator | Tweeting new media goodies.

Name Sree Sreenivasan Location Manhattan Web http://sree.net Bio Columbia J-school prof/dean & technology

evangelist/skeptic; contributing editor, DNAinfo.com

THIS DOC: bit.ly/futurej *** VIDEO: bit.ly/futurejvid

Social Media Today Is...• where radio was in 1912• where TV was in 1950• where the web was in 1996Imagine discussing the future journalist at those points in time - we'd make bad predictions then, and we'll make bad predictions now.

Fact is, the future of journalism is full of opportunities, pitfalls and mistakes we are all going to make - TOGETHER.

The Future Journalist knows:

Fundamentals Are Critical• Great reporting• Great writing• Journalistic ethics• Beat work -

specialization• Investigative skills• News judgment• Understands the world• Critical thinking • Critical reading

The Future Journalist is:

A"Tra-digital Journalist"

Term coined by Prof. SIG GISSLER, administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes.

... has all the skills and values of a traditional journalist, with a digital overlay.

[He also talks about how journalists should convey "joyful entitlement" when reporting.]

The Future Journalist has:

A New Media SKILLSET&

A New Media MINDSET

An idea from NYT's Jonathan Landman.

...you need digital skills, but you also need the ability to THINK digitally.


A Multimedia Storyteller

• Able to use the right digital skills and tools for the right story at the right time

• Has high-end digital skillset and mindset• Knows how to use words, visuals, video,

interactive graphics • Some stories need lots of bells-n-whistles,

many don't• Able to do stories in many formats, but

specialist in one


A Multimedia Storyteller

• Producing, editing, live-streaming video• Audio podcasts, Webcasts • Photo slideshows, audio slideshows• Online video consumption is growing

Multiple daily video updatesby multimedia reporter-producers at DNAinfo.com


A Community Builder

• Facilitating conversation • Each their own “community manager”• Maintaining Web beats• Connecting audiences


A Trusted Pointer • Finds and shares great content, within a

beat(s) or topic area(s)• Is trusted by others to filter out the noise • Every time he or she shares an item, it's:

o helpfulo usefulo informativeo entertainingo interestingo funny [what would you add?]

• Only rarely is the pointing to his/her own work

The Future Journalist:

Works Collaboratively

• Knows how to harness the work of a range of people around him/her - colleagues in the newsroom; experts in the field; trusted citizen journalists; segments of the audience, and more.

• Doesn't try to start every story from scratch - can work collaboratively with existing material and concentrate, when necessary, on advancing the story.

[A simple test: can you work on a story with another journo within Google Docs? This presentation was done exclusively on Gdocs.]


Gets Social Media• We mean, really, really gets it.• Uses it to LISTEN, not only to broadcast• Uses social media to:

o find new story ideas, trends and sourceso connect with audience(s)o bring attention and traffic o help them create, craft and enhance their

personal brand


Blogger and Curator

• Has a personal voice

• Is curator of Web content

• Participant in the link economy

• Knows value of speed and SEO

• Builds a communityPete Cashmore, founder of Mashable

The Future Journalist has:

An Entrepreneurial Spirit• An experimental

open-mindedness• Innovator• Filling a gap in

news• Problem solvers• Might be an

entrepreneur within existing companies

• But not everyone can be one

Cody Brown, founder of NYU Local, Kommons

David Cohn, founder of Spot.Us

The Future Journalist might be a:

Web Programmer/Coder

[not everyone is going to be one, but should know how to work with/manage these folks]

• A knowledge of what's possible• Flash & other interactives• Telling stories with CSS, HTML, PHP,

JavaScript, ActionScript, etc.• Showcasing data & making

making it manageable

“I run a newsroom team of journalist/developers at The New York Times.”

@DanCow's Coding for Non-coding Journos: http://bit.ly/noncoders


Crafts His/Her Brand

• Online presence• Credibility• Influence• Expertise• Specialist (topical,

subject area, or geographic)

• People return your calls, text msgs, IMs, DMs, @mentionsAdrian Holovaty

Hi there! I’m a Web developer, journalist

and musicianin Chicago


Business Savvy

• Understands the business of his/her industry

• Understands value of content• Understands new media

business models• Explores new business

relationships and partnerships• Doesn't try to invent everything;

harness what's out there


Knows & Embraces Metrics

• Understands the value and danger of metrics

• Studies today's major metrics tools, Google Analytics, Omniture, Nielsen, Bit.ly, etc


Thinks "Career Management," Not "Next Job"

• Understands value of thinking long-term

• Thinks strategically about career choices

• Keeps re-tooling• Builds a "board of advisers"


A Clear Personal Communicator

Hi Sree,

I was just wondering where the best place to send pitches for the Huffington Post is - I have sent a couple of emails to them trying to find out - but have had no luck...

Thanks,Cxxxxx

During the talk, I got this Twitter DM from Huffington Post's Craig Kanalley:ckanal across anyone who wants to know where to send HuffPost pitches again, send them to me! It's part of my job. :)


A Clear Personal Communicator

• Thinks through every tweet, Facebook posting, e-mail message

• Reintroduces him/herself in cyberspace to people he or she met in the real world

• Clear subject lines in e-mail


Permanent Learner

• Open to new ideas• Reading, asking, talking about the

changes all around us• Media diet includes

o Mashableo PaidContent.orgo ReadWriteWebo Lifehacker o Poynter, Mediabistro blogs,

Mediaite, CJR, etco [what would you add?]


Permanent Learner

When the plane lands in the Hudson, it's too late to figure out Twitter.

When your company starts layoffs, it's too late to figure out LinkedIn.

When ____ happens, it's too late to figure out _____.

TThe Future Journalist: he Future Journalist:

Knows & Enjoys the Challenge

"It’s the people who are entering the profession right now that are going to create the editorial models, the publishing models, the business models, that define journalism in the 21st century. And that is something that’s exciting, it’s a challenge, which, in my mind, totally outweighs the bumps in the road, the instabilities, and the lack of security that journalists face today that maybe they didn’t 20 years ago."

- Joshua Michah Marshall of Talking Points Memo to Columbia J-school graduates, May 2009


Gets More Out of Speakers

@lavrusik / [email protected]: lavrusik.com@sreenet / [email protected]: facebook.com/sreetips

Social-media Skills syllabus: bit.ly/socmediaskillsWEBCASTS: Basic Twitter for Journos & Advanced Twitter for Journos:bit.ly/columbiajtw2

SREE WORKSHOPS: bit.ly/workshops

MASHABLE POST: bit.ly/sreefutureTHIS DOC: bit.ly/futurej *** VIDEO: bit.ly/futurejvid

the future journalist thoughts from two generations

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