Web Professionals Discuss Online Journalism

A group of Web journalism professionals participated in discussion panels Thursday offering their insights on the future of the medium, the importance of blogging, and the changing style of Internet reporting.

Current State of Web Journalism

The field of Web journalism is new and exciting, with innovative platforms and venues reaching out to bigger audiences, the panelists said to the attending UT community. However, there are a number of things that aspiring Web journalists should consider about the evolving field.

Despite the constant developments of Web journalism, writing remains the most important thing, said Katie Granju, the senior online editor for WBIR-TV. Chip Scanlan, senior faculty member in writing for the Poynter Institute, echoed this idea.

"(Journalists) deliver news...but more importantly, we deliver meaning," he said. "The responsibility of today's journalist...has one central purpose, and that is to write stories that tell people what it is like to be alive today," said Scanlan.

Being flexible about one's hours is also an important aspect of the field, said Lauren Spuhler, an online reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel. The immediacy of the Web is encouraging journalists to tell smaller, more frequently updated stories that can be useful to people immediately, she said.

The industry must therefore embrace all types of journalists, from the traffic reporter to the reporter covering political primaries, said Knight Stivender, the director of online content for the Nashville Tennessean.

The Style of Online Reporting

As Web journalism continues to distinguish itself from print and broadcast media, it is beginning to develop its own style, which the panelists discussed in detail.

There is a much more personal, intimate style of writing on the Web verses writing in the traditional medium, said Michelle Ferrier, the digital content architect for MyTopiaCafe.com and columnist for the Daytona Beach News Journal.

And in the case of blog writing, where bloggers compete for the attention of readers, the style must be more entertaining, said Adam Bryant, an associate editor for TVGuide.com.

Jack Lail, the managing editor for multimedia content for the Knoxville News Sentinel, said in a Web style of writing there isn't much need to provide a lot of background research in the posted articles. In its place, journalists can link to the information on the Internet, he said.

"If there's an entry in Wikipedia that has a very good article about some sort of concept that you're discussing, what's the problem in linking that?" Lail said.

The ability to correct errors in a story immediately after they've been spotted is another aspect of Web journalism the panelists discussed. Not only do the corrections need to be fixed, but they should also be noted somewhere in the story or comments section, because the footprint of the original work is available, said Scanlan.

Blogging Your Way to the Top

Blogging is a recent innovation the panelists feel future Web journalists should utilize to appear more attractive to employers. Establishing an online presence is important, according to Granju.

A person should pick a topic they want to focus on and join in conversations with other bloggers by commenting on posts and becoming a part of that community, she said. The role of a journalist in the blogging world is like that of a talk show host in that they both present an interesting conversation to people, she said.

But there are certain rules a journalist needs to follow as a blogger to make sure they aren't crossing ethics and credibility lines, said Kenneth Knight, an online community producer of the Tampa Tribune.

There's a time and place for injecting one's opinion, said Patrick Beeson, a project manager for Scripps Interactive.

Ferrier said producing a digital portfolio of your online work shows employers that you know how to understand the medium and can represent yourself well in it.

Skill Sets for Journalists

In addition to creating a blog, the panelists suggested that students should start developing many technical skills as well.

A basic knowledge of HTML, content management systems, and database operations is important, said Ferrier.

Bryant, who recently graduated from UT, said coming out of school with knowledge in a lot of different areas makes getting a job easier. Both Bryant and Beeson noted the importance of knowing how to advertise and promote content, instead of just learning how to produce it.

Lail said special skill sets are good, but he looks for fundamental skills, a positive attitude, and the willingness to learn. He said technology is changing so fast that what one learns today in those types of fields probably will be obsolete in a few years.

View the original article [1] at the Tennessee Journalist and see the line up for Friday's panel discussions.