Clueless about multimedia? Today’s the day that ends

Feel like you don’t know enough about online journalism? Worried about getting an internship this summer?

Don’t just sit on your hands and fret. Start doing something about it!

First thing to do: Take five minutes and read these two blog posts.

Advice for journalism students now

If you asked editors and publishers today to offer advice to journalism students, what would they say?

In response to a survey preceding a journalism job fair, 86 newspaper editors and publishers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio said these are the skills students need to put themselves in the strongest position to land an entry-level job in the newspaper industry today. ….

Number 1 on that list: Diverse skills. This includes multimedia storytelling (audio and video) and Web-first reporting.

This only confirms everything I’ve seen at internships and professional conferences. For many jobs, multimedia is a requirement. For others, it can be the make-or-break factor that gets you hired over someone else.

Reporter’s guide to multimedia proficiency (part 1)s

As promised in my last blog post, I’m going to offer some guidance for journalists who are ready to learn how to transform themselves into multimedia journalists. I think there will be 15 parts, of which this is the first. …

If you are a journalist (or journalism student) who feels like you need to catch up and upgrade your skills, I suggest that you do more than simply read these posts. Put the advice into use immediately — the same day, if possible. Don’t wait! (You’ve waited long enough already.)

000000;">If you think of yourself as a journalist at a print product that just happens to have a Web site, the 5 minutes you spend reading these posts could be the most important of your day.

000000;">If you feel like you don’t even know where to start, keep reading Mindy’s blog. This series sounds truly promising.

So, want to add a few more RSS feeds to your Google Reader? Paul Bradshaw over at the Online Journalism Blog posted a list a while back of 10 top journalism bloggers in America. They’re all well worth your time.

Student journalists, online isn’t an option. It’s a requirement.

Baffling as it may be, many student journalists don’t have a Web-first mindset. They think of themselves working solely for a print product and think the time for learning new skills is tomorrow, not today.

How do we help them see the light?

Show ‘em the facts.

Looking for a to-the-point, persuasive blog post to help you in your endeavor? Mindy McAdams just posted it.

In response to a survey preceding a journalism job fair, 86 newspaper editors and publishers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio said these are the skills students need to put themselves in the strongest position to land an entry-level job in the newspaper industry today:

Diverse skills: multimedia storytelling, including audio and video; Web-first reporting; report/write for both printed publication and online (45 out of 86)

Writing skills: writing on deadline; writing brief and fast, including for Web site; attention to grammar, spelling, clarity, organization (40 out of 86)

Curiosity and enthusiasm (16 out of 86)

MORE THAN HALF (!!!) want reporters to have a diverse skillset, and my guess is the other half sure wouldn’t mind it if you had one, either.

The rest of the post is just as fact-filled and interesting, including a bit about why you should freelance while still in college.

I’m not trying to pontificate from on high here. I know I have plenty of skills left to learn and a dwindling number of days before graduation. Believe me, those two facts are the source of most of my stress.

The point is that at least I’m aware of my shortcomings.

If we don’t have the right state of mind, we don’t stand a chance at changing how we report the news.

Rob Curley’s two-year-old post still holds true: “Skillset is important. But mindset is most important.”

Mindy just gave us all a tool to use to kick people in gear and get our news organizations innovating again.

[ Photo by minxlabs ]