What do today's (online) journalists need to be taught?

“Looking for Web journalism teaching tips,” is the title of this interesting forum posted last month on Online Journalism Review (ojr.org).

It was kicked off by Mac Slocum, a veteran online editor and producer and web journalism teacher, who observed that “ Web journalists are often expected to have at least a rudimentary understanding of Web technology, so it's important for journalism educators to provide future journalists with the skills necessary to succeed in the Web environment.”

Sounds reasonable, until you’re faced with tough questions provoked by that philosophy.

“How do we avoid the allure of technology?” Slocum asks. “How do we make sure that the elements of journalism continue to be the focus, even as we teach students HTML, Flash and other tech-centric subjects?”

The answers, from a-half dozen teachers--and one j-student--range from the philosophical to the practical.

They should be required reading for journalism deans, professors, and students who share a common challenge, whether they think of themselves as online journalists.

We are all navigating between the time-honored verities of journalism education and ever-changing technologies that not only change the way news is gathered and delivered, but profoundly alter the way we think about the practice of journalism.

I found the questions and answers they generated thought-provoking and look forward to more posts.

Comments

[jason knight]

Chip,

You hadn't posted in a while...I wondering where you had gone :)

I think it is interesting that people who think of themselves as blogger are asking the same questions.

[Roger]

Chip,

Enjoyed the article on the impact of technology on your field of journalism.

As I watched the super bowl, I realized that user generated content is going to affect the advertising business as technology allows users to develop and distribute commercials. In particular the Dorritos car crash was produced for $13 and was outstanding creatively.
Were these creative geniuses who can do this over and over again or one shot spots whose authors will fade into oblivion.
Has technology made us all reporters of what we see and can distribute? If so who will provide the journalistic role of interpretation of events in a larger context?
Roger