One thing I found really interesting in this chapter, though not elaborated on densely, is the idea of media convergence or “multimedia”. The idea that as a journalist you have to have the ability to appeal to multiple audiences. This means being able to edit your writing for the reader, whether than be in newsprint or online. Online typically articles that have the most attention are short, information filled, and to the point. This is all completely intentional with the idea that those who use the internet for their new more often than not want a quick summary. It reminds me of a article that I read last semester called “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (I believe for communications) that encapsulated the decrease of printed news and the increase of internet use for news. People that clicked on online articles proved to have only read through the first few paragraphs (I believe from memory) and then clicked away. The idea of reading a full news coverage of something that is more than 500 words isn’t appealing to most audiences today. This is largely due to the increase of news coverage and the “instant” feeling that the internet gives when researching info. Therefore, journalists have the duty of being flexible in production of their work. It allows news to then reach a larger audience in whatever way is preferred.
Journal #3
