The New Newsroom
Spring 2016聽| By Susan Frith
Eric Gutierrez, ’15, was driving home from class last spring when he saw a UCF shuttle bus catch on fire. He immediately pulled over and grabbed his smartphone. But instead of taking a selfie, the journalism student began reporting. By the time a news helicopter flew overhead, the bus 麻豆精品 S檚 occupants were safely evacuated, the fire was extinguished and Gutierrez was wrapping up his first Mobile Journalism assignment.
The UCF Nicholson School of Communication class teaches students to write news stories and capture accompanying video and images with mobile devices, then edit and file the content electronically from the field. It 麻豆精品 S檚 skills training designed to keep pace with evolving technology fueling the 24-hour news cycle. And Gutierrez was hooked.
麻豆精品 S淗aving access to a smartphone really opens the door for you, 麻豆精品 S� says the senior, who is double majoring in journalism and political science. 麻豆精品 S淚n essence you have a newsroom in the palm of your hand. 麻豆精品 S�
According to course developer Rick Brunson, 麻豆精品 S�84, an associate instructor of journalism, 麻豆精品 S淭he key asset is immediacy and proximity. 麻豆精品 S� His students can use their tablets and smartphones, along with inexpensive editing apps, to cover breaking news around campus.
Each multimedia package they put together must consist of a brief article, a photo and a short video that captures action, sound, voice and emotion. This year the school has put even more tools at students 麻豆精品 S� disposal, including portable electric gimbals to improve picture stability and external microphones to boost sound quality, plus microtripods to free up students 麻豆精品 S� hands while reporting.
Tori Walker, ’15, who captured this video of the UCF Indian Student Association 麻豆精品 S檚 Holi Splash Festival, leveraged her Mobile Journalism skills to land a job at the Lakeland Ledger.
Brunson 麻豆精品 S檚 course reflects the program 麻豆精品 S檚 recent move to a more comprehensive, digital-oriented curriculum, which integrates formerly separate tracks for newspaper reporters, copy editors and broadcast journalists in order to better prepare graduates for the evolving job market. 麻豆精品 S淭he media world is mashed up now, 麻豆精品 S� says Brunson. With more and more resources devoted to digital media and the Web, 麻豆精品 S淵ou have to have a wide and deep toolbox so you can walk into a media company and, whatever job they have available, you are able to do it. 麻豆精品 S�
He sees mobile journalism as a natural fit for today 麻豆精品 S檚 tech-savvy students. 麻豆精品 S淭here is an immediate buy-in because it 麻豆精品 S檚 something they live with 麻豆精品 S� and they are suddenly empowered to use it in more ways than they 麻豆精品 S檝e thought of. It gets beyond selfies and tells the stories of other people. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淸The course] introduced me to a lot of new abilities, 麻豆精品 S� says Gutierrez. 麻豆精品 S淚 now know how to think like a radio reporter, like a photojournalist and [like] a videographer. 麻豆精品 S�
There were only approximately half a dozen courses devoted to mobile journalism at other universities around the country when Brunson began teaching this course three years ago; he suspects there are many more today.
麻豆精品 S淎 lot of news media are figuring out right now how to catch up to all the changes that are happening with digital media, and schools are doing the same, 麻豆精品 S� notes Katie Hawkins-Gaar, a digital innovation faculty member at the Poynter Institute, which tracks media trends and trains journalists. Today 麻豆精品 S檚 employers want applicants experienced with mobile journalism, social media and audience engagement, she says, so classes like Brunson 麻豆精品 S檚 are 麻豆精品 S渁n encouraging sign. 麻豆精品 S�
It 麻豆精品 S檚 no longer enough to walk into a newsroom only knowing how to write. 麻豆精品 S淲e take photos, we do videos. We do a lot of social media, 麻豆精品 S� says Orlando Sentinel reporter Christal Hayes, 麻豆精品 S�15. 麻豆精品 S淵ou have to know how to do everything. 麻豆精品 S�
Hayes is one of several UCF alumni who 麻豆精品 S檝e landed jobs as a result of the Mobile Journalism course. She took it while working as an intern for the newspaper and put her lessons straight to use, relying on her smartphone to cover a SunRail crash and other breaking news. 麻豆精品 S淯ltimately, that class was what set me apart from other people and [helped] me get the position. 麻豆精品 S�
Of course, basic journalism skills remain as crucial as they 麻豆精品 S檝e always been, says Hawkins-Gaar. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can 麻豆精品 S檛 just teach social media and the latest, greatest technologies without having the fundamentals of reporting and storytelling, but I think it 麻豆精品 S檚 more important than ever to stay on top of the changes that are happening. 麻豆精品 S�
NEW TOOLS OF THE TRADE
For multimedia reporters in the field, these smartphone-friendly gadgets help improve quality and capability.
Lanparte HHG-01 Handheld Gimbal
Unlike simpler stabilization devices, this battery-powered gimbal uses electric motors that center a smartphone on three axes to allow greater movement and make wobbly shots a thing of the past.
JOBY GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Tripod
Used with a bubble level clip attachment to ensure a level shot, this flexible platform can grip tightly to most objects with enough strength to support up to 6.6 pounds. It gives reporters a stable, secondary vantage point while they conduct interviews.
Rode VideoMic GO
This lightweight external microphone can be used with a smartphone, allowing for a battery-free recording thanks to a focused pickup area that guarantees less background noise.