A next wave of “new”
As journalists become comfortable with mobile media, they have begun to experiment with new types of storytelling. Some experiments reach further than others. We are heading into a world in which you can be immersed in a story with virtual reality, holographic glasses and drones. The news cycle can become part of your body cycle with wearable technology.
So what will this mean for journalists? Could we reach a point in the near future similar to the one described in this American Journalism Review article by former Newseum staffer Paul Sparrow?
Consider these reading assignments and class discussion topics:
Flashlight: While these advances can be exciting, they bring up ethics and privacy issues. Consider this article about the ethics of drone journalism. Which laws do you think are necessary? Try the same with social media. Another example: Look into the issue of net neutrality. How do new technologies play into our fundamental ideas of free expression and equality?
Spotlight: Explore Walking New York, the New York Times Magazine’s step toward virtual reality journalism. Download the app Vrse and watch the video. Where else would this platform work? What you can do with an upcoming election in WhatsApp?
Searchlight: To use these new tools, will journalists need to have a deeper understanding of reader behavior? Probably. Story forms could be as customized as the stories and tools themselves. So how does a newsroom go beyond simply measuring “unique visits”? Research what analytic data is important in the mobile age. Newsrooms call it “audience development.”
Extra credit: Technology changes. Clarity remains a goal. Check out this list of common repetitive phrases, this list of jargon and this list of clichés. Take a look at social media. Would good writing stand out there? Is it one of the tips on how to use Twitter? Or Tumblr? Go online and choose any news story. Highlight any repetitive phrases, clichés or jargon. Make suggestions as to how to improve the writing. Now read it again, and do the same once more.