Multiplatform Journalism in Practice

Entering my third year as a journalism student, I’ve meddled in photojournalism, literary journalism, writing consulting and editing, but I have surprisingly little experience with day-to-day, conventional, newspaper reporting. Not that there’s anything “conventional” about the reporting world of today.

I will be experimenting with “multiplatform journalism” this fall as part of a Reporting for the Public Good course and posting the results in a multimedia environment, on WordPress, YouTube and in various local publications. Multiplatform journalism, to me, means being able to report an event accurately through the most capable medium so that the audience gains a representative understanding of what occurred.

Equipped with a pocket-sized digital camera and handheld digital video and voice recorders, I am ready to dive head first into journalism on-the-go. I will attempt to capture as much content as possible to keep the public informed. As someone who lacks tech-savvy, I hope to become comfortable with my tools, in an effort to hone my craft and gain confidence to tackle the next technological developments on the horizon.

The rapid advances in technology make this multiplatform journalism possible and demand flexibility and experimentation from reporters who fumble with the new equipment to enhance their journalistic abilities. What better way to learn than by doing?!