2008 Poynter Educators Forum

I'll admit it. I'm someone who still has trouble with a VCR. But I'm also a true believer in what new technologies can mean for journalism. As the managing editor of a newspaper, I lived through much of the changes. I saw the hard parts - shrinking staff, declining resources, do more with less. But I also saw the possibilities - a much broader reach for our stories, the ability to tell stories in new ways that reach new audiences, the power of adding sound/video to certain stories. I helped to integrate an online and print staff. I firmly believe the next generation of journalists needs all the traditional skills I had, but they also need a lot more because the technological change has been so rapid. And I need a lot more too. When I came to MSU, the J-school director said "incorporate blogs" into your class. I had experience with bloggers at my newspaper, but I had never actually done one myself before. So I taught myself. I'm sure there are easier ways. Same with any exposure to audio editing etc. So, I want to learn as much of the hands-on technology as possible.  I want to bring as many ideas back to the school as possible on how other schools are addressing the needs of today's students. And since I'm a newbie to academia, I'd like to learn as much as I can from all of you about navigating my way.