I had a few questions for him before he even took the podium due to his current position as Director of Communications at Brass Media and his former job as a reporter for the Gazette-Times.
The questions I had to ask him were important to me because I aspire to be apart of the media industry via reporting:
*Do you think the art of reporting is considered less and less significant and is not a valued trade since there are so many easy ways to tell a story (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
*What are your suggestions for gaining followers anywhere on the web, like on a blogger account for example, because simply getting someone to read your blog does not mean they will choose to follow?
*Regarding readers comments and interactive media on news sites and blogs, have people gotten harsher and ruder because of how easy it is to post those comments anonymously, or have readers always been so harsh and now just have a convenient way of expressing their negative feedback?
Each of these questions were answered in full by Matt, one of them without me even having to ask.
His presentation, "New Reporting in a multimedia world- or do we really need reporters any more?" was surprisingly insightful and practical in the way that he talked about new tools and ideas that are constantly being thought up. He didn't seem to sugarcoat any of the information the way that many professionals do. He told it like it is.
One of the best concepts that Matt presented rules that make online journalism the same as written journalism:
*Don't plagiarize
*disclose, disclose, disclose
*don't accept gifts for coverage
*check it out, and tell the truth and
*be honest.
"Ultimately, what it comes down to is trust," he said.
Matt also discussed trends and the big things that are happening in social media, including the idea that it is spreading to the underdeveloped regions of the world. Facebook and Twitter are "not just happening in highly developed nations, but in Syria," he said. "To me, this is exciting and it's reasserting my faith in journalism."
When I heard this, I remembered the initial reasons I wanted to become a journalist in the first place. As Matt asserted, journalism of any type whether it is online, written or on TV is getting the word out, being a witness for people who are not there and presenting the story in the clearest, most detailed structure possible. This is what matters to me.
Another key concept of Matt's discussion was citizen journalism; that is, the ability for any joe shmoe on the street to create news for the world to see. This is something that didn't used to be possible until the world takeover of twitter and youtube. Now social media sites have made it possible for literally anyone with a wifi connection to "report" and be a "journalist." This information can be disheartening to someone who wants to make a career out of journalism. How can a person get paid to do something that EVERYONE is already doing?
Matt brought to light the benefits of good journalism and basically summed up the reasons why there will always be a place in the media world for reporters. Good stories with valuable information are what people will always want, even if that same story is getting told a hundred different ways on someone's twitter account.
"I grew up in a time when there was a rift in how you live online and in real life," Matt said. "But you should try to blend online life with real life."
Advice that Matt gave from a reporters point of view were also a big help, including keeping your ear to the internet and maintaining good listening skills.
His biggest suggestion of the night? Staying in conversation.
"Your story as a professional is just the beginning point, continue to revisit the work you do."
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