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Posted by Donica Mensing
Page 1 of 1
More clarification please
For Article: Story of Neda's Death Reveals 7 Elements of Next-Step Journalism
Posted by
Donica Mensing
6/24/2009 7:47:26 PM
This is a useful analysis of the way journalism processes are changing -- thanks. I have two questions:
(1) It seems that most context is...
This is a useful analysis of the way journalism processes are changing -- thanks. I have two questions:
(1) It seems that most context is added after the distribution/transmission stage. The context is built by multiple sources, in contrast to context provided by a single journalist. Did you place it at this point in the process (before distribution) for a reason?
(2) I'm unsure of the distinction between the three stages of context, analysis and sense-making. I think these deconstructions are very useful in helping us understand how to teach and practice journalism more fully...which is why I'd like to understand a bit more what you mean.
Research as well as teaching
For Article: Busting J-School Silos: What Will it Take?
Posted by
Donica Mensing
10/29/2008 1:49:14 AM
I think part of the answer for j-schools is to reorient our research so we are active participants in helping invent the future of journalism....
I think part of the answer for j-schools is to reorient our research so we are active participants in helping invent the future of journalism. Other disciplines in the university are about creating knowledge -- developing new medicines, building models of climate change, testing new materials-- that then inform what they teach their students.
But as can be seen in this post, the focus of most J-schools is on teaching and training. The research that does exist often documents what happened in the past as opposed to rigorously exploring emerging innovations and ideas.
Imparting the craft of what came before has a place, of course, but so does systematic study, experimentation, and creation of new models, new tools, and new conceptions of journalism.
We need journalism think tanks that fund academic research that is applied, flexible, and responsive to this transitional age. The mass media era is over; we're in an amazing evolutionary period on so many levels. R&D is vital. Relevant research could help answer questions that are not going to spontaneously get resolved within shrinking newsrooms or aging classrooms.
The Knight News Challenges are helping spawn some of these ideas, as is the J-Lab and other innovative centers across the country. Classes like Rich Gordon's grad course this semester are important efforts. But funded research could augment these experiments in ways that would help us better evaluate methods, outcomes, and alternatives; document ways to apply and further ideas that are ricocheting around the blogosphere.
This research could naturally tie in with business schools, art schools, computer science departments, English...the possibilities open up once there is vision and some funding. If the industry is to survive, serious efforts at sustained R&D are critical. J-schools should be active partners in this effort.
What is the point of community news?
For Article: Is Community News Just a "Nice-to-Have?"
Posted by
Donica Mensing
6/12/2008 6:19:57 PM
Here's another way to think about the question (which is a very good one)...
If we think the purpose of community news/ journalism is to...
Here's another way to think about the question (which is a very good one)...
If we think the purpose of community news/ journalism is to provide information then it will always have an element of passivity to it. For the most part it will remain in the category of "nice to know when I have time."
If journalism is produced in a way that helps people solve actual problems, do community work, and make a difference in their communities on issues that really matter to them -- then it could move into the "have to know" category.
If journalism is produced as a way to help people be smarter consumers, better lovers, and further other personal goals, it will appeal to those people with particular personal interests.
If we believe that journalism has a role in civic life, then it would make sense to conceptualize communities as publics -- as political entities that have an interest in taking collective action about public problems -- not just aggregate personal preferences, but organize actual public work to make where we live better. Yes, it's activism. But don't we want people to take action as a result of our journalism? Then we could make that mantra part of how we do what we do, rather than "cover" things hoping that someone somewhere will be motivated to respond in some way.
Once journalism becomes part of the fabric of action, it becomes integral to what people do as part of living their lives. It could move from "nice to know" to part of the rhythm of participation.
University of Nevada, Reno
For Article: Which J-Schools Are Really Keeping Pace with Online Media?
Posted by
Donica Mensing
2/5/2007 12:04:37 AM
We (the Reynolds School of Journalism) are experimenting with many of the tools Amy identified, primarily in our new master's degree program in I...
We (the Reynolds School of Journalism) are experimenting with many of the tools Amy identified, primarily in our new master's degree program in Interactive Environmental Journalism.
We've developed a 10-month master's degree program for working professionals who want to learn interactive tools and experiment with how to create new forms of journalism.
We're building a site using Drupal (an open source content management system) featuring a variety of social networking and community building tools. We're focusing on Lake Tahoe as a case study and will be launching a community/journalism web site on March 1 (http://www.ourtahoe.org)
Until then, you can read about the program here:
http://www.unr.edu/journalism/grad
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