Are you really ready to be a journalist?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by

Tomorrow, our school will hold an open house for potential students here at Eastern Illinois University. Inevitably, parents will ask about job opportunities in a profession that has certainly been contracting. However, jobs are available, especially for smart graduates willing to work diligently, take chances, and hone their skills in college courses and for student media.

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Storify’s another way to remain relevant to students

Posted on November 6, 2012 by

Storify is simpler, more fun that it 1st appeared.

I never want to be that teacher who tells war stories and reminisces about the good old days of journalism. Besides, that would be a blatant lie. To combat journalistic osteoporosis, I just posted my first real Storify piece that I developed both for instruction and fun. I love new media like this because it does not have any rules, allowing someone to both inform and create. Too frequently, students are more concerned with following the rules and emulating what others have done instead of innovating and connecting with their audience. Let me know what you think about the piece above or about Storify’s emergence as a new reporting tool.

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The challenge of teaching journalism

Posted on November 4, 2012 by

I never seem to have enough time to cover everything I’d like to address in classes, especially when student writing skills continue to diminish – at least, that’s been my perspective after teaching at colleges for the past 16 years. In a 16-week class, the best I can do is address some basic writing problems, which range from a weak vocabulary to an inability to piece together coherent, grammatically correct sentences. I typically correct sentences when students submit their required news stories, but I know this is insufficient. These students, if they truly want to become media professionals, will need to take several more writing and grammar courses in order to communicate effectively in a field where the best communicators battle for the best jobs.

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