Class Speaker: Bred Kalbfeld

Carpe Diem, Young Journalists

Journalism Veteran Urges University Students to Seize the Medium

Beyond a doubt, technology sprang forward in leaps and bounds in the last two decades.

But growing up in those two decades are today's university students, and some about to graduate and enter the modern day workforce.

One chilly Tuesday afternoon in George Mason University's online journalism class, journalist hopefuls filed inside their classroom with their scarves and coats to hear a presentation by guest speaker Brad Kalbfeld.

Instead, the former Associated Press veteran of 31 years unveiled his mission.

Kalbfeld reached into his bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bulky, off-white plastic suitcase. His hands popped off the plastic shell, and the typewriter hidden underneath appeared. Moments later, Kalbfeld pulled out his iTouch.

"My interest in being here today is to get you thinking is how this," Kalbfeld pointed to the typewriter. "Converts to this," and the hand holding the iTouch raised itself high.

According to Kalbkeld, who once typed his career on the very typewriter he showed the class, young journalists entering the field are "lucky." Few have a set-in-stone "I'm only a print journalist" mentality.

"If I can catch you now," said Kalbkeld as he passed along the heavy typewriter. Student hands reached out to touch the keys. "And get you thinking, your careers will be stronger and better, and journalism will be stronger and better."

A New Goal: Digitalization

The typewriter was a technological feat of journalism's past. Now the old analog newsroom is digital, said Kalbkeld.

Kalbkeld framed the industry's current economic struggle into one question. "How do I digitalize that?"

According to the journalism veteran, young veterans are at a distinct advantage compared to the 35 to 50-year-old journalists competing in an increasingly digital world.

Without a pre-set way to do things, young journalists are more likely to confidently use new technologies.

To a certain extent, say Kalbkeld, it helped for the 20-something Mason students to grow up along with the fast-paced digital world.

This is the generation that watched the boxy green-screen home computers turn into hand held iPhones, and the Internet grow up from nerdy Times New Roman 12-point font and HTML frames to mainstream Facebook and Flickr.

Now it is a race to see who will outpace who.

"Technology is changing how journalists do their job," said Kalbfeld. "We all have to change and build for ourselves skill sets that will help us survive in our interactive world."

Kalbkeld went on to lead the class in exercises such as diagnosing current online news media such as "The New York Times", and how these journalism giants use digital possibilities.

The key, said Kalbkeld, is making your digital news interact with the readers.

"Everything becomes possible once you digitalize the news," said Kalbfeld.

There were a few more toys pulled out of Kalbfeld's bag. After the typewriter, Kalbfeld unveiled his EPSON HX-20, or one of the first portable laptop computers. Many students in the class lifted up their own modern laptops and compared the size and appearance.

The class chuckled at each and every one of Kalbfeld's show-and-tell analog devices. Along with the typewriter and ancient laptop, Kalbfeld brought a massive tape recorder that was heavier than the students' modern laptops.

He even slung its nylon strap over his shoulder to demonstrate how journalists used to carry these ancient tools of the trade around.

Kalberd, a working journalist since 1973, retired from the AP in Dec. 2008. He is the author of the "AP Style Broadcast Handbook", and was invited by Mason professor and Head of Journalism Department Steve Klein to speak to Klein's online journalism class.