Ch. 4 New Reporting Methods

“While the ante is being raised, resources seem to be evaporating.” – Mark Briggs

Everyone is bracing for the death of the newspaper and some are terrified for the new frontier. But the transition doesn’t have to hurt; journalists need to accept two things: technology and transparency.

Take baby steps. Not ready for blogging, RSS feeds, and video editing? No problem. Start by cutting paper out…completely. Start relying on digital spreadsheets, calendars, and other modes of compiling data.

Services are available to help you make the transition. Like Backpack, where you can view all of your to-do lists, meetings, and appointments. Some newsrooms are even changing to digital newsrooms by putting all their data and stories on a database.

Storing data electronically makes it easier to organize. Start by collecting information and gradually adding to your online notebook. Before you know it, you’ll be ready for blogging.