Stevens v. Stone

Both articles raise some interesting questions. Some of them are questions I asked before decided to pursue this sequence. Are convergence reporters really the future of journalism? Can convergence reporters produce quality journalism in light of their increased responsibilites? Will there still be a place for specialization? What I found particularly intersting is that while Stevens and Stone may appear to be on opposite sides of the fence, both agree that convergence journalism is going to be around for awhile. The examples given (i.e. Pariah Nation, The Herald Sun's piece on Nicaragua, etc.) prove that multimedia reporting can be incredibly compelling. Yet with the exception of 9/11, these examples were stories that took weeks to produce. It seems that the real issue here is whether or not spot and daily news can be effectively covered by a convergence journalist. I think that this is possible, especially if you consider using a convergence duo or team. If you assigned more than one person to a story, it would be easier to balance the different tasks each story required.

In regard to the whole "mush of mediocrity," theory, I think that there should and will be a degree of specialization in any good convegence reporter. While convergence journalists have a broad knowledge of how to use several media, most would ideally have one to two areas of expertise. Much in the way that people who are multi-lingual have one to two dominant languages, the convergence journlaist would have a preferred medium that could be enhance using multimedia skills. For example, a reporter for a newspaper who takes some photos for a story enhances that story by giving it a visual aspect. That photo would add to the story even though the reporter may not be a trained photojournalist. Does that make sense?

Ultimately, I think I agree with Eddie that convergence journalists are journalists above all else. The most important part is the story! Convergence journalists will still be collecting information and preparing the story using the tried and true methods of the past. The difference is that the convergence journalist can package the story themselves, and as the technology becomes better and even more user-friendly, the end result will be better.