NYFA Broadcast Journalism School Updates August 7

August 7, 2017

So, who is a journalist? In some countries, you need to take a test and get a government license. Here in the United States, all you have to do is say you are a “journalist” and you are one. Still, typically we think of someone who works on TV or radio, a newspaper or magazine. But how about a guy driving a for-hire car, interviewing customers for a podcast? That’s the theme of a report on the Columbia Journalism Review website. It tells the story of a TV journalist who has reinvented himself as a digital journalist. It is an interesting read, and listen…

 These days, if you are looking for a story about “journalism,” you may find yourself scanning an online publication like TechCrunch. That’s because technology is now firmly embedded in journalism. (Or is journalism firmly embedded in technology?)
The latest example is how Time, Inc. is moving all its websites (it has a bunch) to a new, in-house platform that will allow all of them to be the same yet still be different. It’s also a move to get pages to load faster on mobile devices…
 
On Friday, we said “good-bye” to the Summer Session 4-week Broadcast Journalism students. This year, we had students from South Africa, New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey, Russia and Brazil. They deserve congratulations, given the tough schedule necessary to make sure they get the basic skills necessary to be Multimedia Journalists. And while it isn’t the same as “12 weeks on Paris Island” (any former Marines out there?), I think you still can term it “boot camp.” (But without the drill sergeants…)
 
 NYFA Broadcast Journalism instructor Zack Baddorf continues his “sabbatical” in central Africa. Today The New York Times published his latest report, which examines the recent electoral victory of Rwanda President Paul Kagame.
 
I always tell our students we offer a skills-based program, and that you can use these skills in any number of ways. NYFA grad Kecia Gayle is a contributor to the digital news site Hollywood Unlocked. She was doing her red carpet thing this past Saturday night, when she covered “Black Girls Rock! 2017,” a leadership awards show sponsored by BET (a cable channel).
Kecia wrote:
“Ok, so I had to pinch myself to see if this was real. Not only did I get to interview some of the most amazing celebrities, but I got to hear some great and powerful messages from black women who truly rock, like Maxine Waters, Yara Shahidi, Solange Knowles, Issa Rae and plenty more. It was definitely a night to remember.”