Parting words for my J198 Multimedia Reporting students

This semester we took something of a leap when we introduced J198 here at Lehigh. As students in our department you’ve always had the journalism focus as part of your studies. The only thing that was narrow was the platforms you learned about: writing, photography, maybe some online work here and there.

This semester we learned (in the words of Cassie) everything. Yeah, we learned video. And photos. And Twitter. And blogging. And Web building. And maps. And a little Gowalla. And SEO. And podcasting. But there’s a common thread there. We used it to build something greater than the whole, and that something was the story. If there’s one lesson I want you all to take away from this course it’s something Steph said during her group’s presentation: When we learn the technology to the point where operating the equipment is second-hand, you realize something: It’s always about the story. Always.

You learned a lot about technology and networks this semester, and that kind of information will be vital. But now that you’re at the end of the term, zoom out and see the big picture. See how this all works together. For example, we didn’t use Twitter because it is all-important. We used it to build up networks and relationships with people, to listen to them in shaping stories and work with them to promote the work you did. We used it to get information and push information.

And it works. For example, Google south+bethlehem+arts and what do you get at the top of your search hits? Why, the very site put together by Andrew, Lauren, and Ope. Why is this? Because it was set for SEO, it had a clear title that was reflected in the URL, and it was sold in social media by both you and your followers. In other words, “everything.” All of it was pointed toward benefiting from Google’s system of rewarding clicks over big media brands.

Now, it probably won’t stay there. Fresh content would be needed to keep it being supplanted by a newer, more current site. More content means more clicks. That’s the way the Web works; the point is, you get that now. The social connection was merely a nexus point for something much bigger this semester: the story. When a new innovation comes along, look for journalism uses but don’t make it about the technology. It always, always, always comes back to what you can do with it. It’s about the story.

So what we did this semester, really, is remove technology as a barrier for you. You can’t say any longer that you’re limited in ways to tell stories. You have added skills and techniques to your toolkit that have given you more ways and avenues to do storytelling than you had coming in.

Second point: Think community – it’s the starting point of everything when it comes to the Web: If you’re staying in the area, stay in conversation with those around you through the online local networks you’ve constructed. It will make you better at what you do in media, no matter what that is, and it’ll make you a better human. Ideas, stories, concepts, initiatives – it’s great if you have them, it’s better when they are shared. Media should go hand-in-hand with conversation; we can’t survive in this business anymore if we try to keep them separate, because the world doesn’t work that way anymore. Information should be the start of a conversation, not a replacement for it. Don’t hoard what you know, and learn how to listen to others in these spaces so that you can benefit from it.

Third point: Keep using the tools. Don’t abandon them: With the semester over, you really aren’t required to stay up with the tools we used. You can abandon Twitter, ignore doing video, and so forth. This is one of those make-the-most-of-your-education moments, though. Keep using them. You’ll get more adept with time and be able to offer potential employers a much greater breadth of experience than you could ever get in a classroom. It took me a year to really find my voice on Twitter. Don’t look at these tools as something you have, but rather something to refine. I didn’t practice the skills I learned in college nearly enough, always thinking I had time. But we all know how busy you are. Don’t think of it as something you can put off; truth is, the next step is to immerse yourself even more deeply in it than you were in J198.

Lastly, I want to thank you all for giving me the ride of my life this semester. I really mean that. Teaching this course was exhilarating in a way that is totally unfair to the non-professors of the world. I appreciate the thorough reviews in your blogs and hard work all term, and I definitely appreciate the kind words.

But mostly I appreciate the open minds that let you stay aware of new ways of doing things. Any success you had this term came because you embraced the material wholeheartedly.

We’re building a great new media experience at Lehigh and you are all a part of that. Congrats to those of you graduating this semester. Drop me a line every so often and let me know what’s going on. And for those of you returning … my door is open, as always. Let’s figure out a way to keep this going.