Page 167 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

The Multimedia Process

template driven, with journalists inserting content into preordained
holes, so this chapter will not advocate for any specific Web authoring
tools, apart from recommending Dreamweaver as an easy-to-use and
intuitive product.
Diffusion of innovation theory shows that people adopt products
that are easy to use. To that end, this book recommends Final Cut Pro
as the digital video editing tool for Macintosh-based journalists. Sadly it
is not yet available for the PC. A range of audio editing tools is available.
Again, we will avoid recommending any specific software apart from
suggesting that the simplest to use is often the most satisfying.
When editing image and sound files, storage becomes a key issue.
Despite the improved speed of FireWire cables for transferring files
from camera to laptop, technology that involves drag and drop may
be faster. So investigate hard drive–based technology that allows you
to transfer files straight from the hard drive of the camera (video or
still) to your laptop or desk computer. NewsGear offers some useful
recommendations.

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The Multimedia Process

Key to the whole concept of the multi-skilled journalist remains the
mind-set that the information being gathered will be distributed via a
variety of media, combined with recognition of the individual elements
that must be captured to bring the story to the audience. The ability to
look at a story or news event to determine what needs to be gathered
and distributed for each medium is the final piece of the puzzle for the
convergent journalist. This part of the chapter looks at this process and
recommends an approach.
The first thing to remember is the primacy of information. In the
multimedia world, the reporter cannot have too much information.
You need as much information as possible because you do not know
how many versions of the story you may be covering, and different
media require different forms of information. Before you leave the
office, work with your newsresourcer or newspaper library researcher
to ask them to find as much information as they can about your story
while you are in the field and ask them to contact you once they’ve
found it. Cell phones and text messaging are helpful in this process.
At the scene, gather everything you can find: documents, photographs,
brochures, and Web addresses. Everything may prove useful, so adopt
a pack-rat mentality. It’s always easier to get details at the scene