With the constant influx of new and innovative technology as a means of disseminating news to the public, the prevailing opinion in the field of journalism is there are only two options: hop aboard the “multimedia train” or be left behind. Whether this change is a blessing or a curse has been hotly contested and is one of the most pressing issues in journalism today.

In my opinion, I see this change as a good thing. It is now easier than ever to be informed of all the goings-on in the world. In the blink of an eye, a person can read about the latest scientific breakthrough or a recent presidential debate. This is a huge step forward in the journalistic principle of getting out information to the public.

On the other hand, however, I feel that much can be lost through this process. As print journalism is rapidly becoming an anachronistic medium, people have been moving towards a sort of “I want it all, and I want it now” attitude. The public (as Charlie said earlier) has developed gnat-like attention spans, and because of this, they opt for a “Reader’s Digest” version of the news.

This is why the most important thing in multimedia journalism is now making the news more appealing and relevant to audiences. As a reporter, my job is not only to find and report on stories, it is to take into consideration how people perceive the story and how it would appeal to them. For the journalists themselves, it is now more necessary to be well rounded. Reporters need to not only be able to write, but they need to be able to convey and report the news to their audiences in an engaging way.