Wednesday, November 28, 2007

On The Verge

Journalism students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will benefit from the departments newest course offerings in the upcoming spring semester. The latest additions include Multimedia Convergence Journalism, Feedback Journalism and Politics, Journalism & the Web.

Stephen Fox is also new to the department. A full time lecturer, Fox instructs the Multimedia Convergence Journalism and Journalism Sports Writing courses. Fox is a former employee of The Washington Post where he served in various editing and sports reporting roles both print and online for ten years. During his years at The Post he also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland’s journalism school. Fox’s latest venture as project manager alongside New York University’s Jay Rosen and others introduced NewAssignment.Net - where "open-source reporting gets tested - to the Web before packing his bags and moving to the Pioneer Valley.

Just shy of one semester under his belt at the largest public university in Massachusetts, Fox has already been designated as the department’s “media guru” guiding faculty and students in to the world of convergence where old media meets new media.





It was right around this time last year that University of Massachusetts Amherst adjunct lecturer and Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter Mary Carey entered the "blogosphere."

With the support of the Gazette, Carey created her blog, AboutAmherst, which she considers to be both personal and work-related. Carey chronicles her life, family and friends connected to the Pioneer Valley in her daily posts. Since 2007, Carey has also introduced her journalism students to blogging, requiring individuals to create and actively maintain a blog.

AboutAmherst has made it a long way since Carey's first post in December 2006 and now features stories and snip-its accompanied by original photo and video content.


University of Massachusetts Amherst students are applying what they learn in class to the student-run newspaper The Daily Collegian. As convergence becomes a "newsroom" name, Collegian editor Nick Belanger recently hired Web staff members to create one solid product.

Former editors, journalism and communication majors with a background in multimedia make up the newly hired Web staffers who are responsible for bringing the Collegian's print readers online to explore the Collegian's videos, podcasts and photo slide shows.

With new staff and equipment, the Collegian's online transformation is underway but revenue remains low. Belanger and his staff don't let minimal profits get them down and instead focus on improving the site's content, increasing advertising and an eventual break from their content management support company College Publisher.


No comments: