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The Reynolds Center has announced its 2009-10 free workshop schedule.
Select a workshop and register from the drop-down menu below.
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The Reynolds Center registration for Fall 2009 free online seminars.
To Inform the Voters
By Andre Jackson
Behind a Wireless Magnate
By Jennifer Hopfinger
Intern Spotlight: Steven Overly
By Kelly Carr
Complete Coverage
By Dick Weiss
Business Journalists at the Convention
By Henry Dubroff
Versatile Skills Needed
By Michelle Leder
August 11, 2008
On Aug. 18, footnoted.org will mark its fifth anniversary, which seems as good a time as any to take stock.
A lot has changed since I first launched the site in August 2003 to mark the publication of my book, Financial Fine Print, and I’m not just talking about the look of the site.
Back then, blogging was still relatively new and my knowledge of Web site publishing was limited to pressing “publish post” and “link this” on Blogger.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to add pictures, monitor traffic, attract advertisers and troubleshoot a wide variety of tech problems. That’s in addition to providing what I hope remains both unique and solid content.
But the point of this post isn’t so much a reflection or to pat myself on the back. It’s to talk about the many different skills that journalists need today – skills that just weren’t necessary when I left daily newspapers 10 years ago and skills that continue to change and evolve.
Though many papers now have blogs, the people actually providing the content for all of those sites still aren’t doing much more than pressing “publish post” and that just doesn’t cut it anymore. Then again, finding time to learn those skills, in between balancing blogging and writing for the daily newspaper and worrying about whether you’ll still have a job tomorrow is becoming increasingly difficult.
Whenever I speak in newsrooms – many of which have been carved and gutted in recent years – I become increasingly fearful that too many journalists are still waiting for someone else to save newspapers from their current death roll, instead of relying on their own solid ideas and problem-solving skills.
I’m not exactly sure who coined the term entrepreneurial journalist, but clearly it describes a growing number of journalists today, including Rafat Ali Paid Content, Om Malik (GigaOm), and Matt Marshall (Venture Beat) – each of whom started out as so-called traditional journalists.
Unfortunately, each of them had to strike out on their own, instead of incubating their sites under an established media umbrella.
On July 11, Ali sold Paid Content to the UK-based Guardian Media Group for a rumored $30 million. And on Aug. 6, Daily Candy, an online newsletter started by former journalist Dany Levy was sold for $125 million. Both of those deals ought to be enough of an incentive to get those entrepreneurial juices flowing.
And, if you need a little more incentive, just listen to this interview that Ali gave to Venture Voice just after the deal was announced. Be sure to pay extra attention to the section in the interview where he talks about his bank balance being a negative number.
Email this article
Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
The Reynolds Center has announced its 2009-10 free workshop schedule.
Select a workshop and register from the drop-down menu below.
The Reynolds Center registration for Fall 2009 free online seminars.
By Andre Jackson
Behind a Wireless Magnate
By Jennifer Hopfinger
Intern Spotlight: Steven Overly
By Kelly Carr
Complete Coverage
By Dick Weiss
Business Journalists at the Convention
By Henry Dubroff
Versatile Skills Needed
By Michelle Leder
August 11, 2008
On Aug. 18, footnoted.org will mark its fifth anniversary, which seems as good a time as any to take stock.
A lot has changed since I first launched the site in August 2003 to mark the publication of my book, Financial Fine Print, and I’m not just talking about the look of the site.
Back then, blogging was still relatively new and my knowledge of Web site publishing was limited to pressing “publish post” and “link this” on Blogger.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to add pictures, monitor traffic, attract advertisers and troubleshoot a wide variety of tech problems. That’s in addition to providing what I hope remains both unique and solid content.
But the point of this post isn’t so much a reflection or to pat myself on the back. It’s to talk about the many different skills that journalists need today – skills that just weren’t necessary when I left daily newspapers 10 years ago and skills that continue to change and evolve.
Though many papers now have blogs, the people actually providing the content for all of those sites still aren’t doing much more than pressing “publish post” and that just doesn’t cut it anymore. Then again, finding time to learn those skills, in between balancing blogging and writing for the daily newspaper and worrying about whether you’ll still have a job tomorrow is becoming increasingly difficult.
Whenever I speak in newsrooms – many of which have been carved and gutted in recent years – I become increasingly fearful that too many journalists are still waiting for someone else to save newspapers from their current death roll, instead of relying on their own solid ideas and problem-solving skills.
I’m not exactly sure who coined the term entrepreneurial journalist, but clearly it describes a growing number of journalists today, including Rafat Ali Paid Content, Om Malik (GigaOm), and Matt Marshall (Venture Beat) – each of whom started out as so-called traditional journalists.
Unfortunately, each of them had to strike out on their own, instead of incubating their sites under an established media umbrella.
On July 11, Ali sold Paid Content to the UK-based Guardian Media Group for a rumored $30 million. And on Aug. 6, Daily Candy, an online newsletter started by former journalist Dany Levy was sold for $125 million. Both of those deals ought to be enough of an incentive to get those entrepreneurial juices flowing.
And, if you need a little more incentive, just listen to this interview that Ali gave to Venture Voice just after the deal was announced. Be sure to pay extra attention to the section in the interview where he talks about his bank balance being a negative number.
Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism