There is much talk these days in the media world about the word "convergence."
At its core, convergence means two or more things coming together as one. In journalism, convergence is just that-the mass fusion of various media merging into one collective whole: text, video, photos, audio and the Web all-in-one. Today's journalists are not using darkrooms or pasting together the paper on deadline. They are multi-tasking, networking and sharing their content online.
News writers are no longer just writers. A news writer can also be a videographer or a photographer. A broadcast journalist could be writing a 500-word news story. A photographer could be shooting video. A copy editor could be cutting-up audio instead of cutting down text.
Given advancements in technology, journalists have a wealth of information, resources and software available at their fingertips. As the Web continues to shift and change on a daily basis, analyzing what the future of news will be is unknown. Now, it can be disseminated through the Web, television, and yes, print (it will live on, no matter what critics say.).
However, with this overabundance of tools, are journalists taking on more than they can handle?
In today's business, it is beneficial to be well-rounded in each form of journalism. It is important for young reporters to learn how to write a clean, hard news story, but also to try their hand at photography, to try shooting video and to try recording audio. By having a variety of skills, the chance of getting a job in the Web-hungry media market skyrockets.
However, journalists should not carry the weight of their entire publication on their shoulders. If the reporter's passion is video, the reporter should pursue a career in video. If the reporter looks for political action, he or she should consider reporting on Capitol Hill, and so on. Each reporter has a strength that another might not have.
Like all walks of life, being well-rounded will help throughout any career-and journalists should keep an open mind. Instead, convergence should mean coming together as group-no matter how small or large-to share media skills with each other.