Fall 2009 kicks off new Digital Journalism Course
Coming soon - view student projects from Journalism 496, Special Studies (Digital Journalism)
Welcome to Digital Journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. This site showcases work done by students in Journalism 496, Special Studies (Digital Journalism). This “experimental” class is expected to be made permanent and to serve as the foundation for new Digital Journalism efforts in the UWW curriculum.
What is Digital Journalism? No one is entirely sure yet. At its base, Digital Journalism uses digital technologies – audio, video, digital photography, graphics and, yes, text – to tell stories and impart information, usually via the Internet. Storytelling forms are evolving. In addition, the “one-way” Web of old is being pushed aside in favor of an interactive, participatory Internet, fueled by social media and cheap, simple digital gadgets. Anyone with a Web connection can join the dialogue, even contribute content for the day’s news. One author likes to refer to “the people formerly known as the audience.” The days of the passive audience are gone, as are the days when media professionals would serve as exclusive “gatekeepers” for media content. “Gatekeepers” aren’t obsolete, but they must learn to work in new ways as digital media evolve.
All this is happening against a background of sudden, profound change in the American media business. Traditional business models, especially at newspapers, aren’t working the way they used to. All media companies are struggling to adapt to these new circumstances, and the process of change won’t always be easy. At UWW, we believe journalism educators have a duty to embrace these changes rather than shy from them. Our students, after all, will be among the architects of these changes for decades to come.
It’s a great adventure! Please take a look at the content here and let us know what you think. I can be reached at katesj@uww.edu.
James Kates
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication