Will there ever be a star multimedia journalist?
Monday, July 07, 2008
Dan Rather, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric. All beloved American journalists. All on TV. Will there ever be a multimedia journalist to rise above the pack and become a star reporter? The field of multimedia journalism has it heroes: Dan Gillmor, Rob Curley, Adrian Holovaty, etc., but many of them are unknown to the mainstream public.
America is obsessed with celebrity and there is nothing to say a non-traditional journalist can't be the apple of America's eye. If newspapers are to go the way of the dinosaur, surely there will be a maverick new media journalist who will become America's sweetheart.
As I write this post, the first contender to come to mind is Kevin Sites of Hot Zone fame. Sites is an incredibly talented and resourceful backpack journalist, but judging by the swooning graduate students at his visit to the UC Berkeley J-School some time ago, you would have thought he was a rock star.
On the other hand, what makes one journalist more starworthy than another? What separates Ted Koppel from say Steve Edwards? That's up to America to decide, I guess.
Do you know any rock star multimedia journalists? Should the nation idolize the people behind the journalism? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Labels: news on the news
5 Comments:
Brian Storm from Media Storm (http://mediastorm.org/) also comes to mind.
commented by 
DigiDave, 2:09 PM
DigiDave, 2:09 PM
Josh Marshall of talking points memo? Realizing, of course, that he's not "multimedia" in the traditional sense, but he's built quite a little internet media conglomerate.
Your headline does not suggest that a multimedia journalist star would have to be an American . . . so why does the text presumes a USA star is the model?
So I am thinking out loud here . . . "The Web is global, think global. The Web is networked so think less about mass audience and more about nimbleness and speed to story."
Are you with me?
In throwing names up - it might be helpful to first screen the list of names here and ask yourself - where can I find examples of this journalist's most recent multimedia reports? Examples of their recent reports from, say, this month . . .?
I would nominate David Dunkley Gyimah - he does it all and his native environment is Web.
He produces cinematic, interactive reports as a solo reporter: He does it all - Solo VJ video, top blogger, gifted teacher, he designs non-linear Flash narratives, can use advanced Web coding, has broadcast quality production values and more.
And he is a one man show. That is star quality in my book.
David'soutput is always experimental and that pushes him into another realm altogether . . . Check him out at http://www.viewmagazine.tv
Is it OK if he speaks English with an, uh, English, accent?
So I am thinking out loud here . . . "The Web is global, think global. The Web is networked so think less about mass audience and more about nimbleness and speed to story."
Are you with me?
In throwing names up - it might be helpful to first screen the list of names here and ask yourself - where can I find examples of this journalist's most recent multimedia reports? Examples of their recent reports from, say, this month . . .?
I would nominate David Dunkley Gyimah - he does it all and his native environment is Web.
He produces cinematic, interactive reports as a solo reporter: He does it all - Solo VJ video, top blogger, gifted teacher, he designs non-linear Flash narratives, can use advanced Web coding, has broadcast quality production values and more.
And he is a one man show. That is star quality in my book.
David'soutput is always experimental and that pushes him into another realm altogether . . . Check him out at http://www.viewmagazine.tv
Is it OK if he speaks English with an, uh, English, accent?
I actually agree with you Robb, I just think that America has a legendary obsession with celebrity culture.
Is a "star" multimedia journalist likely? Even possible? Mark -- Dan Rather, Barbara Walters, and Katie Couric are all TV faces. The "star" figure has to stand out and be visible. People like Shan Carter at NYTmes.com are not very visible. Their talents are working behind the screen.
Reporters have to work as part of a team. A reporter who tries to do it all might never become a star -- the work just won't be good enough if the reporter can't learn how to work well with others.
Reporters have to work as part of a team. A reporter who tries to do it all might never become a star -- the work just won't be good enough if the reporter can't learn how to work well with others.
