convergence: blessing or curse?

In his article “The Meanings and Implications of Convergence,” Rich Gordon writes about the different types of convergence in the media. Though he notes several ways to separate the different fields, the best way seems to be: online media, TV and newspaper/print journalism. Gordon talks about how in the beginning Web sites were “viewed as junior partners” (67), even though they were often a last resort for news and content. Now, many news outlets are developing a whole range of separate content appropriate for the Web. This content, such as multimedia galleries, interactive features and audio and photo extras, are aimed at a different audience than the print and TV media, a point that Gordon makes in his article.

Backpack journalists, as Gordon mentions several times, are examples of another fast-growing trend. Although, as he points out, “there will always be a need for specialists,” there is also going to be a demand for journalists who can go back and forth between the disciplines (72). This type of journalist represents the ideal for proponents of convergence, because instead of having a separate write for TV, newspaper and online for the same story with the same facts, one journalist will be able to record audio and take photos for online as well as write for broadcast and/or print. He points out that many journalists are “already being asked to gather information in multiple formats” (69). This means that journalists now in schools like Medill who are being prepared to do just that will find themselves in an advantageous position when they enter the job market.

Gordon also talked about the news environment is changing slowly, so slowly in fact that some journalists who are more resistant to change might not even notice that things are changing at all. I can see how this would be appealing; for a journalist pleased with his medium and unwilling to adapt to a new one, the changes that are occurring could seem overwhelming (71-72). But though these changes might be occurring slowly, they are still occurring, and journalists will need to adapt to that.