The Convergence Newsletter

December 2011: A worthwhile look back before moving ahead

2012-01-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

The December edition of The Convergence Newsletter offers a pair of articles worth reviewing before you surge ahead into the new year, a new project, a new semester, or all three. Read about two of the research projects that make up part of the fabric of the grand experiment of convergence. Then join the conversation with comments below or at our Facebook or Google+ pages.

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December 2011: Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

In the new edition of The Convergence Newsletter, Michael Scott Sheerin and Moses Shumow of Florida International University in Miami examine the assumption that age equals fluency with digital tools and social media – in other words, that digital natives coming into classrooms now are fluent in digital technology and social media. In their article, they also look at what factors might better indicate digital fluency.

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December 2011: Is some media research threatened?

2011-12-21T18:42:00.000-05:00

In the latest edition of The Convergence Newsletter, an article by Jake Batsell and Camille Kraeplin not only continues their significant research into the evolving nature of convergence, but also includes an observation that signals potential concern for researchers: "Our difficulty soliciting responses suggests that, in an age of information overload, email surveys are becoming a less effective mechanism for conducting newsroom research."

They found that many large and midsize TV stations and groups have adopted "no survey" policies. Others begged off, citing an increasingly burdensome workload. Such surveys have, in the past decade, become an important method of gathering significant information about changes in the field. Are you finding the same problems?

We'd like to hear from you, problems or no, about your views on this and whether you think it could be a significant problem for some research. Post your comments below, or email us at convedit@mailbox.sc.edu. Then join the conversation at our Facebook or Google+ page. We'd like to compile your views in a future issue.

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December 2011: Converging with the former audience

2011-12-20T18:37:00.001-05:00

A decade ago, convergence often meant partnerships between television stations and newspapers. In the latest phase of their longitudinal study, Jake Batsell and Camille Kraeplin of Southern Methodist University look at the state of those partnerships and what has developed in their place. Read their report in the December edition of The Convergence Newsletter, then join the conversation at our Facebook or Google+ page.

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November 2011: Rob Curley shows how to make digital pay

2011-12-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

In a Skype video call to the 10th Annual Convergence and Society Conference, Rob Curley explained his strategy for doing hyperlocal and "Big J" journalism that wins readers and awards and generating the revenue to pay for it in the process. Read a recap of Curley's lively presentation at the conference in the latest edition of The Convergence Newsletter. Then join the conversation at Facebook.

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November 2011: Case study examines newspaper use of community writers

2011-12-07T10:00:00.003-05:00

Having residents write about their own city seems a great way for a local newspaper to cover its community – especially when the writers work for free. Until the writers and the newspaper run into a controversial issue. Writing in the latest edition of The Convergence Newsletter, Robert "Ted" Gutsche Jr. uses a case study to explore the challenges and the pitfalls one Midwestern newspaper encountered. Then join the conversation at Facebook.

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November 2011: Storify the news

2011-12-06T17:47:00.006-05:00

How can you train students to handle social media adeptly? Storify it, says Kelly Fincham of Hofstra. "Social media plays a huge role in journalism today, so much so that entry-level journalists are expected to work with new sources of content in ways that were unimaginable when I went into journalism in the early 1980s," she writes in the latest edition of The Convergence Newsletter. Read her account from the 10th Annual Convergence and Society Conference of how she has transformed her teaching and is helping students "make sense of it all." Then join the conversation at Facebook.

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October 2011: Thinking on your feet

2011-10-25T11:00:00.003-04:00

For the astute professional, the stream of new media creates unprecedented access to audiences. That requires an awareness of new media and a willingness to adopt different practices. Read how two professions are changing in the new edition of The Convergence Newsletter, http://sc.edu/cmcis/news/convergence/v8no7.html. Then join the conversation on Facebook.

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October 2011: We're all publishers now

2011-10-21T08:38:00.006-04:00

Doug Fisher explores how public relations practitioners in government and education are adopting a publishing mindset. Instead of reacting to news stories, they are learning to set the agenda by pre-empting bad news or sending messages directly through their own channels. Read the article in the new edition of The Convergence Newsletter, and join the conversation on Facebook.

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October 2011: A hundred comments in a half-hour

2011-10-20T15:01:00.010-04:00

Blogging has become "the first draft of journalism" and a channel to stronger relationships with readers, according to sports writers adapting to their expanded roles. Learn how pros covering leagues from the NFL to minor league hockey have integrated blogging into the routine. Read Brian Moritz's research in the new edition of The Convergence Newsletter. Then join the conversation on Facebook.

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September 2011: Utah's Experiment in Team Teaching

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Kimberley Mangun and Daren Brabham collaborated at Utah to team teach a course in beat reporting and multimedia with a focus on diversity reporting. Explore their results in the new edition of The Convergence Newsletter in their article, Converging Beat Reporting, Diversity and Multimedia: An Experiment in Team Teaching.

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September 2011: Update on TCU's converged student newsroom

2011-09-30T11:08:00.000-04:00

At Texas Christian University, Assistant Professor Aaron Chimbel helps students navigate the demands of combining four news operations -- newspaper, television, webcasts and magazine -- into one news website. How do you coordinate coverage? Who has the final say? And can you hold a meeting for 50 reporters and editors? In an update to his 2010 article, Chimbel reports on TCU's progress in Starting a Converged Campus News Website in the new edition of The Convergence Newsletter.

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September 2011: When students take the lead

2011-09-27T08:59:00.009-04:00

To learn news convergence, students eventually must take the lead and experience the challenges of working in a converged newsroom. In the process, they figure out how to overcome technical obstacles, negotiate through staff conflicts, and provide readers rich, multimedia content on deadline.

This month, Aaron Chimbel explains how his students at Texas Christian University's Schieffer School of Journalism have managed the practical aspects of merging newspaper, magazine and broadcast operations into a single news site, TCU360.com, and he reports on the early results.

Kimberley Mangun and Daren Brabham analyze the lessons they and their students at the University of Utah learned from a collaborative project with reporting and Web design classes.

Read the full September issue.

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August 2011: Lessons in convergence from two perspectives

2011-08-26T14:07:00.005-04:00

It falls to us as educators to help students discover the best ways to tell a story, but what happens when we are not sure of the best way to do that? What if the curriculum is entrenched in the status quo?

The theme of this month's newsletter is convergence in the classroom. Sometimes, rigid credit-hour guidelines limit what we can do to integrate convergence on both the program and classroom level. Even as the 10th Convergence and Society conference approaches (agenda now available), we still are looking for new ideas to prepare the journalists of tomorrow.

In this issue, Annemarie Franczyk looks at things from a program perspective while Jennifer Cox offers some insight at the classroom level. Also in this issue, Convergence and Society conference chair Augie Grant briefs us on the upcoming conference.

To read the August issue, click here.

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June 2011: Redefining Journalism Education in a Digital Sense

2011-07-31T17:10:00.002-04:00

There isn't much about media that isn't digital now, but that continues to raise questions about whether education systems internationally are equipped to meet the needs of the digital creative industries. EU nations and the U.S. have been on different paths in approaching the issue: The U.S., as might be expected, more laissez faire, while Britain, for instance, has been more inclined to treat it as a matter of national policy.

But convergence is rapidly breaking down barriers and bridging oceans, making such questions cross-national concerns. The result is an EU-U.S. funded study designed to bring industry and education together to find answers and make recommendations to policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic. The work goes beyond journalism and media to encompass a wide range of related digital creative industries - but that's part of the challenge, determining what should be included.

In this issue, Executive Editor Doug Fisher, a member of the study group, provides a more detailed explanation and asks, on behalf of the researchers, for your ideas and, especially, for nominations to industry panels that will be established as part of the work.

You can read the article here.

April/May 2011 Convergence Newsletter

2011-06-03T15:56:00.004-04:00

With convergence comes great responsibility and opportunity - opportunity that the University of South Florida's Anne Anderson says many newspapers still seem to be missing. In her discussion of media platform convergence, Anderson highlights the industry's neglect of younger audiences even as studies show the reading habit begins early. Part of the news industry's responsibility is to adapt content to its audience, and Anderson suggests the industry expand the concept of younger readers and community content in order to capture this ignored audience.

To read the entire article click, here.

Another responsibility is to try new things, as Chris Vadnais, superintendent of AFN-Incirlik, the Defense Department's radio and television station at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, has done as a converged journalist. He details his experience and says managers are vital to the convergence process and must lead by taking some of the fear out of failure.

To read the entire article, click here.

To read the entire April/May issue click here.

March 2011 Convergence Newsletter

2011-04-04T10:16:00.003-04:00

While it's no secret converging newsrooms face many challenges, such as staff restructuring, the convergence of two newspapers written in different languages for diverse target audiences creates its own set of issues.

John Turner recently worked for two Cambodian newspapers, The Phnom Penh Post and The Cambodia Daily. In this issue, Turner reflects on positive and negative aspects of multilingual and multicultural convergence.

To read Turner's entire article, click here.

To read the March issue of the Convergence Newsletter, click here.

February 2011 Convergence Newsletter

2011-02-07T11:12:00.002-05:00

The Internet's role in convergence is irrefutable as the centralized location of easily accessible information. This continues to send shockwaves throughout the newspaper industry, and while some applaud new journalism for breathing a new life into newspapers, others are quick to write the industry's obituary.

But the University of Alabama's Kristen Heflin cautions not to jump to conclusions. Her research of the newspaper industry's past shows the industry's ability to adapt to change and survive, rather than meet an untimely death at the hands of another news platform.

In this issue, Heflin explores the parallels between the emergence of television news and its effect on the newspaper industry and the relationship between newspapers and the Internet.

To read the entire article, click here.

To read the entire issue, click here.

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December 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-12-15T16:21:00.002-05:00

Discussion concerning convergent media tends to focus on the benefits of convergence, often overlooking "de-convergence." In the latest issue of The Convergence Newsletter, Marc Edge of Sam Houston State University explains Canada has seen a reversal of some early convergence efforts, as well as new combinations.

Augie Grant of the University of South Carolina, meanwhile, looks at the unmistakable presence of convergence in media and education as one theme of the 10th annual Convergence and Society Conference.

To read the entire issue, click here.

Happy Holidays from The Convergence Newsletter!

De-convergence and re-convergence in Canadian media

2010-12-15T16:18:00.001-05:00

Discussion concerning convergent media tends to focus on the benefits of convergence, often overlooking "de-convergence." But Canada has not only seen a reversal of some early convergence efforts, it has seen some new combinations "re-convergence" as Marc Edge of Sam Houston State University explains in continuing to look at the successes and failures of convergence in Canada.

To read the entire article, click here.

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December 2010: Convergence and Society conference recap

2010-12-15T16:14:00.002-05:00

Augie Grant of the University of South Carolina looks at the unmistakable presence of convergence in media and education as one theme of the 10th annual Convergence and Society Conference.

To read the entire article, click here.

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November 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-12-01T15:04:00.001-05:00

Web content such as video and audio used to supplement printed content or substitute for it in newspapers and magazines is a sign of convergence. As a part of Missouri Western University's Global Journalism Research course taught by Dr. Robert Bergland, undergraduates Austin Jacobs, Emily Gummelt and Todd Fuller researched convergence here and in other countries. They presented their findings at the 10th annual Convergence and Society Conference at the University of South Carolina and recap those findings here.

Jacobs analyzed the multimedia features of Mexican newspaper websites, while Gummelt studied web content of the top U.S. magazines. Fuller analyzed findings about the interactivity and functionality of newspaper websites.

Also in this issue is the latest Research for the Newsroom from Clyde Bentley, associate professor at the University of Missouri.

To read the entire issue, click here.

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November 2010: Research for the Newsroom

2010-12-01T14:53:00.003-05:00

Clyde Bentley continues his Research for the Newsroom excerpts this month with a look at the Internet's impact on everything from the perception of newspapers to the tendency for women to consult the web before making decisions.

To read the entire article, click here.

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November 2010: A content analysis of U.S. weekly newspaper websites: Interactivity and functionality

2010-12-01T14:50:00.004-05:00

Todd Fuller, an undergraduate student at Missouri Western State University, analyzed findings about the interactivity and functionality of newspaper websites and presents his findings in this month's issue.

To read the entire article, click here.

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November 2010: Magazines and their websites: A 2010 study

2010-12-01T14:45:00.004-05:00

Emily Gummelt presents her findings concerning web content of the top U.S. magazines in relation to convergence. Gummelt completed the research prior to graduating from Missouri Western State University.

To read the entire article, click here.

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November 2010: Multimedia features in Mexican newspaper sites: A comprehensive analysis

2010-12-01T14:36:00.003-05:00

Austin Jacobs, an undergraduate student at Missouri Western State University, analyzes the multimedia features of Mexican newspaper websites. Jacobs presented his work at the 10th annual Convergence and Society Conference at the University of South Carolina.

To read the entire article, click here.

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October 2010 Convergence Newsletter: Convergence and Social Media

2010-11-12T16:39:00.003-05:00

As social media continues to infiltrate newsrooms, classrooms and businesses, questions of its use and effectiveness widen.

In this issue, Dr. Glen Nowak, who is in charge of news and electronic media relations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses the integration of social media into the agency's communication efforts.

The CDC in Atlanta is one of the largest components of the U.S. government's health initiatives. It may be most widely known as the agency in the news when there is a disease outbreak, such as the recent H1N1 flu strain. But its mission is wider, to provide people and communities with all necessary expertise, information and tools to protect their health, according to the agency's website.

Nowak sat down with The Convergence Newsletter to further discuss social media. To read his comments, click here.

To read the entire issue, click here.

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September 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-09-30T15:09:00.003-04:00

As newsrooms incorporate convergent technologies with traditional newsgathering to find the best model for delivering information, individual journalists are embracing convergent techniques as complementary elements to their articles.

To read the entire issue, click here.

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September 2010: Convergence can save jobs, level playing field for print journalists

2010-09-30T14:55:00.006-04:00

Dr. Chris Roberts of the University of Alabama highlights the findings of his and fellow researcher Dr. John Besley's interviews with journalists for whom a large part of the job is covering government and other civic meetings, noting three ways journalists find convergent techniques especially useful.

Click here to read the entire article.

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August 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-08-14T16:47:00.001-04:00

The introduction of convergence into the setting of a classroom has always been an issue that is fraught with great highs and many pitfalls. Although the world of professional journalism is still grappling with the meaning and usefulness of convergence, the process has yet to achieve familiar parameters of implementation within the classroom.

To read the entire issue, click here.

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August 2010: Research For The Newsroom

2010-08-14T16:46:00.001-04:00

Clyde Bently continues his Research for the Newsroom excerpts this month, with an interesting look at a theory that posits that mass media as we know it is simply an anomaly and is anything but perpetual.

Click here to read the entire article.

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August 2010: The Successes and Challenges of Converging On Campus

2010-08-14T16:41:00.003-04:00

Texas Christian University’s Aaron Chimbel gives an inside look at the school’s introduction of a renovated journalism school that places a direct emphasis on convergence and its application within the classroom.

To read the entire article, click here.

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June 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-07-26T14:16:00.001-04:00

Convergence and social media have given society powerful tools once reserved for the traditional media. Access to technology and creativity allow for anyone to disseminate a message and build a following.

To read the entire issue, click here.

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June 2010: Research for the Newsroom: Making Us Tick

2010-07-26T14:15:00.000-04:00

Clyde Bentley presents “Research for the Newsroom,” in which the University of Missouri professor provides a look at current research with pertinent information for media professionals.

Click here to read the entire article.

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June 2010: Band on the Run: Building a Fan Base from Afar

2010-07-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

Blake Arambula, a founder of the band Death of Paris, discusses his guerrilla social media campaign to promote and create an online community for the band that included letting fans see its first studio sessions in almost real time.

To read the entire article, click here.

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May 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-07-26T14:11:00.001-04:00

From backpack journalist, to video blogs, convergence has pushed not only the media to its limits, but also the audience and its means of interacting with journalists and the stories and information they produce.

Click here to read the entire issue.

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May 2010: Citizen Journalism in the Newsroom and Ad Office

2010-07-26T14:09:00.000-04:00

Joe Marren of Buffalo State College looks at how social media require media workers to rethink their traditional gatekeeper roles, not just in the newsroom but in the advertising office as well.

To read the entire article, click here.

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May 2010: Cedar Rapids Newsrooms' Grand Experiment in Convergence

2010-07-26T14:06:00.002-04:00

Wartburg College's Cliff Brockman analyzes one newsroom's attempt to embrace convergence by moving from the idea of selling one product to a world of "multiple products."

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April 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-05-17T17:40:00.002-04:00

In looking at convergence and the myriad ways it affect us, it is easy to forget the rest of the world is not far behind - or in some cases ahead - of North American media. From the economics of convergence as well as initial application of the idea, the international community is moving forward in exploring convergence as a function of news.

To read the entire article, click here.

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April 2010: Emerging Media Models in Ukraine

2010-05-17T17:38:00.002-04:00

Augie Grant and Alexander Gorelik provide an in-depth review of a program designed to train early and midcareer journalists in Ukraine in of convergence. By engineering a study that analyzes the business plans of these journalist, new models of news have been recognized.

Click here to read the entire article.

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April 2010: Convergence blamed for media mess in Canada

2010-05-17T17:34:00.001-04:00

Mark Edge looks at the possible causes of Canada's of unstable state of television. As stated by Edge, "with some television stations closing and others selling for a token few dollars, and with the country's largest news media company in bankruptcy, Canada's media system is broken, according to the country's converged media players."

To read the entire article, click here.

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April 2010: Newsroom convergence in Spain

2010-05-17T17:30:00.002-04:00

Guillermo Coll describes how one can view the product of how convergence has been implemented by Spain's media. By looking at the situation of the media in the country, Coll provides a contemporary picture Spain's journalistic industries.

Click here to read the entire article.

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March 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-05-17T17:26:00.002-04:00

To look at how convergence has affected journalism and the news business, a couple of key elements come into play. One main factor is the quality of journalism and how to compare it with traditional journalism values. Another is the interaction with the journalism process that convergence allows s to have.

Click here to read the entire newsletter.

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March 2010: Convergence leads to questions of journalism quality

2010-05-17T17:24:00.001-04:00

Serena Carpenter of Arizona State University explores the new perceptions of journalist, journalism and quality in the digital age. The question of quality is addressed in an in-depth manner in this article.

To read the entire article, click here.
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March 2010: Do readers have rationale behind commenting?

2010-05-17T17:10:00.002-04:00

Val Pipps of the University of Akron analyzes the interaction between community and news source. By looking at the activity of users of a Web 2.0 site, Pipps finds the some of the reasons and rational behind users' comments.

Click here to read the entire article.

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February 2010 Convergence Newsletter

2010-04-01T13:33:00.000-04:00

In looking at the newsrooms of 10 or 20 years ago and those of today, the comparisons are staggering. The process of making, gathering, buying and selling the news has changed dramatically, with everything from massive layoffs to totally integrated newsrooms.

To read the entire newsletter, click here.

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February 2010: Knoxville's newsroom convergence

2010-04-01T13:31:00.001-04:00

Jack Lail, the Knoxville News Sentinel's news innovation director, gives a firsthand account of his newsroom's evolution and the mental and emotional strains that came with it. Lail also analyzes how the Sentinel's staff has measured the effectiveness of its efforts.

Click here to read the entire article.

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February 2010: Community involvement and news use remain linked online

2010-04-01T13:28:00.002-04:00

As newsrooms converge, one of the questions to be examined is whether the community involvement that researchers have found correlates with newspaper reading also carries over to online. Jennifer Cox of the University of Florida finds a relationship, but with a simpler metric than time spent on site.

To read the entire article, click here.

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December 2009: News Organizations don’t practice what they preach

2010-01-11T11:11:00.002-05:00

It’s a familiar refrain, the constant need for traditional news organizations need to retool to a form that embraces convergence. But some Virginia Commonwealth University students learned that this idea still has little traction on the front lines of news organizations.

Tim Bajkiewicz of VCU expounds on the research he delivered at the Convergence and Society Conference in Reno, Nev., in which his students questioned the heads of major news organizations.

To read the entire article, click here.

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November 2009 Convergence Newsletter

2009-12-04T15:20:00.001-05:00

Given the speed with which digital media have become part of our lives and the accompanying publicity, it's easy to understand how we might forget that such convergence is not necessarily widespread throughout all social strata.

A Knight Foundation-funded program headquartered at Newsplex, BGTIME, looks to bridge some of that divide when it comes to senior citizens. R.J. Kraft explains how BGTIME is using students to help older members of the community with technology -- the ultimate result being a richer civic dialogue for all.

Augie Grant also has a recap of the Convergence and Society Conference co-sponsored by the University of South Carolina and hosted by the University Nevada, Reno the first week of November. After two days of presentations, he concludes that social media are affecting journalism as much as the current economy is, only in a good way.

To read the entire newsletter, click here.

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November 2009: BGTIME: Building a community Web site from the ground up

2009-12-04T15:11:00.004-05:00

R.J. Kraft, a University of South Carolina graduate student, has been integral in the creation of an original content website for a very particular demographic: senior citizens. The website, BGTIME.org, gives seniors an outlet to a new technology, as well as serving as a platform for original content written and edited by the seniors.

In his article, Kraft provides insight into not only creating a website, but also the trouble of teaching the seniors how to adapt to a new technology that could not be more foreign.

Click here to read the entire article.

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November 2009: onference highlights challenges, opportunities in convergence

2009-12-04T15:04:00.003-05:00

University of South Carolina Professor Augie Grant gives a first-hand look at the highlights and emerging challenges in the field of convergence represented at the eight annual Convergence and Society conference.

The conference, which took place on November 5-6 at the University of Nevada, Reno, highlighted some of the issues materializing in the field that will be contested in the future.

To read the entire article, click here.

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October 2009 Convergence Newsletter

2009-11-09T13:35:00.002-05:00

In the developed world, surrounded by cell phones, broadband Internet and video on demand, there is a fairly widespread set of frames by which people approach “convergence.”

In other parts of the world, however, the term can take on a far different meaning. It can be, as Paul Bowers explains, as simple as a cell phone hanging from a tree in a village. For us with our wi-fi, that would be primitive. For the villages of West Africa that Bowers visited with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, it is high technology.

And while there is no problem finding a cell phone on today’s college campuses, where having one seems to be the birthright of every student and where the devices themselves are becoming media centers. Convergence is upon us, and colleges are adapting with new programs and majors. Elmer Ploetz, a journalism professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia, shows how a new program approaches the challenges.

Click here to read the entire newsletter.

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October 2009: Convergence in Africa: A phone on a mango tree

2009-11-09T13:28:00.003-05:00

Paul Bowers, a journalism student at USC and winner of winner of a two-week trip to Africa with New York Times writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof, discusses the challenges facing world-wide convergence.

Not only does Bowers examine the obvious problems of lack of widespread broadband Internet access, but also the more telling problem of basic communication on the continent. While convergence may seem to be rapid publication and new digital mediums to Westerners, simple communication via telephone is as far as many Africans get.

To read the entire article, click here.

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October 2009: 'More, Better' May Not Be Better, But It's Reality

2009-11-09T13:07:00.004-05:00

SUNY Fredonia Professor Elmer Ploetz takes a look at the changes that have been made throughout journalism to accommodate more of a focus on convergence.

Ploetz speaks from first-hand experience as State University of New York, Fredonia has started from scratch with their convergence program and has made adaptability the cornerstone of their curriculum. Undeterred, he illuminates that problems that many other universities are having in emphasising convergence within the traditional journalism school dichotomy.

Click here to read the entire article.

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Convergence and Society conference coverage

2009-11-05T11:56:00.007-05:00

Doug is at the "Convergence and Society" conference in Reno this week. He is doing some live blogging on it at his blog, Common Sense Jounalism. Here is a list of his posts that is being updated.

The Twitter hashtag for the conference is #cconf09
We also hope to have excerpts from these papers in upcoming newsletters.

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September 2009 Convergence Newsletter

2009-10-12T11:57:00.003-04:00

With each innovation, fewer technical obstacles prevent us from reaching the apex of media intertwinement.

This month's issue will address the areas of HD video streaming and the upcoming University of South Carolina "Convergence and Society" conference at the University of Nevada, Reno. These two insightful pieces by Edgar Huang of the University of India - University of Purdue, Indianapolis and USC's own Augie will surely make for good reads.

Please feel free to contact us at convedit@mailbox.sc.edu with your thoughts and article proposals.

Click here to read the entire newsletter.

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September 2009: Demystifying HD Streaming Video Technologies

2009-10-12T11:44:00.002-04:00

Professor Edgar Huang of the University of Indiana - Purdue University, Indianapolis takes a look at the recent advances in HD streaming video technology and how it is affecting other aspects of internet progress.

In this piece, Huang articulates that HD streaming video is the backbone of convergence that, while still in the development stages, will become more important as other areas of communication advance.

To read the entire article, click here.

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Septemer 2009: The Biggest Little Conference In The World

2009-10-12T11:38:00.003-04:00

University of South Carolina Professor Augie Grant gives a preview of the 2009 "Convergence and Society" conference, which will be heading to the University of Nevada, Reno.

The theme this year is “The Changing Media Landscape.” Almost four dozen submissions have been juried and whittled down to a two-day conference that explores the rapidly evolving state of journalism and mass media in general. The conference includes theme sessions on the nature and impact of the multitude of changes including consolidation, economic challenges, globalization, and regulatory change.

Click here to read the entire article.

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August 2009 Convergence Newsletter

2009-09-17T14:56:00.005-04:00

It’s September, you say, so why does my Convergence Newsletter say August?

No, we haven’t put time on hold, though we wish we could. It’s simply been a time of more changes here at TCN. Combined with some technical glitches and then the inevitable rush at the start of classes, and we found ourselves staring at a calendar that had moved on.

We will be following this in a week or two with the actual September issue, led by Edgar Huang’s article detailing his important work researching effective video streaming technology. But to keep things in synch, we decided to put out the “August” issue instead of a more confusing “August-September” issue.

One change you will notice is a new editor for the newsletter. Matt McColl joins us both as a graduate student and as the new day-to-day whip-cracker, bottle-washer and keeper of the passwords. Please feel free to contact him at convedit@mailbox.sc.edu with your thoughts and article proposals. And, of course, you can always contact me.

This is our back-to-the-classroom issue, and we have three insightful pieces I think you’ll enjoy.

To read the entire newsletter, click here.

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August 2009: Preparing for a future in the convergence journalism world

2009-09-17T14:49:00.007-04:00

South Carolina graduate Holly Fisher tells the tale from the frontlines of an ever-evolving journalism world and what she would and would not do differently.

Fisher provides a template for other journalism students and how to react and adapt to that new journalism world.

Click here to read the article.

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August 2009: Preparing Students for an Increasingly Freelance Journalism Career

2009-09-17T14:41:00.009-04:00

David Weintraub a writer, editor, photographer, and educator based in Aiken, S.C., outlines an experimental course he is teaching that is designed to give communications students a firm grounding in business basics and entrepreneurship.

To read the entire article, click here.

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August 2009: Responsible Journalism in a Social Media World

2009-09-17T14:32:00.010-04:00

Nicole White provides insight into the ever changing social media world and how journalism should adapt responsibly.

First it was blogs. Then came the rise of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and mySpace. Now, “lifestreaming” is taking hold with sites like Tumblr and Posterous that allow easy posting of an almost stream of consciousness mélange of facts, observations, pictures, videos, etc.

With this seemingly exponential rise in news sources, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine which stories have responsible journalistic coverage and which were fabricated or embellished to provide more excitement. While newspapers and news anchors have been delivering sensational headlines for years, with the advent of Internet news it becomes ever more difficult to figure out where the news coverage takes liberties.

Click here to read the entire article.

June 2009 Issue Now Available

2009-07-01T17:37:00.006-04:00

Cyber social networking is helping to fuel the current Iranian protest against recent election results. But with Iran’s government trying to stem the opposition’s mobilization by actively removing opposition Web sites and attempting to slow down social networking portals such as Facebook and Twitter, the world is being deprived of information concerning this major political movement. Iranian censorship of the Internet is not unique. The Chinese government tried to shut down dissidents’ online use at the time of Tiananmen. Other nations face such roadblocks to cyber information. This issue of The Convergence Newsletter offers two articles examining problems of Internet access in Ethiopia. We also present a study focusing on India’s use of media, examining how and where convergence in that country takes place.

Click here to read the June 2009 Issue.

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June 2009: Commentary from the Wrong Side of the Digital Divide

2009-07-01T17:25:00.010-04:00

Fulbright Scholar Alice Klement provides a view from what she calls the “wrong side of the digital divide.” Her article offers insight into Ethiopia’s technology shortfalls, which she says interfere in the advancement of media convergence and are compounded by governmental censorship of Web sites.

Click here to read the full article.

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June 2009: The "Imprisoned" Internet of AAU

2009-07-01T17:06:00.009-04:00

Addis Abada University graduate student Sileshi Yilma addresses student concerns about the Ethiopian university's censorship of Web sites that are important tools in the research of social and political issues.

Click here to read the full article.

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June 2009: Meeting Media Needs: What You Learn When You Ask Your Students Questions

2009-07-01T16:57:00.009-04:00

Dr. John Cokley of the University of Queensland presents quantitative findings from a 2008 convergence journalism workshop in Delhi, India. Participating journalists from across India provide insight into media consumer needs and just how those needs are being met.

Click here to read the full article.

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June 2009: Conferences and Training

2009-07-01T16:43:00.010-04:00

Read the conference and training schedule of the June 2009 issue here.

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May-June 2009 Issue Now Available

2009-06-16T12:15:00.011-04:00

This May-June issue of The Convergence Newsletter looks at how convergence is serving some local communities.

Leading off is an interview with Mike Orren, founder and president of Pegasus News, a Dallas-Fort Worth online publication founded in 2005. Pegasus offers people the opportunity to localize their news, and, if they desire, to be unfettered citizen journalists, reporting the news as they see it. Orren tells The Convergence Newsletter that to be a successful online news source you need to offer your reader more than just news.

Doug Fisher of the University of South Carolina, and executive editor of TCN, says you can save the money you'd spend on some of those "secrets of social media" training sessions. He explains some simple truths he has learned from creating Hartsville Today, a three-year-old experiment in online community news and social networking.

Finally we bring you Douglas Starr, a former Associated Press journalist and now a media professor at Texas A&M, who stresses the importance a free press plays in today’s society. Starr encourages readers to seek out all forms of media and apply it daily in making informed social decisions. He says a free press serves communities and aids all in becoming better citizens.

Click here to read the May-June 2009 Issue.

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May-June 2009: Community Companions: Pegasus News and Dallas-Fort Worth

2009-06-15T14:56:00.010-04:00

Mike Orren is the founder and president of Pegasus News, a Dallas-Fort Worth online news site. The Convergence Newsletter interviewed Orren and discussed with him how Pegasus News is incorporating citizen journalism in the coverage of both local and regional news.

Click here to read the full article.

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May-June 2009: Building Community Online

2009-06-15T13:53:00.014-04:00

A lot has been learned from Hartsville Today, created by the University of South Carolina journalism school more than three years ago in partnership with a twice-weekly newspaper and with a New Voices grant from J-Lab. The site now has about 1,600 registered members in a market area of about 20,000, and far more people in the area visit the site regularly, based on our IP address logs. University of South Carolina Professor Doug Fisher discusses ways in which newspapers can utilize digital media to interact and reach out to readers.

Click here to read the full article.

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May-June 2009: The Future of the U.S. and Newspapers

2009-06-15T13:42:00.005-04:00

The United States is in jeopardy. Many newspapers have gone out of business and the rest are in deplorable condition. If the news media shut down, the United States will no longer boast government of the people, by the people, for the people. The government will be in charge because there will be no free criticism of the government, no uncensored report on what the government is doing. Douglas Perret Starr argues there are three things that must be done to save newspapers.

Click here to read the full article.

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May-June 2009: Conferences and Training

2009-06-15T13:07:00.004-04:00

Read the conference and training schedule of the May-June issue here.

Recent and archived issues of The Convergence Newsletter

April 2009 Issue Now Available

2009-04-14T09:40:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing that has characterized recent trends in media – convergent or otherwise – it's "change." The latest issue of The Convergence Newsletter explores changes in media, from the traditional to the cutting-edge, with a dose of optimism that might surprise you.

Read the April 2009 issue of The Convergence Newsletter here.

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April 2009: Reinventing a Journalism Career in the Digital Age

2009-04-14T09:35:00.000-04:00

Wendy Parker joined 15,000 others among the ranks of former newspaper workers last year, but rather than lament her situation, Parker has embraced the change. Optimistic and encouraging, her story can serve as a model for those looking for life after newspapers.

Click here to read the full article.

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April 2009: Modeling Demographic Predictors of Content Creation

2009-04-14T09:34:00.000-04:00

Sharing some research initially presented at last fall's Convergence Conference at USC, Bartosz Wodynski and Jessica Smith of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discuss research that helps us understand and anticipate who are the most likely groups to create and share content online.

Click here to read the full article.

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April 2009: Be Careful what You Wish For in 2009

2009-04-14T09:33:00.000-04:00

Times are certainly tough for newspapers, but that doesn't mean editors and publishers can't adapt to the changing landscape and meet today's challenges head on. That's the message offered by Tom Griscom, editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee.

Click here to read the full article.

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April 2009: Book Announcement – Understanding Media Convergence: The State of the Field

2009-04-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

Bringing together theoretical and research perspectives from a wide range of convergence researchers and commentators, Understanding Media Convergence: The State of the Field, edited by August E. Grant and Jeffrey S. Wilkinson, is now available from Oxford University Press.

Click here to read the rest of the announcement.

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April 2009: USC Convergence Conference Goes West

2009-04-14T09:31:00.001-04:00

The University of South Carolina’s annual Convergence and Society conference is moving west for the second time in eight years. This year’s conference will be hosted and co-sponsored by the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nov. 5-6.

Click here to read the rest of the announcement.

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April 2009: Conferences and Training

2009-04-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

Read the conference and training schedule of the April issue here.

Recent and archived issues of The Convergence Newsletter

February 2009 Issue Now Available

2009-02-26T15:09:00.004-05:00

After a too-long hiatus (TCN executive editor Doug Fisher explains), The Convergence Newsletter returns for 2009 with more material culled from October's Convergence Conference at USC.

Read the February issue of The Convergence Newsletter here.

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February 2009: Goodbye Convergence, Hello 'Webvergence': The Decline of Broadcast-Print Partnerships in an Increasingly Online Media World

2009-02-26T15:09:00.003-05:00

In the early days of convergence, the newsroom of the future was envisioned: all manner of media platforms – newspaper and television, mostly – sharing information, staff, and resources all under the same roof.

Has this panned out? Mostly not, suggest Drs. Susan Keith of Rutgers University and Leslie-Jean Thornton of Arizona State University. Keith and Thornton interviewed scores of TV and newspaper managers to find out the degree to which such hotly anticipated partnerships ever came to fruition.

Read the full article here.

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February 2009: The Root of ‘Empowerment’ is Power: An Examination of Political Engagement and the Web

2009-02-26T15:09:00.002-05:00

What has been the political impact of the Internet in the United States? On the heels of a history-making presidential campaign, this is not just a fascinating but an important question.

Laurel Gleason of Ohio State University examines the matter and suggests we may have only just begun to scratch the surface.

Read the full article here.

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February 2009: Taking the Future of Journalism into Our Own Hands

2009-02-26T15:09:00.001-05:00

Over the years, much of the academic study in the area of journalism has consisted of investigations of and about journalists and journalism – yet, as Dr. John Cokley of Australia's University of Queensland points out, there has been precious little happening in studies for journalists and journalism.

Cokley proposes turning the lens of study to show the journalist’s point of view. How the future of journalism turns out could depend on it.

Read the full article here.

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February 2009: Conferences and Training

2009-02-26T15:09:00.000-05:00

Read the conference and training schedule from February's issue here.

Recent and archived issues of The Convergence Newsletter

November 2008 Issue Now Available

2008-12-11T17:24:00.002-05:00

If you couldn’t get to October’s Convergence and Society Conference at the University of South Carolina, we’re here for you. Our November issue begins our spotlight of some of the interesting presentations and discussions during the conference.

Be sure to check back with TCN, as we hope to bring more highlights from the conference in future issues.

Read the November issue of The Convergence Newsletter here.

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November 2008: The Duality of 'The Participatory Web'

2008-12-11T17:06:00.002-05:00

As the organizing force behind USC's annual Convergence Conference, Dr. Augie Grant has, as much as anyone, been witness to the broad changes that have taken place in the study and practice of convergence over the years.

In our November, Grant offers his reactions to this year's conference and lessons learned.

Read the full article here.

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November 2008: By-product Learning in the Communication Age - Instant Message Use and Political Learning in China

2008-12-11T17:03:00.003-05:00

With the U.S. hosting a major election in November, politics were understandably top-of-mind among some of our conference presenters – but not just American politics. Jinghui Hou, a master’s student at Syracuse University, delved into how the Chinese are using instant messaging and social networking Web sites to fuel political learning.

Read the full article here.

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November 2008: MySpace/MyVote - Young voters, social networking and 2008

2008-12-11T17:00:00.003-05:00

This issue's second look at politics turned its attention stateside, as Dr. Tim Brown and Jasmine Jones from the University of Central Florida explored how the roles of MySpace and other social networking Web sites were expanded during the 2008 elections.

Read the full article here.

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November 2008: Conferences and Paper Calls

2008-12-11T16:59:00.001-05:00

Read the conference schedule from November's issue here.

Recent and archived issues of The Convergence Newsletter

November 2008: Job Annoucement - Elon University

2008-12-11T16:57:00.001-05:00

The School of Communications at Elon University is searching for six new tenure-track assistant or associate professors, effective immediately.

Click here to read the full announcement.

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October 2008 Issue Now Available

2008-11-03T16:28:00.004-05:00

In April we took a special look at convergence internationally. As promised, we have revisited the topic, this time with perspectives from India and China, plus a how-to guide for keeping up with developments around the globe.

Read the October issue of The Convergence Newsletter here.

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October 2008: With Newspapers on a Roll, Convergence has yet to Happen in India

2008-11-03T16:22:00.003-05:00

Sometimes the story isn't just about convergence that is taking place, but also about convergence that's not. Sunil Saxena explains that the Indian media have yet to experience major convergence, and why.

Read the full article here.

Recent and archived issues of The Convergence Newsletter

October 2008: Mobile by the Millions: Pocket-Sized Convergence Goes Big in China

2008-11-03T16:19:00.003-05:00

Much of the discussion about convergence in the U.S. has fixated upon computers. But in some parts of the world, the big story is what's happening with mobile technology. China is one of those places. We sat down with USC's Dr. Ran Wei for an update.

Read the full interview here.

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October 2008: Keeping up with International Developments

2008-11-03T16:10:00.002-05:00

You don't need to be in the thick of international convergence to know what's going on. TCN Executive Editor Doug Fisher tells us the best spots online for keeping up with global trends.

Read the full article here.

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October 2008: Conferences and Paper Calls

2008-11-03T16:08:00.002-05:00

Read the conference schedule from October's issue here.

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September 2008 Issue Now Available

2008-09-21T13:35:00.006-04:00

This month’s issue offers a couple of first-hand perspectives on convergence from two practicing journalists, a pair of reports from the “convergence trenches.”

Stan Zimmerman of the Sarasota, Fla., Pelican Press, reflects on a career that has seen its share of industry trends and changes. Drew Brooks, formerly of The (Shelby, N.C.) Star, tells us what it was like using a mobile newgathering tool to provide up-to-the-minute reports.

Read the full September issue of The Convergence Newsletter here.

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September 2008: Don’t Fear Media Evolution – Outrun It

2008-09-21T13:32:00.007-04:00

Stan Zimmerman of the Sarasota, Fla., Pelican Press, reflects on the evolution of journalism and discusses the "how" of getting news stories in front of eyeballs in today's changing media landscape.

Read the full article here.

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September 2008: Star Car Helps Paper Adapt to the Future of News

2008-09-21T13:30:00.009-04:00

In a world of 24-hour newsrooms, how are small news operations adapting? Drew Brooks, a former reporter at The (Shelby, N.C.) Star, shares his experience with the Star Car, a mobile newsgathering van aimed at revolutionizing small-town news.

Read the full article here.

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September 2008: Conferences and Calls for Papers

2008-09-21T13:27:00.005-04:00

Read the conference schedule from September's issue here.

Recent and archived issues of The Convergence Newsletter