What Is Electronic Journalism?
Electronic journalism - also known as e-journalism or multi-platform journalism - refers to new practices in TV, print, radio, and online news that have blurred media boundaries. If you are Internet-savvy, driven to communicate, socially conscious, and perhaps interested in becoming an expert in a subject area such as science, business, or the arts, electronic journalism might be for you.
Electronic Journalism Defined
Electronic journalism is a compendium of new communications opportunities that affects the entire news business. News stories today can be received and discussed instantly by worldwide audiences thanks to digital cameras, laptops, cell-phones, audio feeds, and lightweight video cameras that put on-scene recording into the hands of writers and reporters. All journalists have to be e-journalists, at least to some extent.
Important Facts About Electronic Journalism
| Median Salary (2021) | $48,370 (for reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts) |
| Job Outlook (2021-2031) | -9% (for reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts) |
| Required Education | Bachelor's degree and internship experience |
| Key Skills | Clear voice, great smile, willingness to appear in or narrate video; personality, excellent diction, strong journalism skills |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Use of the Internet
National newspapers regularly present information through the Internet. Interactive websites include slideshows of work by photojournalists and stories layered with related video content, sometimes narrated by staff writers. Newspaper editors and reporters are becoming familiar faces and distinct personalities. To some extent, this blurs the distinction between newspaper and TV journalists.
Interactive News
Nearly all television news organizations now post content on websites. This poses new challenges for TV journalists who may find themselves posting content on social media websites or blogs. These sites allow users 24/7 access to news, so viewers don't have to set aside time for the news hour. As a result, working hours may shift dramatically during major news events, according to the BLS.
Radio News
Station managers launching multimedia approaches are stretching the boundaries of the medium. With the introduction of multimedia radio, webcams are boldly going into radio studios and newsrooms. Radio, however, is still about the spoken word.
Citizen Journalism
Demonstrating excellence as a citizen journalist - an unpaid person who contributes news tips and content to news organizations - can be a way for aspiring reporters to gain experience. It can also help you find work in issue-oriented or political, non-profit organizations.
Education and Skills
Despite the shift to multi-platform media, some things in the world of journalism haven't changed. As Andrew Boyd states in Broadcast Journalism: Techniques of Radio and Television News, professional e-journalism still takes news sense, an understanding of ethics and media law, fact-gathering ability, and storytelling skills.
Subject-matter specialization and experience at smaller news outlets may make you more marketable to larger news organizations. It may also be important for a budding journalist to study the use of digital video editing and take courses in Web publishing. Journalists must also be comfortable with both print and online writing.