Gazette Times reporter Matt Neznanski spoke last Thursday to a New Media Communications class about how journalism and reporting are changing as technology advances. Neznanski’s primary reporting medium is his blog site, where he posts questions and answers about various topics in which he reports.
Using blogs for reporting allows for readers to be involved in the story by answering questions that the reporter does not know. Therefore, it “takes interaction with readers to a new level,” he said.
Like many reporters, Neznanski stresses the importance of having a record book where all sources and acquaintances that you have ever used or spoken with are kept. He suggests using an excel spreadsheet, but any from will do as long as a hard copy exist.
Neznanski’s experience includes reporting on schools, politics, lifestyles and entertainment. As a reporter, “being impertinent comes with the job,” he said.
What’s great about blogging is “stories go out and ideas come back in” and in doing so more interesting stories are developed, Neznanski said. Blogs are conversation starters that involve the reporter thinking of an audience, writing engaging headlines, making points and lists, while including links and being in control of the conversation.
Notably, while blogs are supposed to be conversational, Neznanski encourages you to sometimes edit yourself out of your blog and present concepts more in a news voice. Although reporting should be object, he recognizes that no one can be simply objective all the time.
“The more focused you are, the better off you’ll be,” he said.
The most important and vital techniques Neznanski said reporters need for success are the skills to learn how to write and the ability to understand the power of the media.
While Neznanski disagrees with the CEO of The Seattle Times Frank Blethen in that journalism exists strictly in print newspapers, he does admit that the medium of “journalism is different, but not of less valuable.”
In general, Neznanski advocates blogs are designed to convey messages and reach out to more people at different times and places than newspapers. He speculates that within the next five or ten years many newspapers will join together as online reporting mediums, resulting in much print media disappearing.
