Many Mediums
Annenberg TV News, Neon Tommy and Annenberg Radio News will be working in the same newsroom in the new Wallis Annenberg Hall and have begun convergence of all three mediums this semester in preparation. As a Tuesday producer, I am fortunate to have an understanding of what this Annenberg Media Mash-Up will look like. From the morning meeting to the finished story, ATVN, ARN and Neon Tommy are working side-by-side to collaborate ideas, contact sources and report unique angles of a story. It keeps us busy and it takes a lot of effort, but it is definitely worth it.
So far we have successfully collaborated on a number of topics in the Los Angeles area and around the world, including the TSA Officer Memorial, holiday shopping, Election Day, Typhoon Haiyan and more.
These specific examples provide insight into how the convergence works. During the morning, we all discuss stories we can work on together.
Yesterday we had reporters from all three media outlets report at the memorial service for TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez. ATVN produced video for web and for the broadcast, ARN conducted lengthier interviews and was able to record sound we would not otherwise have, and Neon Tommy crafted a well-written piece honoring the life of Hernandez.
A similar convergence pattern takes place for the other stories we all work on. In moving forward, it will be important to keep in mind the independent responsibilities of each media organization and what specific element we can contribute so that our efforts are well-rounded. As the media philosopher Marshall McLuhan once said, "The medium is the message." With the minds of many intelligent, news-loving producers and staff members, the opportunity for demonstrating the importance of this saying is abounding.