Let the Mash-Up Begin!
Tuesday is convergence day and I'll have to admit, much has changed since the implementation. Our morning meetings are especially different with more hustle and bustle. With a larger number of people at the morning meetings, there is greater discussion, more pitches and and a bit more chaos. Because television, web and radio all have different news elements and angles that are required for production, it is sometimes difficult to choose stories that will satisfy all three news sources. For instance, radio needs to have great sound, television great video and web great content. With the collaboration, I truly believe that each convergence news piece can be much more comprehensive than it would be if it were done by only one campus news outlet.
This past Tuesday, we had three convergence stories including Typhoon Haiyan, holiday shopping and the public memorial for the slain TSA agent. I especially thought that the public memorial piece really came to life through the convergence. Annenberg Radio News contributed lengthier sound of Mayor Eric Garcetti speaking, Neon Tommy provided more detailed coverage through text and ATVN shared video interviews that allowed viewers to put the entire event into perspective.
Social media is also an integral part of the convergence as each outlet Tweets and Facebooks published stories and updates. As a news source, it is our responsibility to provide coverage of all valuable news and keep our viewers up to date with the latest information. Additionally, through the use of hashtags and tagging, social media can help group the three news outlets' outreach. This allows for the convergence to be present even on the social media platform!
As we ease into the convergence, I hope that our morning meetings can be more effective and that the three different news outlets can really be synergistic. I do not doubt that "Annenberg Media Mash-Up" will bring more credibility to all three on-campus news sources and be an even more influential first source for news.
