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Abstract
This paper grew out of the authors’ interest in updating the journalism curriculum at AUT (Aukland University of Technology) to better reflect the impact of online media, including social media, on the work of journalists. The challenge for journalism educators is to remain relevant in rapidly changing news and education environments. Our study suggests that while the vast majority of students have some engagement with social media, particularly social networking, and are aware that it can be a powerful tool for journalists, they are still not entirely comfortable with its techniques and they are not experimenting with social media as a production platform as much as we first thought. In short, it appears that they do not have command of professional fluency with social media tools. In response to these findings we have begun to introduce some social media tools and processes directly into the units we teach, in particular: digital story-telling techniques; the use of Twitter and location-based applications; encouraging the ethical use of Facebook etc. for sourcing stories and talent for interviews; podcasting, soundslides and video for the Web, Dreamweaver, InDesign and PHP-based content management systems. We do not see the work to date as the end-point of the changes that we know are necessary, but we are acutely aware of the limitations (structural, institutional and financial) that suggest we should continue with this small-steps approach for the foreseeable future.
Notes
1. This is a particular issue in the New Zealand context where the national accreditation body insists on shorthand proficiency in the unit standards for National Diploma students. While university J-schools are not subject to the standards, shorthand is regarded as an essential curriculum ingredient.
2. This number is based on the self-reporting of student places at New Zealand tertiary institutions with a recognised journalism programme. The New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation (JTO) collects this information annually. In 2010 the reported total was 283 students.
3. This site is accessible at http://autuni.values-exchange.co.nz/ and is free to sign-up to. If you are interested in exploring this further, contact the lead author.
4. This study by the lead author is currently being written up for publication. Slides from a November 2010 conference presentation and speaking notes are available on request.