My previous blog entry talked briefly about the idea of backpack journalism. On the surface, this idea could look to mean that simply carrying a backpack and a pen makes a person a professional journalist. It has a more significant meaning.
A more thorough definition is needed to fully understand what backpack journalism is all about. The American University School of Communication delved into the growing idea that has helped evolve journalism in a March 2010 article.
The article referenced a man named Bill Gentile, who is an independent journalist and experienced photographer that made the foray into the video story telling business at the dawn of the new technological age. Gentile expanded on his new venture by creating BillGentileBackpackJournalism.Blogspot.com. There he created an in-depth assessment of what a backpack journalist is:
“The craft of one properly trained professional using a hand-held digital camera to tell visual stories in a more immediate, more intimate fashion than is achievable using a larger team with a camera person, sound person, correspondent and producer. We do it all and, most importantly, we make the pictures which are the driving force of visual communication... In the field, a backpack journalist shoots, acquires sound, produces, reports, interviews. Once back from the field, he writes the script and narrates where necessary. Depending on the circumstances, he either edits and uploads the piece alone, or sits side-by-side with an editor” (“Journalism definition,” 2010).
What Gentile is trying to communicate to his audience is that backpack journalists can create a more personal feel with their readers than they ever would by simply writing a story. He mentions the strong connection people can make with visuals. If I have been taught anything in my life, it is that visuals can make a more lasting impression on a person than text can.
The public’s increasing demand for a wider scope of a story could be due to the possibilities in technology that journalists have at their disposal. It becomes up the journalists to take the initiative and following through with wider coverage.
All throughout life, people are always told that they need to be prepared. School made sure to let us know to study to be fully prepared for the test tomorrow. Our parents always made sure to drill it into us how important it is to be prepared for whatever the professional world offers.
One aspect of my father’s teachings to me was to always be prepared for the unexpected. This lesson stands out even more as an aspiring journalist.
Professional journalists always have to be prepared for something out of the ordinary to happen. That unpredictable nature makes the news so engaging to people worldwide.
Adopting the essential rules of a backpack journalist can ensure that you are always ready at any given moment. Keeping the below list of items will enable you to be at your best for covering any story:
-Large enough backpack or type of storage unit to hold a variety of items, including:
-5-10 pens
-as much paper as you can bring
-tape recorder
-laptop computer
-cell phone (preferably with internet access)
-camera
-video recorder
-tripod
Any long-time journalist knows that the top three items have always been necessary, but the last five reflect the changing times. To attain a personal connection with readers, as Gentile was alluding to in his definition, journalists have to gather video, audio, and pictures to add the most depth they can to their stories.
For a look at how some backpack journalists are operating around the world and useful information, check out Bill Gentile’s blog: http://billgentile.com/backpackjournalism/
For more of Gentile's thoughts about the basics of backpack journalism, click on the video below.
For more of Gentile's thoughts about the basics of backpack journalism, click on the video below.
References
Journalism definition. (2010, March 31). Retrieved from http://www.american.edu/soc/backpack/definition.cfm
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