TBABJ Multimedia Seminar draws diverse, engaged crowd

Here's a report on last Saturday's multimedia seminar from Asian American Journalists Association member Carol Lim, who attended and reported on the event for AAJA and was kind enough to send us a copy of the story:

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists presented its Third Annual Multimedia Seminar at the Tampa Tribune on Saturday, March 7th. A packed room of around 30 website producers, reporters, news staff from the
St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Tribune, the Lakeland Ledger, TBO.com; Tampabay.com, WTSP-TV, WTVT-TV, WUSF-FM, educators, freelancers, and audio-visual suppliers heard speakers talk about the importance of
embracing multimedia to increase newspaper readership
and television viewership during an economy of
continuing newsroom layoffs.

Eric Deggans, St. Petersburg Times Media Critic, hosted the 3 hour seminar. Deggans talked about blogging and Twitter, a new social networking website, similar to Facebook. Deggans discussed how he uses Twitter to network socially and professionally, monitor emails, and blog about news stories.
"Twitter is making yourself self-sufficient (as a journalist)...assembling people, who are interested in you. It's your brand," said Deggans.

Nathalie Voirin, Metromix Managing Producer of the Gannett website, and Managing Producer at WTSP-TV, discussed how Metromix and TampaBays10 Connects helps the station bring in stories from the community and citizen journalists.
"It was scary to us at first," said Voirin.
She said in covering the missing NFL-former USF football players boating last Saturday, it was important to update the website first while 1 person was twittering and another person was blogging this story.
Voirin also stressed the importance of being proficient in multimedia to tell a story, finding good stories, getting the basics down on audio and video. She noted that multimedia skills can make a difference in who management keeps and lets go when downsizing in this economy.
"Everyone at 10 is boning up on mulitmedia skills and what's on the horizon," said Voirin.

Demorris Lee, St. Petersburg Times Reporter, showed a Super Bowl slide show with natural sound and soundbites.
"What is prohibiting us from telling a story on different platforms? Do we know how to, the language?" Lee asked.
He challenged journalists to not be afraid of multimedia and encouraged them to become more skilled in this area.
Lee also talked about the tools, cameras, recorders, and computer programs used for multimedia journalism.
"We have to think multimedia. That's where the industry is going." Lee said.

Boyzell Hosey, St. Petersburg Times Director of Photography, spoke about the anxiety in the news industry.
" We're trying to figure out how to do it (multimedia)," Hosey said. He noted that today's journalism school graduates are very proficient in multimedia.
"The tools and opportunities in photojournalism are incredible " he added.
"The challenge is how to balance and blend journalism with the company's bottomline and bring advertisers to the websites," Hosey said.
Most videos are 2 minutes or less on Times website.
Hosey recommended the Flash and Photoshop computer programs to help journalists learn the basics of interactive graphics.

Ken Knight, Tampa Tribune Multimedia Reporter, talked about community journalism.
"As reporters decrease, we are looking more to citizen journalists," said Knight.
Knight says the Tampa Tribune have community websites to enourage people to participate, to send their videos and photographs.
"Its important to engage the community," said Knight.
Knight added that it's a growing trend; as readership and viewership declines.
"This will rejuvenate people's interest in the news." Knight said.
By using SNAP, Tampa Tribune website users can create their own online photo albums to share with family and friends.
Knight also said today's reporters are being asked to do more--shoot video, photos, and edit.

For more information about this group, check out their website at www.TBABJ.com.
Special thanks to Eric Deggans for contibuting to this report. Deggans also is president of TBABJ.

Carol Lim
Asian American Journalists Association
Florida Chapter Member
Tampa, Florida
clim@ij.net