Briggs' downloadable book is survival guide to multimedia journalism

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Briggs' downloadable book is survival guide to multimedia journalism
By Jennifer Bergen (reviewer)
Dec 31, 2007, 14:02

The reviewer is an undergraduate researcher for the Media Giraffe Project at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Journalism 2.0: How to Survive and Thrive -- A Digital Literacy Guide for the The Information Age, is a falling-off-a-log-easy-to-read guide to how to be a Web 2.0 reporter. Written by Mark Briggs, an assistant managing editor at the Tacoma [Wash.] News Tribune, with two collaborators, it's available as a free download under the Creative Commons license. It's a 132-page, hands-on, all-you-need-to-know guide to multimedia reporting.

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www.j-lab.org/Journalism_20.pdf

The two collaborators were Media Giraffe Project advisor Jan Shaffer, who served as Briggs' editor, and UMass Amherst journalism professor Steve Fox. Briggs is also the author of a digital-revolution guide to surviving journalism and leads seminars and workshops. He has been involved in various seminars, textbooks, and workshops regarding the digital uprising.

Briggs provides step by step "how to's" on such aspects as shooting video, taking digital photographs, video editing, web videos, writing scripts, and voice over's.

Through a concoction of explicit advice Briggs maintains a consistent theme throughout his book that this is "about people, not technology" -- journalism is created through the collaborations of journalists and not solely based on the fundamentals of technology. Success in the Information Age lies in one's own hands and willingness to independent discover and learn ways to be productive. Briggs' urges readers to become informed and involved with the technology that lies in front of them.

Briggs says some people today are hesitant to use digital technology because they are unaware of how to use certain tools. Briggs says they have nothing to worry about -- just a few simple instructions will get them on their way, cruising through the digital waves of technology in no time at all.

In 11 chapters, Briggs thoroughly and concisely iterates how journalists can put away the ball-point pen and break out the laptop. Step by step, page by page, he explains the confusing acronyms. If citizens and journalists can copy and paste, he says, they can easily create their own blog.

Briggs breaks down the digital world into three categories: Web 2.0, Journalism 2.0, and Mobile 2.0. Each becomes valuable through the action of many users.

If you are interested in embarking on a journalistic path then Journalism 2.0 is a must have.

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