At AEJMC I was asked to give a presentation on what the future of journalism might look like and how we can prepare our students for such unforeseen adventures. I come down on this with a fantastical view of the future that is grounded in the mundane need for the soft skills. So, teach them holograms, but also insist they can still write. Major, we said, in journalism or communications, but consider a minor in computer science.
You don’t really get that from the slideshow, but that’s what our panel topic was about. Since I made a slideshow, you may gaze at its wonder, which pre-supposes that there will be changes in the newsroom atmosphere between now and the year 2055, here:
Took in several other nice sessions, ran into friends from my doctoral program I haven’t seen in a while, other professors I’ve meet from around the country and even my boss. Had lunch at a grill that featured a deliciously messy barbecue sandwich. For once I managed to not get anything on my suit. We had dinner at a little Italian joint we discovered that was sort of the Burger King of the genre. They are also not afraid of cheese, which is apparently the midwestern conception of Italian. That’s fine, too.
Sat in on a business meeting, went back out to visit some more. And now I’m ready to collapse before another day of conferencing. We’re spending less than 48 hours here this time. We’ve only just arrived, but it is almost time to pack up and go again. Maximize your time.
