Backpack Journalism

I am a convergence major because I am confident that it is the future of journalism. Our current economic situation, paired with the growing need to instantly have the latest news, proves that there is going to be a strong presence of backpack journalism in that future. Multimedia and cross-platform reporting provides the most comprehensive coverage, and I believe this is most easily possible with backpack journalists. I agree with Martha Stone that not everyone is cut out to work independently under the pressure of single-handedly getting the perfect photo, video, interviews, and audio. However, journalism is a very competitive field, and those who are capable of putting together a complete package with minimal assistance, are going to be the ones to succeed. It is important that specialists are present in newsrooms to cover breaking news and larger stories, as well as to ensure accuracy in the work of the backpack journalists. Yet, monetary concerns will limit the amount of coverage by the media if large teams of reporters are required. It costs exponentially less to send one reporter on an assignment, which means that more diverse coverage is possible on a limited budget. This does not mean that it will be mediocre news stories as Stone suggests, because I have complete confidence that almost every journalism student at MU, not to mention more experienced reporters, would be capable of independently putting together an excellent multimedia, cross-platform story.