Journalism is About People, Not Technology (analysis)

So, this is my first post regarding some class content that I need to publish.

Essentially, it revolves around a paper titled "Journalism is about People, Not Technology."

In my current job, I am a marketing professional. As such, I deal every day with lead marketing and social media tools. I strive to become familiar with all of the tools available to me as a Marketer. As such, technology plays a huge role in what I do. I must constantly be aware of updates to technology, new social media websites, and the different aspects of communication.

One quote that stood out to me was: "We are living in the age of digital Darwinism. This affects any business using digital technology to publish content, whether it's journalism, music, movies, or funny cat videos."

This is definitely true. The individuals who take the time to learn the new technology and platforms will be more likely to succeed than those who are simply stuck in the past glory of "what was". I feel that it is necessary to transform and change with the flow of resources that we have available.

Another quote that really stood out to me was "How do you prepare yourself today for a job that doesn't currently exist?"

This is important. One thing I have learned in College, is that many of the jobs that exist right now are being filled by individuals who may not necessarily have gone to college to learn the skills necessary to fill these positions. They are simply playing it by ear, and learning as much as they can on their own. One example of this, is Social Media Marketing, which is a relatively new job classification. What skills am I learning now in college, that will help me when a new technology comes out? Will I be prepared to fill a job that didn't exist when I was in school?

One way to prepare for this is to "Use a wide-angel lens when viewing the world". In order to be best prepared for what is coming, it is important to immerse  yourself in new technology, read business magazines and websites, Have a wide-variety of intelligent friends on social media. Once you find something interesting, seek to become an expert in that thing. Especially if it is trending.

"Collaboration: Whenever possible, collaborate with people outside your regular team. Mixing with people from other disciplines or interests will teach you new ways of thinking and approaching problems." While this just continues the sort of mindset from the earlier parts of the paper, I feel that it is an important point to re-iterate. Choose friends who have a wide variety of skills and interests. I promise that if you do, your life will never be boring, and you will be able to pick up easier on what is currently trending. This in turn makes not only news gathering, but marketing easier. One way I have sought to apply this to my job, is by essentially being involved in the lives of many friends who have many differing views and areas of expertise. Thus, if I ever have a question, I can simply ask one of my friends.

The next portion of the text involved journalism "having a bright future". One aspect in particular that I wanted to focus on, was "...find success by starting small and concentrating on very specific topics." While there is nothing wrong with being a jack of all trades, in the world of writing, people will likely pay more attention if you have something that you excel in. Finding very specific niches and then seeking out like-minded individuals, is a good way to create a group (which you can then market to) In my case, I deal with mortgages, a very broad topic. However, we seek to provide value by creating a community of honest individuals who will help one another and offer advice. Essentially, even if you don't want to refinance with us, or use us for your home purchases, our hope is that we can at least be a resource.

All in all, I found this article rather interesting, and to be able to apply it to my current career (marketing) rather than journalism, allows me to see many of the similarities between the two. But I'll save that comparison for another time.

The life of a madman

So, I am starting a new blog. The idea behind this is to really post my thoughts, feelings, and opinions online for everyone to see and scrutinize. Expect more to come soon, but my very first post is simply going to be about me.

I'm 28 (I turn 29 this year) Married, and living in Provo. I'm LDS (Mormon) which says a lot about my standards of conduct. I'm also intensely nerdy and I love everything from Dungeons and Dragons, to Video Games; Star Wars to Anime. I was pretty big into hiking once upon a time, but my feet don't really let me do that so often anymore.

As for my political views, I would say that they are just right of Center. I think I have a lot in common with libertarianism, I really feel that people should be largely left alone by the government. Additionally, I am pro-capitalist. In other words, I don't ascribe to the fantasy of socialism.

I am very much against PC (politically correct) culuture. For those of you reading this, realize that I don't ascribe to the definitions within the sociology student handbook. Racism = someone who is predjudiced against a certain race (regardless of what race it is). Racism is not power+predjudice. It is the same thing with sexism.

I'll likely write more, but a bit later, as this is really just the intro to my blog. I am looking forward to getting to know all of my readers and hopefully having meaningful conversations along the way. Welcome to my blog!