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Frequently-Asked Questions: The Convergence Journalism Emphasis Area
What type of work do people do in convergence journalism?
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"People do a variety of jobs, but mostly they're valued for their ability to work across traditional media lines. As a convergence reporter you can work for traditional media companies, but you typically have a broader understanding of the different strengths and weaknesses of different news delivery platforms."
Mike McKean
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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"Missouri Journalism alumni are working all over the world and are represented in every level from top management to entry-level. You might want to check out the Profiles in Success on this Web site. Alumni share information about their jobs, what they've learned and other highlights in these features."
Brian Brooks
Undergraduate Studies Dean
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What kind of background is important?
"You need to be a team player and have the willingness to accept risk and change, to try new things and not be afraid to fail."
Mike McKean
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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"As a convergence journalism student myself, I think there are many personalities that blend well together. I think it is important to be easy-going and open-minded to work with many types of people at one time. Also, I think it is important to be determined and professional to successfully complete stories with the material provided on a deadline."
Kelly Peery
Convergence Journalism Student
Troy, Mo.
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"Some people think a prerequisite is knowing all about computers. However, this isn't necessarily the case. As long as someone has a strong interest in journalism, is fearless and willing to take risks, then they can succeed in convergence media."
Lynda Kraxberger
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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What type of hands-on experience might I get while I'm in school?
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"As a convergence major you get plenty of hands-on experience through all the media outlets available here at Mizzou. We get to work at a newspaper, the Columbia Missourian; at an NBC-affiliated TV station, KOMU; and an NPR radio station, KBIA. On top of all those things, there are also student media outlets available to us."
Dominique Renoit
Convergence Journalism Student
Miami, Fla.
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"Our students have the best of both worlds: a liberal arts education and ample opportunities to practice convergence journalism."
Brian Brooks
Undergraduate Studies Dean
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"As a convergence student, you get hands-on experience with all major media. Working as a reporter and editor in different media helps build your skills as a professional journalist and also helps you to learn how to make yourself comfortable in new environments."
Alyah Khan
Convergence Journalism Student
Plano, Texas
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"You will gain experience in radio, television, print, online story telling, multi-media story telling and other delivery systems such as cell phones, PDAs, and other alternative forms of accessing information. Convergence continues to expand as modes of communication continue to increase and become more advanced and multi-dimensional."
Lynda Kraxberger
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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How do you benefit from learning from faculty who have had practical experience in the field?
"It helps to learn skills from someone who has had to practice them day in and day out. It gives you a good idea of what is going to be required in your workplace in the future. Having professors who are the journalists paving the path in convergence gives us a huge advantage, because we are getting to learn from the people who are actually creating this practice."
Stefanie Zimmerman
Convergence Journalism Student
Springfield, Mo.
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"Hands-on experience is a lot more important than theory because it provides us with better skills once we enter the workplace. Our convergence faculty and the other experts that are involved in the program provide us with the knowledge and skills we need to become multi-talented."
Lance Edwards
Convergence Journalism Student
Rosenberg, Texas
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"Experienced faculty is a major bonus of attending MU's J-School. Faculty members have real experience in the news world, which makes them amazing resources and instructors. They understand that being a journalist is a lifestyle. They know how to advise you on stories, classes, internships and practically everything else. Show them you're a hard worker and treat them with respect, and they will be tremendously helpful when you're looking for a job."
Alyah Khan
Convergence Journalism Student
Plano, Texas
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What other qualities and skills are valuable?
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"The most important professional skills are management skills. Some think of convergence people as purely technical, but the truth is the people of convergence are those able to see the big picture and able to find the needs of the audience. Also, everyone should understand basic Web site production and how files move through the Internet."
Lynda Kraxberger
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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"Know as much as you can about editing and multimedia production software. This includes Flash, Dreamweaver, Avid and Cool Edit. In the J-school, they will teach you the basics of how to use these products, but its up to you to decide how far you want to take it. Also, having the ability to multi-task, report and write are obvious skills all journalists, including multimedia reporters, need to have.
Shawn Brouwer
Convergence Journalism Student
Visalia, Calif.
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"You have to yourself out there when it comes to reporting. Students also need to have an eye for detail and be able to discern between different media mediums when it comes to deciding how to present a story to the public. Sometimes, a good story may not succeed if it's presented through the wrong medium."
Lisa Zirk
Convergence Journalism Student
Algonquin, Ill.
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Where do Missouri Journalism students get internships?
"Our students usually have had at least one internship by the time they graduate. These have been in news reporting, producing, advertising, photography, public relations, magazine writing, event planning, design and much more. The internships are in major U.S. cities as well as in smaller communities, representing the wide range of interests of our students, who, incidentally, come from every state in the nation and from more than 30 countries. You might want to check out a list of almost 300 student internships at media outlets, agencies and other organizations where our students have worked in recent years."
Phou Sengsavanh
Career Center
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"As a convergence student, you will be blessed with having knowledge on a subject very few journalism students nationwide have at this point. Therefore, finding an internship as an online producer or multimedia producer at a major company will not be difficult. Personally, I spent time interning as a multimedia producer at USATODAY.com. My role was to create and manage all video, audio and interactive content that aided a story on the newspaper's Web site. I had the ability to work with some of the top creative minds in the field of journalism as they tried to figure out the best way to tell a story in a unique way. Since convergence is so new, your internships will never be fetching coffee for someone in a corporate office. Instead, you will be treated as a bright young mind in your field and often times will be showing the professionals how to do things."
Shawn Brouwer
Convergence Journalism Student
Visalia, Calif.
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"Students intern in a variety of places. We've had students at USA Today, ABC World News, ESPN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Dallas Morning News, KHOU-Houston, and the Toronto Star in Canada. Those are just the places off the top of my head. Students can gain internships either through applying themselves, through recruiters that come to campus, various alumni, or from faculty recommendations."
Mike McKean
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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What kind of jobs are graduates getting with a convergence journalism emphasis?
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"We are seeing an interest from both traditional newspapers and TV stations who are experimenting with convergence in their own newsrooms. We expect our students to work for major media companies. We have already attracted attention from USAToday.com and KCNC, a CBS affiliate in Denver, Colo. We see both national media organizations as well as smaller local news operations interested in what we have to offer."
Lynda Kraxberger
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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"We will have career opportunities available to us that other journalism students may not have. In a time where budget cuts are all too common in newsrooms, employing a person trained in convergence journalism seems extremely practical. Convergence people can do jobs that used to need more than one person. Convergence journalism is slowly but surely becoming mainstream. I think after we graduate and in the years that come, our skills will be in high demand."
Dominique Renoit
Convergence Journalism Student
Miami, Fla.
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"Missouri Journalism students get internships everywhere. Having Missouri's journalism school on your resume speaks highly of your skills and experience. This past summer, I had an internship as an Internet producer at KHOU-TV in Houston. It was an incredibly valuable experience working at the local CBS affiliate in such a large market. I had the chance to work side-by-side with journalists who were producing award-winning TV journalism, and I learned important things about the online news industry. Without the help of one of my professors and my participation in the Convergence program, I would have never landed this awesome internship."
Alyah Khan
Convergence Journalism Student
Plano, Texas
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"This question probably won't work until six months from now. Based on my conversations with other students in convergence, we are all looking at different job possibilities. Personally, I am looking for a job as a multimedia producer at a major news outlet such as The New York Times, Yahoo News or returning to USATODAY.com. Other people are taking reporting jobs, video production jobs, becoming backpack journalists or designing infographics. So, at this point, it's really a mix."
Shawn Brouwer
Convergence Journalism Student
Visalia, Calif.
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What are the salaries and working environment like in this field?
"Currently, there aren't enough people working in convergence journalism to draw any firm conclusions. Obviously, major media companies are quite interested in finding employees who can help them cope with the rapid changes new technology is bringing. Yet, there are also folks I'd call convergent journalists who are working in small markets or even creating their own products. There's pretty strong evidence that journalists with Internet skills are being offered jobs that pay more than 'traditional' positions from entry level on up."
Mike McKean
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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"Salaries depend on the particular job tasks, the size of company you'll work for, and the location or region in which you work. For information on specific jobs in certain locations, two Web sites to visit for more detailed salary information are www.salary.com or www.monster.com."
Phou Sengsavanh
Career Center
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What is one tip you would give incoming students about this emphasis area?
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"While in high school, learn to be creative with whatever tools you have available, especially digital tools. At Mizzou, beginning as a freshman, you can participate in the iLife Movie Challenge. As a sophomore you will produce multimedia content in News 2100. We hold job fairs at the beginning of the fall semester, and you can always contact faculty in the convergence emphasis area to find out more about the program. These are all good ways to get a handle on what you want to do and what you're potentially good at doing in journalism."
Mike McKean
Convergence Journalism Faculty
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"A convergence student needs to pay attention to all forms of media and how stories are presented in each. Even students who are passionate about being a broadcaster or news editor should know that once you enter the world of journalism, employers value those who know how to converge. So, you might as well get a good understanding of all forms of media even if you are in a separate emphasis area."
Lance Edwards
Convergence Journalism Student
Rosenberg, Texas
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"Be fearless. Don't let the unknown freak you out. The first time you do something it won't be perfect. But, keep on trying, and you will get better. Remember: Everyone makes mistakes, even great journalists. Just remember to learn from them and don't give up."
Alyah Khan
Convergence Journalism Student
Plano, Texas
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"I think students who are not yet sure what they want to specialize in will like the convergence emphasis area because it will gives them an opportunity to try journalism from every angle. I think having a diverse background in journalism will prove to be beneficial when they enter the work force."
Lisa Zirk
Convergence Journalism Student
Algonquin, Ill.
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"Don't be afraid to be wrong about something. Convergence is a new way to tell stories in order to gain a loyal audience to your company. Not everything you try is going to work. You might try ten unique things, and nine won't work. But if that one idea sticks, you have something. I always tell myself that Thomas Edison didn't create the light bulb on his first try, and we aren't going to fix all the problems in journalism in one try either. Journalism is in a state of change at this point, and it is exciting but also a little bit scary. The key is not to be afraid, get creative and let those ideas fly."
Shawn Brouwer
Convergence Journalism Student
Visalia, Calif.
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