Staci Baird aka GirlJournalist

What is online journalism?

I'll start by telling you what it's not (IMHO).

1. It's not shovelware. No good will ever come of shoveling print stories or broadcast packages onto a Web site. Unfortunately today, most traditional media organizations still use the Web as a secondary outlet for their content.

2. It's not the wild, wild West. Although the Web as a medium for delivering news and information is still very new, it is not without some order. There are codes of conduct.

3. It's not so much about HTML, Javascript, PHP or Django. Leave that stuff to the more highly evolved geeks. Online journalism is really about organizing facts, telling stories, sharing experiences, receiving feedback and having conversations.

How do I become an online journalist?

1. You have to be at least mildly interested in some of the geeky stuff. Just like newspaper people dig the smell of ink and paper, online journalists have to admire, respect and maybe even revel in the evolving nature of the Web.

2. You have to be curious. This is a given for all journalists, but it's especially true for online journalists. You are going to have to be constantly learning new and different technologies and storytelling methods.

3. You have to be as comfortable carrying a video camera as a pen and a pad.

4. You have to be prepared for anything. At all times. Twenty-four hours.

Is there a future for me? For journalism?

Of course! We all need and want news and information.

But here's a tip: You should approach your career in journalism by identifying what type of job you prefer, instead of what medium. You like talking to people, writing and telling stories? You want to be a reporter. So you better learn how to file stories in text, video and online. You also better understand the different strengths/weaknesses of each medium.

The red pen is your favorite? You like trimming stories, moving paragraphs and correcting style? Fine. You want to be an editor. So you better learn the different styles for text, video and online. You also better understand the different strengths/weaknesses of each medium.

You like being creative, telling stories with graphics, photos and video? Then you better learn how to use a variety of software applications and production tools for text, video and online. You also better understand the different strengths/weaknesses of each medium.