While visiting Viewmagazine.tv’s website, its publisher, David Dunkley Gyimah, has come up with a list of 10 things to remember in this new paradigm of the self contained video journalist.
- It’s still about the story, objectivity and accuracy.
- Video journalism allows you to turn a story around much swifter than main stream broadcasting.
- Gain an understanding of print, radio and television, then break the rules. Nothing’s sacred.
- Writing online should follow at least the basic rules. Readers scan text; 25 word paragraph or less, and key words to trigger search engine optimization
- Find original angles to your stories. Just because mainstream follows a particular course does not make it right.
- Gain an understanding of the tools: Photoshop, After Effects, Motion, Dreamweaver, FCP (I prefer to say - gain an understanding of the tools you choose to use)
- No scroll down for broadband sites. There was a reason why this was a feature of early web site design.
- You’re the first generation of online journalists. Exploit this.
- Learn from others, from veteran journalist Charles Wheeler to designer Hillman Curtis.
- If it’s not on the news, there’s a story to be told.
Applying this list takes effort, but it does begin to make a difference in ones skill set.
