the business continues to evolve. (Molly Bilker/DD)
In a world where journalism is rapidly changing in the face of new technologies and modes of access, journalists should be open and adaptable without sacrificing principles, Associated Press Vice President and Managing Editor Lou Ferrara said Monday at the Walter Cronkite School.
Ferrara highlighted five key points journalists should pursue: do the basics, practice the core, be open to change, ride the wave and be outgoing.
By “doing the basics,” Ferrara said he meant journalists should understand how to find and report news, “no matter what the format or content area.”
Journalists should “practice the core” by remaining devoted to providing news that is accurate and correct, he said. That means checking facts and making sure sources are reliable, rather than, for example, pulling information from Twitter.
“This idea that something might be right is absurd,” Ferrara said.
Being open-minded means being willing to try new things and experiment, which Ferrara said he believes creates better reporters.
Journalists who “ride the wave,” he said, will remember that change will be relentless and to take that change in stride. Greg Moore, an editor for the Associated Press and Cronkite School faculty associate who introduced Ferrara, said riding the wave means being able to get what you want from the new technology that develops.
“I do not know how to fly an airplane, but I do know it’s the best way to get to London,” Moore said. “So I don’t need to know about every single piece of technology as it emerges and be the best user. I just need to be able to understand how I can take what that technology delivers and put it into play for what I’m trying to accomplish.”
Finally, Ferrara said a journalist needs to be outgoing and engaging. It’s one thing to be able to use social media, but engaging well with sources is more important, he said. When journalism sophomore Jamee Lind asked if Ferrara looks for all five criteria while hiring, Ferrara said he primarily looks for people who fit the final characteristic.
“I really look for people who are smart, who are thinking ahead, who are engaged in the current landscape and are looking at the big picture,” Ferrara said. “Source development, to me, is still the No. 1 thing you can do in journalism. Everyone I know who breaks news — who gets information that nobody else has — has really good sources.”
Ferrara’s presentation also included a video that illustrated the prevalence of mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, and digital formats, whether used for streamed video or social media feeds such as Facebook and Twitter.
Lind said she thought the presentation was informative and that she learned how important sources are as a reporter.
“Put more importance on your sources. That was really interesting,” she said. “I forgot how important it was to get the best information you can and how it depends on who you talk to.”
The five criteria he asserted were broad, Ferrara said, but it’s important to be able to practice all of them.
“This all may sound like I’m suggesting you do it all: be a good human being, know how to communicate, be a good journalist,” he said. “And, I guess, that’s because I really am.”
Contact the reporter at molly.bilker@asu.edu
