By Jordanna Tennebaum, TLS freelance writer
While smartphones are typically tucked away during lectures, Carleton journalism professor Paul Adams is overseeing a new instruction model that uses “the cameras in our pockets” to produce quality news pieces.
Students registered in Adams’ third year Introduction to Video Journalism course are the first to experience the new digital format. The beta test uses iPods, iPhones and Androids to create coverage consistent with the needs of today’s high-tech newsrooms.
According to Adams, merging story-telling methods and techniques with handheld devices will make journalism more accessible for those looking to enter the television production sphere.
“The students bring the physical capital. We’re not providing cameras…we’re saying you have a laptop, you probably have an app to edit, so let’s utilize the instruments you already have,” says Adams.
While this approach to teaching is only just beginning to unfold, Carleton media producer Dave Elliott anticipates that it will provide students with the tools they need to succeed.
“To make yourself stand out, you need good lighting, good audio and basic knowledge of what makes a good shot,” says Elliott. These staples will be perfected over the next eight weeks as the course addresses both fundamental and advanced journalistic elements.
The class began with a visit from the Globe and Mail’s Josh Wingrove who shared his insights on the importance of impromptu video production. Given Wingrove’s critically acclaimed BlackBerry capture of the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, he drove home the significance of reporting done on the fly, often published with little aside from a wireless connection.
For student Kevin Nimmock, Wingrove’s experiences encapsulate the relevance and necessity of smartphone-based journalism.
“Josh Wingrove is a perfect example of understanding that in a situation where you don’t have time to grab your large camera, you should be able to take out your phone,” says Nimmock.
Alongside his peers, Nimmock will be provided with a considerable amount of creative freedom. Students are encouraged to put together news items with minimal supervision and structure.
“To a degree, it’s a flipped classroom. We’re telling people go and do it, figure it out yourself. Go use your phone, take some pictures, find the app on your computer and cut something,” says Adams.
Assistance will be provided throughout however, especially during the second half of the course when Adams will begin to introduce more complex forms of television technology.
By way of sophisticated HD cameras and the River Building’s cutting edge software, the students will in the end gain a well-rounded understanding of news broadcasting that incorporates both old and new operating systems.