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Have you ever heard of the digital journalism major? In this digital and technological era, various majors, including journalism, have also begun focusing their curricula on digital trends. Let’s identify what digital journalism means and what skills will be obtained as a student majoring in digital journalism.
What is Digital Journalism?
Basically, digital journalism refers to news and other journalistic content produced through digital media. Citing research by Perreault & Ferrucci (2020), digital journalism includes leveraging technology to tell stories, disseminating information in the fastest possible manner, and focusing on the audience in a market-driven way.
Perreault & Ferrucci’s research also discusses an interesting point where there is an idea that all journalism produced today is digital journalism. Because even if a journalism product is made by non-digital entities such as newspapers, magazines, and radio, all journalistic products will appear on the internet. The change in how the mass media works today has given rise to various new journalist labels such as “mobile journalist.”
Digital Journalism Major at UMN
Of course, as a campus under Kompas Gramedia, Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN) also has a journalism major! And recently, UMN began to change the name of this major to “Digital Journalism.”
What do you learn in the digital journalism department? Like the meaning and definition of digital journalism explained in the previous section, digital journalism students will learn how to use technology and the internet to produce, package, and disseminate journalistic products. Journalism students will no longer only learn about interviews and covering the news. They will learn how to edit videos, cover the news using mobile phones, and others. But don’t worry; at UMN, digital journalism students will still learn about the basics and history of traditional journalism. So, UMN journalism students will graduate with complete and up-to-date knowledge.
Also read: The Profile of UMN Journalism and Its Tuition Fees.
Digital journalism students will learn to use technology and the internet in producing, packaging, and distributing journalistic products. (source: Unsplash/@austindistel)
Digital Journalism Major Skills
If you dream of becoming a digital journalist, various skills are needed. Journalism students will also learn the things mentioned below in the digital journalism major.
1. Edit photos and videos
Digital journalism students will learn to use software such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and other Adobe applications to edit photos and videos. Not only editing, but students will also learn to make the photo or video interesting.
One of the important things every journalist needs to remember is “visual storytelling.” A journalist today must think about and understand how to use photos, videos, and other visual elements to communicate news messages interestingly and effectively to the public. This is why journalism graduates can work as photographers, videographers, and photo or video editors.
2. Using social media to spread journalistic content
Not a few digital journalism students use social media as an element of their Final Project. In class, you may be asked to create an Instagram account and produce journalistic content to be posted on Instagram. A journalist today must understand how to use social media, find and spot trends, and connect with people. With that, digital journalism graduates can work as Social Media Officers or Specialists.
3. Create and manage websites
You didn’t read it wrong. At UMN, there is a class called “Web Apps for Journalism,” where UMN students will learn the basics of coding to build websites. This is one of the skills that will be a plus for journalists who want to find a job.
4. Implement Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Not only marketing companies, the mass media are also starting to prioritize SEO aspects to increase website traffic. Therefore, digital journalists will learn to find keywords, use SEO applications, and how to write SEO articles. The application of SEO in journalism is also referred to as “SEO-based Journalism.” Maybe many of you already know there are many job vacancies for writers who know how to apply SEO in their writing.
5. Mobile Journalism
One of the most prominent aspects of digital journalism is using gadgets such as mobile phones to carry out every reporting process. So, a digital journalist must be able to use his cellphone to record, cover, edit, and distribute journalistic products, whether it’s articles, photos, or videos. This practice is also called “mobile journalism.”
What are your thoughts? Isn’t it interesting to major in digital journalism? For those who want to become modern journalists in this digital era, you can really check the digital journalism department at Multimedia Nusantara University! Let’s register!
Also read: Majors at UMN.
Sources:
By Levina Chrestella Theodora | UMN News Service
English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora
Kuliah di Jakarta untuk jurusan program studi Informatika| Sistem Informasi | Teknik Komputer | Teknik Elektro | Teknik Fisika | Akuntansi | Manajemen| Komunikasi Strategis | Jurnalistik | Desain Komunikasi Visual | Film dan Animasi | Arsitektur | D3 Perhotelan , di Universitas Multimedia Nusantara. www.umn.ac.id
