By Geneva Overholser on Nieman Journalism Lab, Sept. 11 –
Just after I became director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism, in a brief speech to the university’s trustees, I mentioned four goals for the school:
- In the midst of change, we must be ever more devoted to the basics: critical thinking, good writing, the fundamental ethics of journalism, the history and law of our craft.
- We must get better, fast, at multimedia storytelling, including improved digital skills. We must envision and embrace new ways of getting information in the public interest to audiences wherever they are, on whatever platforms.
- We must focus on the inclusion of all voices. Americans want to participate in the collection of information. No more lectures. It’s seminars now. And all communities in this fast-changing country need to be given voice — and given trustworthy information.
- We must infuse the school with a sense of entrepreneurship. Long gone are the days when we could do a story and toss it over the wall, letting other people worry about assembling an audience and paying for our work. If journalism is to thrive, its best minds must be applied to sustaining it.