Lend Me Your Ear Buds

This November 2007 article from the L.A. Times reported on the first full-length feature film to be released exclusively to iTunes and the Web. "Purple Violets," by Edward Burns was the film, which could be downloaded for $14.99 and played on your iPod, computer screen or television. Obviously, there were some benefits to this online-only release. The main benefit, of course, was the wide range of people who had immediate access to the film. Burns' previous films were premiered to limited audiences in New York and Los Angeles, but this film was premiered to the entire world simultaneously on the Internet. Furthermore, by allowing these people to download the film to their iPods, they could take it anywhere and spread the film to others easier than it could be spread on movie screens. However, I still feel there is something to be said for the timeless experience of seeing a fantastic movie on the big screen. Even watching a DVD in your own home doesn't compare to the experience you receive with the surround sound and giant wide screen at the multiplex. While online releases certainly aren't going away, I also trust that releases to movie theaters also won't end either.

J-Students: What Kind Of Job Do You Want?

I was emailed this article recently so I thought I'd pass it along. The story from 2006 quotes a 2004 study that found that most journalism students in colleges and universities across the U.S. sought jobs in print media than in online journalism. (20.6 percent for TV news and 19.5 percent for newspapers versus 6.5 percent for Internet positions.) These figures were in spite of the fact that starting salaries at online-based jobs were substantially higher than comparable positions at traditional media outlets.

I wonder if the numbers would be similar today or if more students are embracing the possibility of an online position. I mean, after all, our generation does consume online news far more than we are reading traditional newspapers or magazines. Personally, I came into college convinced that I was going to work in print media. My dream job is still to become an editor at a top men's magazine or entertainment magazine. However, I could definitely see myself working for an online news source. In today's world, journalism students have to be open to the possibility of working on the Web because jobs in print or broadcast media are shrinking everyday. It would be interesting to see updated statistics on the types of jobs journalism students seek immediately following graduation. (My quick Google search elicited no helpful results, but maybe you're a more savvy searcher than I am.)

The article also touches on another important issue: journalism education's slowness to embrace online media. If students aren't being taught how to report for the Web or develop a Web presence for themselves, how can they be expected to feel comfortable searching for Internet jobs? At my school, Ithaca College, I've definitely received some great instruction in Internet journalism, but broadcast and especially print media are still very much the emphasized mediums. Journalism programs must incorporate online news into their curriculums so that their students can embrace the possibility of someday working for online media.