• Introducing ‘Tony’s Tech Talk’
Antonio Rodriguez is CSPA's assistant director for administration.
I’ve been a “tech guy” since I was 12 years old. My first computer was a 386 PC clone – no Windows, just BASIC commands.
Today’s technology is a far cry from the “high-end” machines on which I first trained. Our dependence on technology today is unfathomable.
Entire government branches, educational systems and social networks have access to each other and to tons of data from across the world.
Our responsibilities in using this technology correctly have increased as well. The ease at which data flows freely over our World Wide Web is both beneficial and frightening. The digitizing of medical and personnel records promises to improve our efficiency. At the same time, privacy issues warrant our increased dedication to preserving our Constitutional rights.
Technology used by the media has improved exponentially…and at great cost.
The immediacy of reports on CNN, MSNBC as well as companion and rival Web sites have forced news organizations to completely change the way they inform the public. The race to one-up rival news organizations has also resulted in premature news alerts and false sources.
Bloggers have also stolen airtime and market share from the once dominant print newspapers, forcing a number of the smaller papers to close up shop.
The early days of desktop publishing gave way to our current versions of InDesign, Photoshop and QuarkXpress. However, designing for print these days is not enough.
Reporters, editors and management must be equally proficient in digital arts as in traditional design. Journalists working for newspapers must now file a story for the print edition, tweak the story for the Web edition and supplement their work with a 30-60 second “stand-up” video package.
Through this column, I’ll share with you some of the ways you can prepare for the future. We’ll offer product recommendations, technology trends and impending developments that could effect the future of the media.
I hope to foster a discussion and assist you in mapping the progress of technology in the student press.