Skype guests

It was interesting to notice the difference between the two special guests we had this past week, David Folkenflik and James Kotecki. Both are polar opposites when it comes to digital journalism. Folkenflik had to adjust to new digital technology during his career. He established himself as a journalist with his career at NPR and his groundbreaking stories. Kotecki made a name for himself through his online vlog. He grew up using this digital technology to his advantage and has turned his vlogging into a career. Folkenflik is more of the traditional form of journalism and news reporting, very straightforward that focuses on important corporate, international, and economic affairs. Kotecki is able to use more of his personality within his vlog, even making fun of the subjects he’s talking about. He is able to use satire in his work to attract a different kind of audience; a youthful fan following that is internet-savvy. These men take different approaches in their reporting, but coming from my generation, I think that Kotecki’s style of reporting is not only more interesting but will also soon replace other forms of journalism and breaking news. It’s not as simple now to just report the facts. Journalists and reporters have now merged together. There is no hiding behind the printed page anymore because these news reporters need to put in extra effort to keep their audience engaged and interested in the information, whether they agree with it or not. Along with this engagement, there is a relationship that is formed between the reporter and the audience, each side is now able to give their own opinion, which creates a more dynamic form of journalism.