To that end, Tompkins shared his 10 Laws of Multimedia with a group of educators at the Poynter Institute.

Law #1 Make it interactive
It gives control to the user, and with our interest in metrics, interactivity increases stickiness — basically the amount of time spent on the site.

Law #2 Be search engine friendly
Design your site and your headlines with SEO in mind.  Avoid Flash animation or images in the upper-left of your page.  Spiders look at first 1-4 words in a headline, so you want to pay special attention to the way you write them.

Law #3 Aggregate and generate
Don’t be afraid to publish good work that other people do in addition to the work that you generate.

Law #4 Go raw, let viewers experience information on their own terms
Use raw video and other source information to let audience members see it for themseves.  Put your evidence online.

Law #5 Leverage your digital assets
You may be generating information that the public will be interested in, i.e. putting your editorial meeting online.  If it’s completely unique content that people really want, they’ll pay for it, i.e. at least one newspaper experimenting with a pay wall for obits.

Law #6 Involve the public, but make it meaningful
Give people a way to share what they know.

Law #7 Tap into local passion groups
Give people a place to meet like-minded individuals ala Facebook.  Help them form communities.

Law #8 Map it
Mapping gives you a wide shot and specificity in communicating information.  The washingtonpost.com “Faces of the Fallen” project is one example.  Try quikmaps for easily creating an interactive map.

Law #9 Feed your needs, too
Get yourself in front of the world online.  For example, check out the oil ticker on the NewsHour website, which they allowed other news organizations to embed in their own sites.

Law #10 Save elaborate presentations for projects with staying power
If it’s going to be a lot of work, make sure it has shelf life.

“The most important reason to do multimedia is to improve the journalism,” Tompkins said.

Sree Sreevivasan — On Twitter:  Sreenet
He’s a prof and dean of student affairs at Columbia Journalism School.  Quill calls him a “technology evanglesit and skeptic.”

Eric Kuhn — On Twitter:  KuhnCNN
As CNN’s audience interactio producer, Quill says he focuses on “social and emerging media for the network and television-Web integration.”

Megan Garber — On Twitter:  megangarber
Garber is assistant editor of the Neiman Journalism Lab at Harvard where she “reports and writes on the future of news.”

David Cohn — On Twitter:  digidave
Cohn says he is a “new media scientist” who focuses on participatory journalism.  He is behind Spot.Us, pioneering “community-funded reporting.”

Mark Briggs — On Twitter:  markbriggs
Author of the ground-breaking textbooks Journalism 2.0 and Journalism Next.

And while we’re on the subject of Twitter, check out the website, oneforty, if you haven’t already.  The site allows you to search, browse and rate thousands of Twitter apps.

What I am sure of is that the announcement indicates that the more multimedia skills a journalist has, them more job security.  Take a look at a couple excerpts from ABC News President David Westin’s memo to the staff:

In newsgathering, we intend to dramatically expand our use of digital journalists. We have proven that this model works at various locations around the world. We believe we can take it much further.

In production, we will take the example set by Nightline of editorial staff who shoot and edit their own material and follow it throughout all of our programs, while recognizing that we will continue to rely upon our ENG crews and editors for most of our work.

Some of the concerns expressed about all this are quite valid –  it’s going to be harder for ABC News to do some of the things it used to, and yes, quality may very well suffer.   But what’s the alternative?  Continuing to do the same old things in the same old way is definitely not the answer.

1.  Ten tips for writing TV news.  This is our all-time points leader for two years running.  Guess that should tell us something that people still want good information about how to write well.

2. Backpack journalism toolkit.  No surprise here, the first obstacle to overcome when embarking on a multimedia path is putting together the right set of gear and skills.

3. Skills a multimedia journalist needs.  See above.

4. Five video story forms.  As we know, the amount of video on the Web has exploded in recent years, and that’s prompted journalists to begin thinking about the ways in which this delivery system can or should change video content.

5. Ethics of music.  This post actually taught me a little something about the Web – audiences can come from unexpected places.  Months after it was originally published, this post caught the  fancy of a popular Web site and voila’ – the hits just kept on coming.

6.  J-school requires iPhone.  The popularity of this post could be attributed to the Missouri Mafia – the large network of Mizzou grads who remain true to their school.  But it’s at the heart of an important discussion:  How can we avoid getting bogged down in learning about specific tools and focus more on learning concepts?

7. Six video tips for multimedia journalists. Like many blogs, we often rely on outside expertise such as this post from photojournalist Adam Westbrook.

8. Video shooting tips.  More great stuff from Scott Jensen, who won his second NPPA TV photographer of the year award in 2009.

9. Visual storytelling secrets.  Ok, we get it.  Journalists want to know more about how to tell better video stories.  (Note to self:  Create more of these posts in 2010.)

10. “12 things I’ve learned about online news.” As we move into a new decade, it’s clear we’ll all need to be learning as much as we can about online news.  What traditional skills will translate well in the Web world and what new skills must tomorrow’s journalists master?

We hope the new year brings you new opportunities to do great multimedia work.  Thanks for reading!

On AR&D consultant Bob Kaplitz’s blog, Scholett offers this advice to other multimedia journalists:

1.)   Don’t think of your video as an afterthought. Good video might save a story, but poorly shot wallpaper video will certainly ruin one.

2.)   Don’t complain about carrying gear. There are hundreds of darn good reporters out there who are carrying resumes right now who would kill to be carrying gear.

3.)   Don’t forget what it’s like to be a viewer. See each day’s story as if you were watching it from home. Did you get the take home message across? Did you like video? Did it all make sense? Would you want to watch it again? Would you need too?

4.)   Don’t rush the writing. That’s where real mistakes are made.

5.)   Don’t use being a one man band as a crutch or an excuse. It’s the wave of the future and a great skill to have.

You might also want to check out Schollett’s advice for managing time as an MMJ – anyone who can physically survive anchoring three shows and turning a story every day has got to know something about time management, right?

Thanks to Stephen Goforth for pointing out an excellent article in the Wall Street Journal that illustrates what history should tell us about today’s economic troubles.

Network TV lost vast amounts of money in its early years. It was only because the existing ­radio networks were willing to subsidize TV that it survived—leaving CBS and NBC at the top of the heap in the ’50s and ’60s, just as they had been in the ’30s and ’40s. The old media of today have a similar chance to prosper tomorrow if they can survive the heavy financial losses that they’re incurring while they develop workable new-media business models.

Established radio performers such as [Jack] Benny and [Bob] Hope, who embraced TV on its own visually oriented terms, flourished well into the ’60s. Everyone else—­including Fred Allen—vanished into the dumpster of entertainment history. The same fate awaits contemporary old-media figures unwilling to grapple with the challenge of the new media, no matter how popular they may be today.

Americans of all ages ­embraced TV unhesitatingly. They felt no loyalty to network radio, the medium that had entertained and informed them for a quarter-century. When something came along that they deemed superior, they switched off their radios without a second thought. That’s the biggest lesson taught by the new-media crisis of 1949. Nostalgia, like guilt, is a rope that wears thin.

Of course, radio is still around, but its role has changed. I think newspaper and television companies will be around 60 years from now as well. What history tells us is that they’re going to change; now we have to figure out what that new role will be.   Newspapers need to stop trying to prove how important they are and TV newsrooms need to stop assuming that the Web won’t hurt them as much as it did newspapers.  The time to lament and ignore is past.

At the undergrad level, J-school can be a good way to learn the ins and outs of a demanding profession. Schools with accredited programs require undergrads to take a range of courses outside the major, which is supposed to ensure a well-rounded education. And they all meet minimum standards as assessed by the accrediting council. [Full disclosure: I've served on site visit teams for several J-schools.]

But what really counts is the  quality of the content and the faculty.  And I completely agree with Patrick Thornton’s view that any list of “best J-schools” is automatically suspect. His advice is to look for a program that teaches entrepreneurial journalism and has a faculty that gets it:

If a professor doesn’t even have a Web site and isn’t on social media, I’d be gravely concerned about whether he or she gets where journalism is headed. A quality blog is another thing to look for in a professor. I’m serious.

Dave Cohn, founder of Spot.us, didn’t major in journalism as an undergrad and spent a year as a professional intern before landing a job.

Journalism is a craft and has an apprenticeship model. They say a fair percentage of students don’t get past the first year of law school. Well, think about whether or not you can get past the first year of internships in journalism. If you aren’t prepared to pay some dues and start at the bottom, then don’t start at all.

A  full-time internship–even unpaid–at a place where you can learn and actually do journalism can be a great launching pad. Experience may be the best graduate school of all, and it may be all you need if your undergrad degree is in journalism.

But what if you can’t get your foot in the door? Then it may be worth considering a grad program where you’ll gain some experience and make contacts in the field.

It also may be worth getting a masters if you think you might want to teach at the college level some day. More and more schools are requiring advanced degrees, even for faculty who bring professional experience to the classroom.

Cohn did go back for a graduate degree and says he’s glad he did.

J-school gives you the space and time to screw up without it reflecting negatively on one’s career. if anything J-school provides a buffer space to screw up and get positive feedback rather than getting fired and burning a bridge.

His one regret? The student debt he’s still paying off.  No question–grad school is expensive. Going to school full time while working part time may be one solution. That’s what I did years ago. Today, more schools offer part-time grad programs so students can keep working while going to school. Either way, make sure you know what you’re getting into and what you’re likely to get out of it before you sign up.

My colleague Deb Wenger has a slightly different take on all this:

To me, there’s a more fundamental question here – why do people go to college?  Is it simply to get job training?  Or is it to get an education in the broadest sense of the word?

These days I’m questioning whether J-schools are spending far too much time worrying about training students for specific employment.  I seriously doubt that many English, history or even accounting professors invest half as much mental energy on whether the degrees they confer will lead to a particular type of job.  Journalism is most often a liberal arts degree, just like English or philosophy or a dozen other subject areas – the goal is to provide students with critical thinking skills, research and writing capabilities, among other things.  Those skills will be valuable in scores of professions.

Even if we compare ourselves to some professional schools, such as accounting or engineering, when jobs in those industries are hard to find, I venture to say that we don’t see nearly as many people questioning the value of accounting programs or engineering schools.  The skills learned in those disciplines are also useful in many other contexts.

As for the argument that journalism experience is better than a journalism degree, I think that’s like saying spending a year in Europe is better than having a degree in European history.  Yes, you can learn a tremendous amount about Europe’s past without going to school, and yes, you can work in journalism without a journalism degree.   However, the fact remains that higher education is consistently linked to higher incomes, a better quality of life and a number of other positives.

I think the focus of this entire discussion needs to change.  If J-schools aren’t educating students, preparing them as best they can for whatever profession the students enter, then the schools have failed — no matter how many professors blog or social media seminars are created.  In the end, good journalism teachers will find a way to inspire some good students to become good journalists, regardless of the program.  The side benefit is that those same good teachers may inspire the rest to simply learn something, and I think that’s ultimately why you go to college, whatever the degree.

(In the interest of more disclosure, Deb says: “I am a journalism prof who never went to J-school; however, I do blog, Facebook and even have a few people following me on Twitter.”)

So what’s your perspective on J-school? Broad question, we know, but it’s a big topic. Feel free to weigh in.

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i got to go slap on some make-up. be back in a jiff. hate this part.

I follow Rick, but I confess that I rarely read what he posts. Maybe that’s because there’s so little actual news in his feed. CBS’s Mark Knoller, on the other hand, is an essential read for me, providing a quick update on what’s happening at the White House every day.

It’s easy to find other national journalists who use Twitter by checking MuckRack, but many local stations are using the service, too.

Allison Watts, executive producer at WHAM-TV in Rochester, N.Y., calls herself a “Twittering Twit.”  She posts updates on breaking news and says she often gets tips and feedback from Twitter users in her community.

Reporters at the station use Twitter from the field. Last week, Watts says that reporter Rachel Barnhart Tweeted from court on the sentencing of a former police officer convicted of hit-and-run.

In a span of 30 minutes and 40 tweets, she painted a detailed picture of what it was like in the courtroom. It included everything from emotional statements from family members to the judge’s decision.

Other local TV journalists using Twitter include reporter Jason DeRusha from WCCO-TV in Minneapolis and assignment editor Misty Montano from KCNC-TV in Denver.  Who would you add to the list?

By the way, if there’s an online directory of local TV Tweeters, I haven’t found it yet. Let us know if you know of one.

A study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication found that over the last nine years, newspapers and wire services wrote more than two thousand stories about the woes of print and television. Leading the way were the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

Television, meanwhile, carried a total of 22 stories about the decline in news audiences.

Maybe TV has learned a thing or two from those sales guys who always say business is good – it’s certainly tough to foster confidence in an industry that’s routinely predicting its own demise.

Yes, the audience is changing its habits.  But what would be interesting to know is how much reporting has been focused on those changes and analysis of how traditional media can adapt. 

The more we can learn about serving today’s audience needs, the faster journalism organizations can rise to the challenge.  Let’s see more than 2,000 stories on that!