Convergence - an idea that just won't go away

There's been plenty of talk about convergence over the past decade or so. And while we may have grown weary of hearing about convergence this and convergence that, the word continues to capture a defining concept that explains so many of the changes facing the media industries. And perhaps no industry has seen so much change so quickly as the traditional newspaper publication business. Reporters are now carrying small video cameras to capture clips for their papers' web sites and stories are filed from wireless laptops on location. A newspaper and a TV station are sharing a newsroom in Tampa, Florida (you can read a report at http://www.poynter.org/resource/69008/USF_study1.pdf), while bloggers cover major media events.

To follow the convergence of the print journalism field with new media, check out the excellent Convergence Chaser blog at Poynter Online, http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=56 or the Convergence Chronicle over at CyberJournalist.net, http://www.cyberjournalist.net/convergence_chronicle/

And if you have any ambition to work in the world of news, you'd better sharpen both your pencil and your technical skills.