Lessons from Newsplex No. 3

Not all journalists will be multiskilled. ... However, all must be multiple-media minded.

This seems to produce some of the most visceral reactions when talking to journalists. It's understandable. There is fear convergence will be used to dilute the news product and to further overwork already overworked journalists. (More on that in another lesson from Newsplex.)

But if we think about it, the best journalists have always been "multimedia." Those who don't think about photos with their stories too often find their work back among the hosiery ads. Top-notch reporters want the documents (think database and images). Most reporters already record sound for their notes and to get quotes right. Writers in the zone know exactly what images they want to create in their readers' minds.

Bottom line: This need not be as hard as we think.