5 Reasons Why Every Journalism Major Needs Digital Experience

When I decided to be a journalism major with a concentration in magazines, I had no idea that I would gain so much online and digital experience. I've actually had more experience online than with magazines. And with my Patch internship coming to a close, I've realized that every aspiring journalist—whether in broadcast or print—needs to gain digital experience. Digital experience may not have as powerful an impact for you as it has for me, but I've learned that it can be incredibly valuable.

I have had amazing online journalism opportunities, writing for various publications from the local news startup BostInno to USA TODAY College, Her Campus to Patch—so I like to think that I’m somewhat familiar with digital journalism. (Don't get me wrong—I will always have so much more to learn.)

Here are five reasons why you should try writing for the web, if you haven't already:

1. You learn to write for the reader. You can write as many stories as you'd like, but unless you're doing it online, you can't really tell if people are bored with your coverage. Immediate reader feedback is one of the reasons why having a website works so well—readers can easily comment on stories, share ones they like on social media (this post on youth mobbing was shared more than 4,100 times on Facebook), etc. But when writing for the web, you quickly realize it’s also important to learn and use search engine optimization or SEO. Whether you consider it a good or bad thing, you end up adjusting your writing to fit what people would search for to gain more views, and more views means more money advertisers will be willing to pay. While it may be a pain to write the occasional SEO-optimized story on when Baltimore County Public Schools start—and you may not even consider it journalism—I feel that your "real" writing becomes more interesting, readable and relevant. And it's no question that getting eyes on our stories is a constant struggle for writers.
   
   
2. You get to tell a fuller story with photos, video, hyperlinks, etc. I'm always confused when I don't see any hyperlinks or photos accompanying an article online—and I've seen news organizations not include many or any hyperlinks in their articles. Why not?! I would give an example of an article where a photo and hyperlinks would be difficult to include but there are really no such instances. The user experience can be greatly enhanced with multimedia, such as with a post about how to eat Maryland crabs the "right way." I've done so much video editing as an editorial intern, whereas at a print publication, you really only get the video/multimedia interns working on videos. Of course, experiences vary but if you write for the web, why not record for the web?
   
   
3. You can do so much more than just write—and much quicker. Similar to my second point, you can tell a better story, but the key difference is that with more control over your posts, you can immediately become a more well-rounded journalist. Unlike writing for print, you handle all aspects of getting the story out there, from writing to publishing. You end up learning so much more and do it all with the speed necessary for journalists, because you don’t just write and then send it off to layout editors and photographers. You are the layout editor and photographer.
   
   The best example? We've been using the Patch mobile app more often, so we end up going to find stories, writing, taking photos, producing videos and then publishing them directly to our sites—all on our iPhones. After wandering around North Baltimore in July, I discovered a new bakery had just opened and took photos, recorded video, wrote an article and published the post all within an hour. (If you don't have iMovie, download it ASAP.)
   
   
4. You still get to meet and network with great people. You may think that working remotely and being chained to the computer makes it harder or even impossible to meet co-workers and network with others. I certainly had this fear, since I've never worked full-time at home before. But you have to remember that you’re a journalist, and it’s impossible to not get out there and talk to not only people you interview, but also your co-workers in team meetings, emails, phone conferences and even Meetups.
   
   
5. You're part of a digital revolution. Let's face it: Paper journalism is declining, but digital journalism is growing exponentially. No matter which aspect of journalism you're in, everyone needs to understand what is increasingly a part of every journalist's work.

About this series: As part of our jobs reporting, Patch is profiling people on internships throughout Maryland, focusing on the issue of paid and unpaid positions. What do you think about paid and unpaid internships? Let us know in the comments below.

Editor's Note: Sonia Su was paid for her summer internship with Patch.