In Praise of Backpackers In Praise of Backpackers Mark HamiltonMark Hamilton

03JUN200503JUN2005

Carlos AbreuCarlos Abreu17NOV200717NOV2007

Nice to meet you!Nice to meet you!

Sonya Sonya

DoctoriaDoctoriann

AndrewAndrew

RevkinRevkin

WillWill

YurmanYurman

Andrew RevkinAndrew Revkin

Reporting on the Reporting on the environment for environment for The New York TimesThe New York Times since since 19951995

Online-Extra Photo GalleryOnline-Extra Photo Gallery

Global Warming: A Legacy Global Warming: A Legacy IssueIssueNarrated by Andrew Narrated by Andrew Revkin, July & August 2007Revkin, July & August 2007

Photo: Yoni Brook/NYT

Sonya DoctorianSonya Doctorian Rocky Mountain NewRocky Mountain New

ss video journal video journal

Produces Produces video essaysvideo essays and and works with the photo works with the photo staff as a coach and staff as a coach and project editorproject editor

Will YurmanWill Yurman Rochester Democrat Rochester Democrat

& Chronicle’s & Chronicle’s photographerphotographer

Impressive Impressive portfolio of storiesportfolio of stories that that combine their combine their photography with photography with audio and snippets of audio and snippets of texttext

Journalism in new waysJournalism in new ways

They bring They bring soundsound and and motionmotion and new and new story story structuresstructures to newspapers to newspapers

They are backpackThey are backpack journalistsjournalists!!• They carry a kit of They carry a kit of toolstools and and skillsskills to cover to cover

the story in whatever form it can be best toldthe story in whatever form it can be best told

All of them bring a variety of technical All of them bring a variety of technical skills to bear on the job of telling good skills to bear on the job of telling good storiesstories

My actual backpack often holds My actual backpack often holds

12-inch iBook G4 with Airport 12-inch iBook G4 with Airport ExtremeExtreme

Olympus E-10 digital cameraOlympus E-10 digital camera iRiver iFP-795 MP3 player/recorderiRiver iFP-795 MP3 player/recorder lapel and conference micslapel and conference mics assorted cables, connectors and assorted cables, connectors and

batteriesbatteries Moleskine notebookMoleskine notebook

My actual backpack often holdsMy actual backpack often holds

Audio Hijack Pro (recording)Audio Hijack Pro (recording) Audacity (Audacity (audio editingaudio editing)) GarageBand (GarageBand (multitrack audio multitrack audio

recording and editingrecording and editing)) iPhoto and PhotoShopiPhoto and PhotoShop FlashFlash iMovie (iMovie (video editing; synching slides video editing; synching slides

shows and audioshows and audio)) … …

That’s happening in:That’s happening in:

Small-market TV stationsSmall-market TV stations Small-market newspapersSmall-market newspapers

Economics is driving itEconomics is driving it• Call it Call it “forced backpacking”“forced backpacking”• The one-person-band approach to individual The one-person-band approach to individual

stories is driven by the desire, skill and talent stories is driven by the desire, skill and talent of the individual, not by management directive of the individual, not by management directive or defined newsroom needor defined newsroom need

We need them allWe need them all

These new journalists are a new These new journalists are a new breedbreed but they but they don’t define don’t define journalismjournalism

• Investigative reportersInvestigative reporters• Specialist reportersSpecialist reporters • ColumnistsColumnists

Quality mattersQuality matters

Forced backpacking reduces Forced backpacking reduces qualityquality

Volunteers backpackers improve Volunteers backpackers improve qualityquality

Valuable additions Valuable additions

Backpackers are at the frontlines of Backpackers are at the frontlines of the necessary reinvention of the necessary reinvention of newspapers by extending how they newspapers by extending how they tell stories and connect with readerstell stories and connect with readers

They bring together strong They bring together strong journalism and technical skills and journalism and technical skills and use them to tell compelling storiesuse them to tell compelling stories

After words…After words…

Economical aproach – Economical aproach – convergence convergence as a bottom-line issueas a bottom-line issue

Risks of losing investigative Risks of losing investigative reporters, specialist reporters?reporters, specialist reporters?

Quality realy matters?Quality realy matters?