Jumping into the new
I love new technology. I can't stop myself from signing up and giving a new application or website a try. It's a part of my curiosity as we continue to look for new ways to help journalism grow into its future. I'm often really excited about the new because I often see the great potential a new tool can offer. Google+ had me super excited when I watched its engagement at its launch last year. Since then, my newsroom has harnessed its vast power through video hangouts. We're talking to people in our market and beyond about topics of the day live each day Monday through Friday. I love it. This week I signed up to check out On The Air - a tool that claims to be a bigger, more reaching concept for broadcasting webcam chats. I look forward to seeing how it works when it launches. Another site I'm checking out: Twylah. It takes your trending topics on Twitter and makes it into a personal brand page. I signed up for my page and plan to add my newsroom's soon.
Today I'm talking to members of the New York Press Association. First, about my ongoing collection of free (and almost free) online tools for journalism. I try to update the list at least two or three times a year. (And I'm always happy to add more links if you see something you think should be included.) Second, I'm talking about why I think it's worth your time to jump into new technology and explore. My tech curiosity made me the tech geek I am today. I love this stuff! I hope to encourage more journalist to learn to play and have fun when it comes to growing our skills as journalists!