Knight: The Skills Journalists Need and Want

The Knight Foundation recently released a report on what skills and training journalists think are valuable and needed in the new digital news environment.  Based on a survey of 660 journalists, the majority from outside the U.S., found a strong interest in learning new skills.
  Digital skills topped the list, with more than three-quarters of respondents indicating that additional training in multimedia, new technologies, and data skills would be very beneficial.  Some 70% felt that leadership skills would be helpful, and 62% felt that additional training in the topics they cover would be beneficial.  It was somewhat troubling that almost half felt a need for additional training in ethics (51%), basic reporting skills (46%), and traditional journalism skills (46%).  The report adds that non-U.S. journalists were much more likely to find training in traditional skills valuable (65%) than were U.S. journalists (19%).
  The report found that more than half the participants had participated in an online or virtual class, a significant jump from the 5% reported in 2002.  Moreover, many felt that online training was effective -

84 percent of international journalists thought distance learning was better or about the same as classroom training; only 34 percent of U.S. journalists felt that way.

   The report also asked respondents about their level of job satisfaction.  Reporters overwhelming felt that their work contributed to society, even though they were much less satisfied with opportunities within their newsrooms. Combining the "Somewhat satisfied" with the dissatisfied measures, more than half weren't satisfied with training opportunities, chances for promotion, and their pay and benefits; some 45% expressed concern over job security; and a third weren't satisfied with how much influence they had over work decisions.

  The study not only asked about general satisfaction with their opportunities for getting training, they asked respondents to grade their news organization's efforts in meeting training needs.

Fewer than four in 10 of the journalists who work in newsrooms give their organizations an A or B when it comes to meeting training needs. The majority, about six in 10, rank their news organizations as C or worse. Grades have gone steadily downward in the three Knight surveys, with a greater proportion of Cs, Ds and Fs this year than ever before.

  While the study didn't use a random sample, and heavily over-represented journalists from Latin America and participants in various Knight Foundation funded projects, the report argues that - while the exact percentages aren't generalizable - the basic results can provide insights for both the journalism profession and those interested in providing journalism education and training.

Professional development will play a key role in the transformation of the news landscape.
Not all news organizations will survive the transition to the digital age. The ones that make it will be nimble, adaptable. They’ll have learning cultures, where training is built into the daily routine.

 Source - Knight report on training shows journalists want technology, multimedia, data skills,  Poynter
The full Knight Foundation report -  Digital Training Comes of Age

Poynter: Essential skills for covering breaking news

From Britney Goo -

Even though journalism students learn the basics of the field in their classes, nothing can really prepare a beginner journalist for handling a huge breaking news story. 
Although I do not plan to become an anchor, I thought this article was really interesting.  It lists 8 essential skills that every anchor or journalist should have when covering breaking news.  I believe these skills could also pertain to citizen journalists or even people who like to post news on Facebook or Twitter:

1. Knowledge base: An understanding of issues, names, geography, history and the ability to put all of these in perspective for viewers. It comes from the journalist’s commitment to being a student of the news.
2. Ability to process new information: Sorting, organizing, prioritizing and retaining massive amounts of incoming data.
3. Ethical compass: Sensitivity to ethical land mines that often litter the field of live breaking news — unconfirmed information, graphic video, words that potentially panic, endanger public safety or security or words that add pain to already traumatized victims and those who care about them.
4. Command of the language: Dead-on grammar, syntax, pronunciation, tone and storytelling — no matter how stressed or tired the anchor or reporter may be.
5. Interviewing finesse: An instinct for what people need and want to know, for what elements are missing from the story, and the ability to draw information by skillful, informed questioning and by listening.
6. Mastery of multitasking: The ability to simultaneously: take in a producer’s instructions via an earpiece while scanning new information from computer messages, texts or Twitter; listen to what other reporters on the team are sharing and interviewees are adding; monitor incoming video — and yes, live-tweet info to people who have come to expect information in multiple formats.
7. Appreciation of all roles: An understanding of the tasks and technology that go into the execution of a broadcast, the ability to roll with changes and glitches, and anticipate all other professionals involved.
8. Acute sense of timing: The ability to condense or expand one’s speech on demand, to sense when a story needs refreshing or recapping, to know without even looking at a clock how many words are needed to fill the minute while awaiting a satellite window, live feed or interviewee.

Source: "8 essential skill for anchors (& any journalist) covering breaking news," Poynter Institute