Signature May/June 2015 - 14

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HOW TO FILL THE SKILL GAPS
An association web content developer says many new
graduates lack in-depth knowledge and experience in
modern journalism. The answer? Save your red pens and
guide your new hires into continual education instead.
BY TYLER GASKILL

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MAY/JUNE 16

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After a publication brings on a new hire,
growing pains are expected. Entering a
new production cycle is like sitting in a
parked car that's suddenly picked up by a
crane and dropped onto a busy highway:
Hit the gas, adapt to the flow of traffic,
and try not to cause any accidents.
Your association's new college-grad
hires are being dropped onto that speeding highway after just passing a driver's
test. And they're going to have to learn
from a few fender benders.
Journalism graduates don't necessarily
lack one particular skill, says Dan Polley,
who served as the web producer and social
media director for Journal Community
Publishing Group in Wisconsin before
joining the American Society for Quality
(ASQ) as a web content developer. He
sees today's graduates lacking in-depth
knowledge and experience in many areas
of modern journalism.
"They might enter the workforce with
a base of knowledge on video editing
and production, and some social media
experience," Polley says. "But then they
lack a basic understanding of HTML and
other web code, or basic design principles.
Or maybe they never shot photographs
or video in their prior work. These examples are particularly evident in many
smaller journalism jobs that require a mix
of design, editing, and reporting."
Rather than teaching your new journalists by exhausting the association's storeroom of red pens, encourage them to seek
continuing education programs to help
fill their skill gaps. And emphasize that
college was the start - not the end - of
their education.
Poynter's News University is an online
media and journalism training program
with more than 300 topics to choose from.
Many of its courses are free or under

$50. They're available in formats such
as self-paced courses, webinars, or video
tutorials. Poynter also has courses on
topics that delve into technical elements
of publishing - such as photojournalism,
video production, design and graphics -
and others that are geared toward social
media, marketing, or branding.
To keep pace with today's evolving journalism landscape, Polley feels new journalists should focus on enhancing their skills
in technical areas, such as photography,
design, code, social media, or videography. "When there are new, popular social
networks - or new trends like GoPro
videos or podcasting - try them," he says.
"Think about how you could use them."
Many community colleges offer nondegree programs, and they can be much
cheaper than university courses. For
example, the Milwaukee Area Technical
College charges about $450 for its TV
and Video Production Co-Op course;
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
charges state residents over $600 for a
one-credit summer course.
Recent graduates also might be hit with
a cold bucket of water after they realize
their new jobs entail more than just reporting and editing. They also might have

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signature May/June 2015