Recently professor of the American Poynter Institute, journalist Regina McCombs has been in Yerevan by the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia. She delivered a lecture on New Media and Information Technologies for journalists, bloggers and students.
“I am here to represent the developments of new media environment and the ways we can use them. I would like also to know how new media is applied in Armenia,’’ says McCombs.
For 11 years McCombs has been the senior producer of the StarTribune.com multimedia. Her stories represented through multimedia have won “Photo of the Year”, “The Best in Photojournalism” and “Emmy” international awards. Now McCombs is teaching future journalists of the Poynter Institute courses regarding the use of Multimedia, Social Networks and Mobility Aids in the sphere of journalism.
Recently professor of the American Poynter Institute, journalist Regina McCombs has been in Yerevan by the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia. She delivered a lecture on New Media and Information Technologies for journalists, bloggers and students.
“I am here to represent the developments of new media environment and the ways we can use them. I would like also to know how new media is applied in Armenia,’’ says McCombs.
For 11 years McCombs has been the senior producer of the StarTribune.com multimedia. Her stories represented through multimedia have won “Photo of the Year”, “The Best in Photojournalism” and “Emmy” international awards. Now McCombs is teaching future journalists of the Poynter Institute courses regarding the use of Multimedia, Social Networks and Mobility Aids in the sphere of journalism.
During her Yerevan meetings the American journalist showed photo stories widely used in the US web newspapers accompanied by audio slideshows, videos combined with photos and reports which are shot with a phone camera. She represented also the projects necessary for their creation http://audacity.sourceforge.net/, http://soundslides.com/, http://www.vuvox.com/.
“For instance, an audio slide makes it possible to more emotionally present a photo story, and there is no need to use great technical means to do it,’’ mentions Regina McCombs. She believes the use of new media helps to make information more accessible for people.
Seminar participant Lusine Paravyan, journalist and blogger, was very impressed by the audio slide shows. She confessed she would use it in her blog by all means. “It was new for me. I will try to use the audio slideshow in my blog. In Armenia there are many journalists who follow the innovations in the field of information technologies and can use them effectively in their profesion,” says Lusine.
Another participant of the seminar, journalist Christine Poghosyan is doubtful regarding the use of new media.
“New media is applicable here but nowadays in Armenia there is a problem concerning the Internet. That is why not all have the opportunity to download videos, audio slide shows or convert pictures.’’
However McCombs is sure that the use of new media starts as soon as people are informed. “If people get acquainted with new media and our work through new media, then we will help them, they will help us and bilateral communication will be created,’’ she says.
McCombs represented to Armenian young people the use of new media in other countries and advised to choose the best variants to use them in Armenia.
During a week visit in Armenia Regina draw not full, but a certain picture on the use of new media in Armenia and expressed regret that not knowing Armenian didn’t allow her to have a full study of Armenian news sites.
Author: Nvard Hovhannisyan