University of Florida professor counsels journalism students on industry tools

By Harper Anderson

“…To get ready for the future you need to start accessing different tools now.” Wise words from University of Florida professor Mindy McAdams, who spoke to communications students during a campus visit in February.

As UF’s Knight Chair for Journalism Technologies and the Democratic Process, Mindy McAdams talked to journalism students about the essential tools they need as they prepare for the future.

“You don’t have to be an expert in [multimedia applications] for people to see it,” McAdams said. “But to get ready for the future you need to start accessing different tools now.”

“We wanted to invite someone who was on the forefront of multimedia journalism and could talk about it with today’s students while also giving us some suggestions about our overall programs,” said Professor Ed Carter, Associate Chairof the Department of Communications.

With the recent downsizing of major newspaper companies there is a need for a single person to be much more skilled in a lot of different areas. “You always have to be accountable. You have to be the one who brings back the quotes, the audio and the images.”

Journalism students were able to benefit greatly from McAdams’ visit. “The one thing that stood out the most for me was her advice to try and use several different new media and not give up if they seem a bit difficult at first,” said Justin Ritter, a print journalism major and one of the attendees of the lecture. “It was really timely advice for me.”