Communication classes now focus on a "new media mindset," stressing the imminent change in the way news is created, presented, and delivered. But where does that leave us, the students of journalism who scratch our heads wondering what we are supposed to be learning? If journalism is minutes away from taking a momentous turn (for better or for worse), how can we know that the skills and strategies we are studying now will remain relevant by the time we enter the professional world?
My name is Kelly Kambourelis. I am a freshman at the College of Charleston, majoring in Media Communication. I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with my studies, but I have loved writing ever since the day my mediocre third grade poem "Red, White, and Blue" was published in an equally mediocre elementary school poetry album. It was the first time I'd seen my name in print, and it sparked a strong desire to see it again.
Concerning this "new media mindset" that appears to be all the rage in the journalism world, I can't say that I quite understand the phenomenon just yet. I declared my major last semester before taking any classes on the subject, so I hardly have a background in media at all. It seems as though any mindset that I take on will be a "new media mindset" for me, regardless of whether I'm thinking about journalism in a past, present, or future sense.
Just as journalism has an unforetold path in its future, only the future will indicate the destiny of this blog. For now, I plan to document my experiences, goals, and newfound knowledge about Media Communication as I delve into a subject matter that I blindly dedicated my life to just a few months ago. I took a leap of faith the day I declared my major, but when the honeymoon is over, I pray that I will be taking the world of communication by storm, for better or for worse.
-Kelly Kambourelis
