Becoming a well oiled machine

After sifting through 500 or so articles on Google Reader today, Mindy McAdam's post on the Reporter’s Guide to Multimedia Proficiency caught my eye.

There's no doubt about it - the newspaper industry is changing. No longer is a print publication the only source for information. In today's world, information is available through audio clips, videos, online news, RSS feeds, social networks, blogs, microblogs and millions of other media that we have yet to even fathom.

Now, take a deep breath. You're not the only one feeling overwhelmed.

The current trend in journalists' attitudes toward this adjustment is sort of an "out with the old, in with the new" outlook on content as well as employees. However, I can attest to the fact that it's not just the "old farts" who are feeling a little behind. I'm hesitant to jump headfirst into some of this stuff myself, but it's all about forcing yourself out of your comfort zone and using your brain to its full capacity.

My advice? Start with the steps outlined in McAdams' RGMP:

"1: Read blogs and use RSS
2: Start a blog
3: Buy an audio recorder and learn to use it
4: Start editing audio
5: Listen to podcasts
6: Post an interview (or podcast) on your blog
7: Learn how to shoot decent photos
8: Learn how to crop, tone, and optimize photos
9: Add photos to your blog
10: Learn to use Soundslides"

Don't worry. I'm only on step four or so. Looks like I'm going to be taking my own advice in the next few months.