[Infotech] In the Era of Internet, Expert Encourages Students in College of Communication to Equip Themselves with the Ability to Use New Tools

[Infotech] In the Era of Internet, Expert Encourages Students in College of Communication to Equip Themselves with the Ability to Use New Tools (Chinese Version)

NCCU Campus News (2009/09/25) In the era when internet and community media are getting more and more bustling, and every person could be journalist, traditional news industry is crumbling. Facing such a situation, College of Communication, National Chengchi University, invites media specialist in the U.S. Peter HERFORD to give a speech, encouraging the students to enhance their ability to use the novel tools of communication as well as the ability of independent thinking so that they could react to the challenges.

HERFORD says, after the rise of internet industry, digital information is taking the place of traditional news industry. Many newspaper companies have been shut down during these recent years. Nonetheless, with careful reflection, the speciality of news industry actually centers on information collection and processing, and hence writing techniques and acquaintance of communication tools are very important to the people in the industry. Besides the traditional cultivation, HERFORD thinks news writing demands concision, precision and correctness. Community websites such as Twitter with their limit of byte number give opportunity for writing practice regarding efficient expression. Responding to the new era of internet, HERFORD also encourages the students to get themselves acquainted with the novel communication tools such as Twitter, blog, facebook etc. The acquaintance of the new tools equips the students with the ability to broadcast information in the new time.

Beside of the ability to use new tools, HERFORD also reminds the students of the importance to develop the ability of independent thinking. He stresses, media themselves are definitely no information; only contents are information. He thinks, via internet media most people express only opinions, not information. There are too many news shows which only give criticisms, not reports. News education should focus on the development of student's independent thinking, enabling the students to appreciate the value of information. Actually, he thinks, this kind of education is not only for the students in the college of communication but actually for all the readers.

Reference:
NCCU campus news 2009/09/25 (Chinese)



(編輯記錄)

Is it more appropriate to use "independent thinking" than "individual thinking?" I though independent thinking is a term to better suit this situation.

You are right. I must be dazzling.