Comments on: Beware the digital native. http://www.andydickinson.net/2008/05/15/beware-the-digital-native/ online journalism, newspaper video and digital media Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:59:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Innovation in College Media » Blog Archive » Old is a state of mind http://www.andydickinson.net/2008/05/15/beware-the-digital-native/#comment-3880 Innovation in College Media » Blog Archive » Old is a state of mind Fri, 16 May 2008 14:55:41 +0000 http://www.andydickinson.net/?p=759#comment-3880 [...] objects in part to Thornton’s original thesis: But I don’t want a tribe of digital natives springing up [...] [...] objects in part to Thornton’s original thesis: But I don’t want a tribe of digital natives springing up [...]

]]> By: Brad King http://www.andydickinson.net/2008/05/15/beware-the-digital-native/#comment-3875 Brad King Thu, 15 May 2008 21:41:24 +0000 http://www.andydickinson.net/?p=759#comment-3875 Andy: As someone who grew up with technology, worked as a journalist for 14 years and now is a professor - I understand your reluctance to discuss digital natives, but there is actually a fair amount of research on the subject. I think what you guys are talking about is something different than Digital Natives, but rather people who understand how technology, people and media work together. My argument to that would be that there are very few people who understand the history of the technology and development (ie, what it can do). Certainly younger folks do not in general (as I can attest because I teach them) just as older folks do not in general. But here's where they meet: younger folks tend to have a more inherent understanding of how the modern systems work, just as older folks tend to have a understanding of how traditional systems work. The issue is the crossing point. But the deeper issue is that neither really understands the history and structure of the other. If they did, there wouldn't be a fight (in the newsroom culture, not in the blogs :) My 2 cents. Andy:

As someone who grew up with technology, worked as a journalist for 14 years and now is a professor - I understand your reluctance to discuss digital natives, but there is actually a fair amount of research on the subject.

I think what you guys are talking about is something different than Digital Natives, but rather people who understand how technology, people and media work together.

My argument to that would be that there are very few people who understand the history of the technology and development (ie, what it can do). Certainly younger folks do not in general (as I can attest because I teach them) just as older folks do not in general.

But here’s where they meet: younger folks tend to have a more inherent understanding of how the modern systems work, just as older folks tend to have a understanding of how traditional systems work.

The issue is the crossing point. But the deeper issue is that neither really understands the history and structure of the other.

If they did, there wouldn’t be a fight (in the newsroom culture, not in the blogs :)

My 2 cents.

]]> By: The Journalism Iconoclast » Enthusiastic adopter? Digital native? Doesn’t matter. We need them. http://www.andydickinson.net/2008/05/15/beware-the-digital-native/#comment-3874 The Journalism Iconoclast » Enthusiastic adopter? Digital native? Doesn’t matter. We need them. Thu, 15 May 2008 20:45:24 +0000 http://www.andydickinson.net/?p=759#comment-3874 [...] Andy Dickinson doesn’t like the term, but he believes we need more people with diverse skill sets and backgrounds at newspapers: So what we need to talk about here are not digital natives but people who have gone native (or better still the enthisiastic adoptor that Sarah Hartley talks about.) Picking up on Pat’s theme, I want to see enthusiastic adoptors of any age get a chance to change the way things are done and make newsrooms look more like the community they serve. It is essential that we get more of that diversity that is so vital both commercially and socially. [...] [...] Andy Dickinson doesn’t like the term, but he believes we need more people with diverse skill sets and backgrounds at newspapers: So what we need to talk about here are not digital natives but people who have gone native (or better still the enthisiastic adoptor that Sarah Hartley talks about.) Picking up on Pat’s theme, I want to see enthusiastic adoptors of any age get a chance to change the way things are done and make newsrooms look more like the community they serve. It is essential that we get more of that diversity that is so vital both commercially and socially. [...]

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