Lecture 3: Is Journalism a game?

Living in such a technological world, many could question what lies ahead for the future of print journalism. In Lecture 3 of the JOUR1111 course, Skye Doherty talked about the role which ‘text’ and word plays in, not only print, but other forms of journalism.  

Throughout the lecture we were shown the varied layout displays for each type of journalism. While this was quite interesting, it also gave me an understanding of how, while all journalism may seem the same or be telling the same story, each is unique.  Skye also explained the concept of the ‘inverted pyramid’ and this showed that, no matter what form or style of writing we will do, this universal writing technique will be useful. I found that this concept is one of simple logic and common sense; but I had never really thought much into it before having the inverted triangle explained to me.

For me, the end of the lecture was most exciting as Skye showed us a new form of journalism which aims to engage and educate audiences about significant issues through the use of gaming. As a uni student, it is difficult to find the time to discover more about these games but I think it is an effective and innovative way of gaining interest from youths about international issues. Skye demonstrated the particular game called ‘Cutthroat Capitalism’ based around the efforts of the Somali pirates. While youth today are accused of spending too much time playing computer games, these games could lead to even more computer gaming concerns. But, for some, these games could be the only way in which they choose to hear about the news. Either way, this new take on journalism, labelled ‘News Gaming’, could revolutionize the future of the field to a large extent.