Long live long-form journalism

By Dalton Barker

As newspapers have struggled, long-form journalism
has found a home online.

Job cuts that have swept the journalism industry have led to thinner newspapers and tightly stretched staffs with more responsibilities and less time to do them. It was only inevitable, then, that many papers would pare production of in-depth stories and instead require that reporters submit two, maybe three stories per day.

However, the Web is now driving a long-form journalism comeback, according to Forbes writer Lewis DVorkin. Tablets, smartphones and the ability to share via social media what you're reading are a few factors driving the upswing, according to the article. It mentions how the first two have given publishers and online-only publications more incentive to produce in-depth pieces because more people are itching for online content.

Magazines finding ways to expand

By Dalton Barker

Don't call for the death of print just yet. Magazine launches in 2011 outnumbered closures for the second year in a row, according to an Economist article.

The trend could be a reaction to the vast number of blogs and message boards. Those do a good job of catering to niche audiences, but some people still look to professional media when they need tips for gardening or low-carb cooking.

Helping magazines thrive are tablets. The iPad, among others, has allowed for the creation of interactive content that's available anywhere there's an Internet connection. Tablets' 3-D graphics engines and other display technologies give magazine designers new avenues for styling snazzy pages. That can help their products stand out from other media. 

Tablet magazines are likely making sales folks happy, too.

"There are signs that advertisers are accepting higher rates on tablets than on the web, because magazines on tablets are more like magazines in print: engrossing, well-designed experiences instead of forests of text and links," according to the Economist article.

Meet the new ONA Mizzou student leaders

President: Erin Dismeier 

Hello everyone! I'm thrilled to be the new ONA Mizzou president.  I'm a junior from Chicago in the convergence journalism sequence. I also have minors in film studies and business.  I've chosen to focus on radio reporting and newsroom management in the coming year.

This summer, I will be interning in the news department at WGN Radio in Chicago, as well as writing for Foodmafia.  Along with these two journalistic pastimes, I will be working as a quality reviewer for Millennium Information Services in Itasca, Ill., and waitressing in Lake Geneva, Wis.

Fun facts for your reading pleasure: I love boating, country music, "Boondock Saints" and the Chicago Cubs.

Follow Erin Dismeier on Twitter