03/18/11

Story by Peggy Graham

Backpack Journalism

Local reporters discuss ‘backpack journalism’ at JCCC

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Jana Corrie, co-anchor, FirstNews Weekend, and reporter, FirstNews, KMBC-TV Channel 9, and Dave Helling, multimedia reporter for the Kansas City Star, will discuss “backpack journalism” from 9:30-11 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, in the Hudson Auditorium of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College. The presentation is free and open to the public. A reception precedes the event from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Atrium.

Backpack journalism refers to the new trend where one journalist covers a news story — conducts the interview, shoots and edits the video, voices the news story and produces the promotional piece. The reporter goes on assignment with a backpack containing a camera, microphone and computer with editing software.

After the story is complete, the reporter may be required to post it for a variety of media  — television, print or the Web.

“At JCCC, the journalism and media communications department is seeing the need to start training our students to do the same,” said Mark Raduziner, professor and chair, journalism and media communications department.

To that end, Helling and Corrie are working with JCCC advanced broadcasting students teaching them backpack journalism techniques and critiquing their work.

At the Star, Helling provides videos for the Web, in addition to regular contributions to the print edition. He was previously a reporter for KCTV-5 and WDAF-TV, as well as stations in Wichita and Nebraska. His awards include Freedom of the Press Award, ACLU; three Emmy nominations; and silver medalist, New York Film Festival.

Corrie worked previously as an anchor and reporter in Tucson, Ariz., and Topeka. She started her career as the morning anchor and reporter at KOMU in Columbia, Mo. Her most memorable interview is with the Dalai Lama. Corrie has been honored by the Missouri Broadcasters Association for in-depth reporting, the Kansas Association of Broadcasters for feature reporting and the Arizona Associated Press for her coverage of breaking news. Corrie attended JCCC, where she took broadcast journalism classes and played volleyball for two seasons, before going on to complete her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

For more information about the backpack journalism program, contact Molly Baumgardner, adjunct associate professor, media communications, at molly@jccc.edu or 913-469-8500, ext. 4949.

###