Discover the Importance of Storytelling in Today’s Digital World
Summary:
Digital storytelling honors the centuries-old tradition of relaying life’s experiences. High school students interested in journalism should embrace new media to get ahead. Jobs within this creative market include:
- Blogger
- Podcaster
- Mobile app creator
- Social media network manager
- Virtual and augmented reality developer
- Website creator
- Social media manager
- Public relations specialist
- Marketing executive
Even before people recorded history, our ancestors used oral storytelling to make sense of their lives and experiences. Even with today’s tech advances, people are still drawn to storytelling more than any other form of communication. But now, social media, digital technology, and other multimedia advancements mean people are telling stories in much more sophisticated ways.
Digital storytelling is a creative process that allows people to share their stories online using computer-based tools and multimedia. It is the art of storytelling with multimedia features such as photography, text, audio, voiceover, hypertext and video. Digital tools and software make it easy and convenient to create a digital story.
The topics used in digital storytelling range from personal tales and the recounting of historical events to brands using storytelling to creatively promote products.
In the field of education, teachers and their students, from early childhood classrooms through graduate school, use digital storytelling in many different content areas and across a wide range of grade levels.
In the communications field, digital storytelling falls under the new media umbrella. As defined, new media is any media (from newspaper articles and blogs to music and podcasts) delivered digitally. From a website or email to mobile phones and streaming apps, any internet-related form of communication is included in this category.
New media is in direct contrast to “old media,” which PCMag defines as all forms of communication that came before digital technology, including radio, TV and printed materials such as books and magazines. It should be noted, however, that even old media now embraces digital technology of all sorts — from digital versions of newspapers, to TV stations promoting via Instagram.
But what kind of jobs center on digital storytelling and new media? And how can intrigued high school students find communications programs for teens?
Jobs that center on digital storytelling and new media
A very competitive field, many employers are looking for candidates who have a degree in media and marketing. Just a few examples of new media jobs include:
- Blogger
- Podcaster
- Mobile app creator
- Social media network manager
- Virtual and augmented reality developer
- Website creator
- Social media manager
- Public relations specialist
- Marketing executive
With this in mind, anyone seeking a career in this exciting field should embrace weaving in courses in new media and digital storytelling to their course list.
But as a high school student, why wait until college to start experiencing digital storytelling and new media? Prelum, Powered by Kaplan can get you started with high school journalism enrichment programs from renowned universities across the nation.
Online journalism prep courses for high school students
Georgetown University’s offers two exciting communications-related courses to choose from; a journalism college prep course and one about the dynamic world of marketing:
- Journalism and Media in the Digital Age introduces you to the foundations of the ever-changing world of digital journalism. This includes how to craft a story, interview subjects, and identify pitfalls within the industry. You’ll even experience a variety of experts, such as news correspondents, prize winning journalists, reporters, and political editors from renowned news and media outlets discussing why they chose this field and how they specialized their skillset.
- In Discover the Power of Marketing, you’ll focus on both traditional methods and digital channels, and understand the vital role marketing plays in promoting and selling products or services. You’ll explore marketing basics, how to build a brand, ways marketers strategically target consumers, and catch a glimpse into the future of this innovative field.
Digital storytelling and new media are a vital part of the world of journalism. Journalism college prep courses are a highly advisable option for driven high school students.
Recommended Articles
