Teaching journalism students how to design and maintain HTML structures helps “reinforce many important journalism principles"[1] , such as the importance of precise writing. A journalist’s credibility is measured according to how accuracy they relay information.
Getting to grips with the technical jargon of HTML equips journalists with the ability to tackle and decipher technical documents, such as government statistics or budgets. HTML students learn how “to see content divorced from its presentation”.[2] Pretty colours and fonts do not easily fool them. As a result, corrupt governments and corporations are unable to hide behind (otherwise) intimidating technical jargon and documentation.
The ability to see content removed from its presentation trains the journalist’s (eye) and mind on how to critically and objectively report news. Therefore, an HTML journalism student does not merely identify irregularities in technical document structures; they can also conduct critical analysis of the content itself.
HTML also nurtures the journalist’s natural curiosity of how and why the world functions the way it does. Without this curiosity, the journalist is without his or her spark.
And finally, knowing how to code HTML style sheets puts a student journalist in a favourable position for when they do enter the journalism field; it is “a key concept for anyone who wants to take advantage of the ability to republish content across multiple media”.[3]
However, Travis Smith (a journalism and HTML educator) does not seem to fully agree with this:
“While knowing HTML code is useful today, we're not that far from an era where it won't be.
How many paginators can read and write postscript, or untangle a PDF document using BBEdit? Virtually none. Software provides an abstratction (sic) layer and allows them to spend their time on the presentation, not nitpicking the code.
From my perspective, and speaking on behalf of my students as well, that day can't arrive soon enough.” (2005)[3]
Considering that our continent is bandwidth[4] poor, we cannot afford to be thinking in this manner.
“Effective bandwidth management can only happen by applying a combination of technical computer skills, effective network monitoring, and a sensible policy that is understood by all users.”[5]
If we are to operate as responsible journalists, then we are to embrace the technicality of information communication technologies. This is one of the objectives the Highway Africa News Agency has been attempting to fulfil.
References:
[1] http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[1] http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[1] http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth
[1]http://wiki.bwmo.net/moin/English/Chapter1
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Well, it may simply be that the day of not needing to know HTML *hasn't* arrived yet. But I still hope that it will be that way for journalists, the same way that motorists today don't need to know how to replace their own brakes and clutch -- they can focus on driving well.
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