Is a good journalistic web developer worth two, four, six, or even eight reporters?
This was the topic of an interesting conversation last night during Wednesday’s Open Hamilton night at think|haus.
At a table of news consumers who get their information delivered using new media, the value of a strong web package is greater than a strong print package. As noted in the discussion, newspapers use layout editors and design artists to produce visually meaningful print editions. Very few newspapers do the same for their websites.
The web is a defies the old methods of splitting news mediums into audio, video, and print. It is any combination of the three. Radio and television news production is a team effort. All news production should be a team effort as well. It’s not enough to send a reporter to City Hall, a web producer should go as well.
In terms of an equation x-developers = y-reporters; I’m going to settle on 1-good developer = 2-reporters.