Experts debate future of journalism

The Herald Sun partnered with RMIT University recently to present Pixels & Ink: A Panel Discussion on the Future of Journalism.

Held at the State Library, the event attracted about 100, including bloggers and online influencers, News Limited advertisers, media, selected partners/stakeholders and RMIT journalism and public relations students.

Renee Barnes, a lecturer in journalism at RMIT, spoke about the role of social media in generating and sharing news.

Other speakers included Campbell Reid, News Limited group editorial director, Russel Howcroft, CEO Young and Rubicam Brands, and Phil Gardner, HWT editor-in-chief.

The panel was moderated by Steve Rubel, Edelman's EVP/Global Strategy and Insights, who writes regularly on media, technology and digital culture, with 55,000 followers on twitter and 16,000 on Google+.

"Media organisations need to understand consumers of news are sophisticated followers who could also participate in creating and spreading news," Ms Barnes said.

The event was staged with the assistance of communications firm Edelman and leading internet broadcasting company Viocorp as part of the Herald Sun's strategic public relations outreach during the launch of its Digital Pass for multiplatform subscribers.

Speakers explored everything from news that finds you versus news you seek out, to what role analytics and social media play in the newsroom. Questions about the role of advertising and revenue streams on digital media were also raised.

The event was a huge success, with the #heraldsunfoj conversation reaching 217,838 people in a week through 376 tweets. The total impression count was 1,544,407.

The panel of expert speakers at the State Library.

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