Visual Literacy, Journalism and the Digital Age

In the Digital Age visual literacy is becoming integral to journalism education. As the production and reception of the screen shifts from an analogue world to a digital constellation, the significance of visual literacy begs to be addressed. While recognizing that traditionally, areas such as television journalism have always worked in tandem with camera operators and vision editors to re-present people and circumstances; the Digital Age ought to be understood within the context of shifting workplace expectations. Ours is a screen-induced society, around 99% of Australian babies are born into a world where, from sunrise through the days of our lives they increasingly observe their friends and neighbours both home and away via TV, PC, MP3 and mobile phone. In this multi-screen entertainment infused environment, production departments have shrunk. Consequently, the digital journalist is increasingly called upon to communicate as both wordsmith and image-maker. As the moving image increasingly underscores the viewer's screen-based experience from cradle to grave, journalism education would do well to acknowledge how screenbased media attracts, maintains and informs the audience at a time when individual journalists have less access to production personnel