Multimedia: #BehindTheDesk


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When I was first offered the position to be incoming multimedia director this summer, it felt like a USC dream was finally coming true.

Over the past three years, I would watch my friends run off to the Daily Trojan newsroom after class to work on their respective articles and catch up with friends.

It got to the point where if you wanted to know what assignment a friend was working on, you’d ask him or her, “Is this for class or the DT?”

Nine times out of 10, the answer was DT.

That’s how dedicated my friends were to the paper as was everyone else in the organization.

I never told any of my friends this, but ever since my sophomore year at SC I wondered what it would be like to be a part of such a highly esteemed, hardworking group of student journalists.

As a broadcast and digital journalism major, I repeated to myself, “Kay, there is no place at a print publication for a broadcast major. Stay in your lane!”

Television was my lane.

After all, how could I shoot packages for class, intern off-campus, cover various red carpet events, maintain good grades and write for the DT?

Even thinking about it now makes me panic.

As a senior, I’ve learned college is about making “this or that” decisions and committing to them. Sure, you don’t have to be 100 percent certain it’s what you want to do for the rest of your life, but some decision is better than none at all.

The way I see it college is like a hurried waiter that keeps asking if you want the soup or salad.

So, when the opportunity presented itself to join the DT for the first time as a multimedia director at the start of my last year in college, I couldn’t say no.

In class, they teach us multimedia is king. I understand why it is imperative that our paper has a grasp on this changing digital media landscape. Not to mention, multimedia is kinda my thing.

For me, the new position meant more than  checking off an item on my USC bucket list. It was a chance for me use what I’d learned about tools like soundslides and story maps to help strengthen the DT’s online presence and implement it creatively — all while doing what I love to do.

Multimedia is my beat, my column.

***

In these past nine weeks, I‘ve learned a lot about myself and what it takes to lead a team.

It’s tricky trying to find a system that works well with everyone’s schedule, to have people in the newsroom and to create consistent content.

Despite these kinks in the new system, I know that I have a strong handful of editors who I can rely on to get things done. I am insanely impressed with my team of editors and the original content they’ve eagerly put together.

Here a few multimedia highlights from the semester so far:

USC Cribs: Ever wondered what a day in a dorm of a USC student’s like? In this new web series, we let viewers take a step inside some of the stylish, unique cribs on campus. Executive produced by Fernando Hurtado.

DT 4-1-1: This semester, we launched the DT’s first weekly newsletter curated and written by deputy multimedia editor and broadcast junior Eli Goodstein.

If you <3 theSkimm or live under a rock, “Eli’s DT 4-1-1,” is the new best friend you need!

College Football Pick’em: Move over ESPN! Patrick Vossler — a junior economics and finance major — uses algorithms and stats to create a table that breaks down college football predictions every week.

collegepickem

This one’s for you, fantasy football-ers!

BONUS Highlight: Our very first Periscope was of the University Village, and it was a success.

Though I am proud that I was able to spearhead lot of these firsts for the Daily Trojan, I know that there is still a lot of work left to be done to take our multimedia to the next level. In order to be successful editor or director you have to be self-motivated and creative with a drive to get better each and every day.

So, next time you’re wondering whether you should order a soup or salad, just remember: It doesn’t hurt to try both.

Kay Angrum is a senior majoring in broadcast and digital journalism. She is also multimedia editor of the Daily Trojan.