Industrial grade

Although technology is changing rapidly, many traditional media practices still apply to new media platforms such as podcasts on mobile computing devices, webcasts and blogs on the Internet and interactive television.

News organizations using new media are challenged to stay grounded in credible journalism technique.

“With the new technology, there’s a danger of losing the essence of broadcasting,” says Mariana Oyanguren of Lotus Communications Corp., which owns one of Houston’s Spanish-language television stations, KHLM-TV Informa 43. “We don’t want to lose sight of ethics. You’ve still got to have great contacts, you’ve got to check your sources, you’ve got to know what the law is and you’ve got to apply those skills. I think that’s what great journalism is.”

Fields as varied as advertising and video game design also are making use of new media. Professionals in those fields are challenged to find creative approaches that maximize the benefits of each platform. Communication theory that is geared to digital media can guide creative professionals.

“It’s difficult now for designers to say they’re a ‘print’ designer or a ‘Web’ designer or an ‘information’ designer, as we frequently have to be all,” says Robin Tooms, design director for Savage Design Group in Houston. “Many traditional design education programs are still rooted in teaching students how to think about design and create tangible materials, but design thinking for the intangible digital realm requires knowledge of different rules and best practices.”

One thing new media has not changed is the importance of the bottom line. In every field, financial success is a consideration if not the ultimate goal. Business courses included in the digital media studies program address this reality.

“I think any program that combines applied marketing skills is moving in the correct direction,” says Monique Kursar, publisher and editor at large of “Houston002” magazine.

By teaching state-of-the-art technology alongside strong communication theory, ethics and business practices, the professors behind the digital media studies program have developed a formula to position graduates of the program for success in the evolving digital marketplace.