Farther Apart, Closer Together: How Use of New Tech During COVID-19 May Forever Alter Journalism

Talk by Johnny Bliss from FM4 Radio in Vienna.

Chaired by Dr. Jesse Owen Hearns-Branaman, Assistant Professor of International Journalism at Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College

Panelists include: Dr. Edgar Yuan, Associate Professor of International Journalism at Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College and Sui Pingping, reporter from China Times and UIC alumni.

Abstract: One of the great thrills of journalism is being able to travel to interesting places, talk to people making an impact in the world, and then compose a moving article or radio piece about your experiences. This kind of job becomes impossible during a global pandemic wherein travel is restricted. Yet this situation has had the unintended consequence of opening new doors for journalists, promoting virtual reporting, the conducting of interviews via various internet technologies, and often expanding, not contracting, journalists' access to sources. Johnny Bliss, a Vienna-based travel reporter for Austria's alternative radio station FM4, was faced with a situation where he could no longer travel, yet he has found that using new media has allowed him to report more in-depth with a wider range of sources around the world than he previously had access to. He will share his experiences and his predictions for how that will change journalism in a post-pandemic world.