inaugration

I hope to never be this cold again.

“Wait, what are you studying?”

I get asked this question almost every time I tell people I’m getting a master’s degree in Digital Media.  I then usually joke by way of explanation that it’s really a master’s in Facebook or Twitter.

I chose this program because I was getting fed up with my options for growth in my old job as a researcher and reporter for a Japanese newspaper in Washington DC.  The work was very engaging on some levels; I was essentially getting paid to read the newspaper every day.  I covered a lot of challenging and exciting stories and (although it sounds corny) was a witness to some big moments in history.   However, there was no way to move up in the company.  To stay in media it was clear to me that I needed to develop my skill set beyond what I had learned at the newspaper.

I’m not planning to reinvent the wheel – I don’t think there’s some magic code that will save the industry if only I can crack it.  I’m a little more pragmatic; I’d like to work for an existing media organization and manage their online content.  Possible job titles include online editor, content manager, or interactive producer.  I think in the future, jobs in news will shift toward aggregate content and its management.

I chose the MCDM specifically (as opposed to other programs that were a little more technically-focused) because I wanted a broader understanding of the business and cultural meaning behind these emerging technologies.   Just learning the straight technology would only make my degree relevant for a few years.

Finally, I have a BA in Art History.  I’ve yet to use the degree specifically, but I wouldn’t be at all opposed to working in some sort of digital educational outreach role for a museum.   And, even if I don’t end up working for a museum, I’d like to think my degree has given me a set of visual tools that will help me to communicate in this new digital landscape.



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