Vlad Jecan

A post by Elizabeth Redman got my attention. She asks: “Will coding become the next indispensable skill [for journalists]?” Or should journalists write not only articles but software as well?

Indeed, it has become imperative for journalists to be comfortable with social networking platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and other. However, coding is not compulsory for using social networking and perhaps journalists can survive without knowing PHP. The part with “finding out information and building a platform to express it in new ways” does not require coding abilities. If it’s about the content, then a writer can set up a free blog on platforms like Blogger and Wordpress.com and publish materials in no time.

This would bring unimaginable changes to the notion of journalist – the word journalist would become a synonym with blogger, thus narrowing the field of professionalism and, most probably, of ethics as well. In consequence we would have a conglomeration of blogs or one man publications that report on various issues. Most writers prefer to work for an established media outlet which can offer a stable income and not venture themselves in possibly disastrous projects. If the online publication is there, that means that somebody else already took care of the coding of the website. Thus, a person would be hired for his or her writing capabilities rather than coding.

However, if a journalist wants to create a publication then coding is essential. With a mind on the financial aspect, hiring a web designer to make the website is, in most cases, expensive. Nevertheless, blogging platforms like Wordpress or Joomla offer the possibility of creating/editing the website’s interface. Most Wordpress themes or Joomla templates are available for free, but almost never do they satisfy the user’s needs. These are pre-made layouts designed for the general and not the specific. However, in this case, the journalist can save a lot of money if he or she has php coding skills.

To learn how to create a Wordpress theme is relatively easy and does not take much time. The journalist can acquire just general knowledge of the code used for the themes and edit the interface partially or completely. I did exactly this for my blog. I modified the header, inserted the above quote image, added image caption, and edited the typography and so on. I could use a blank Wordpress theme and then make all changes I need. However, my skills in this matter are limited and if I would have a more complex web design project, I’d simply hire a designer (hey, they have to make a living too).

To start a new publication does not require only coding skills, but a series of other skills as well. Design, for logo and website, typography, marketing, SEO and the list goes on. My opinion is that journalists should definitely try to keep up with software related to their trade, but they are writers first.