Rosental Calmon Alves champions digital journalism at 80th SIP Assembly

Rosental Calmon Alves, a prominent figure in global journalism, recently attended the 80th Assembly of the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) in Córdoba, drawing attention to his influential career and the evolving landscape of journalism. Alves, now aged 72, continues to impact the field from Austin, Texas, where he established and leads the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. This institution has become a pivotal training hub for journalists worldwide, focusing particularly on Latin American organisations.

Alves’s journey into journalism began in his teenage years in Brazil. At the age of 16, he served as the editor of his school’s newspaper, which was published by the local newspaper “Correio da Manhã.” His curiosity led him to compare editorial styles from various newspapers, sparking a lifelong passion for journalism. Despite initial resistance due to his age, Alves was accepted into a journalism night course and soon began interning at a newspaper due to family connections.

By 21, Alves was teaching journalism in Brazil, pioneering radio journalism courses due to the scarcity of instructors at the time. His career advanced rapidly as he became a foreign correspondent for Brazil’s “Jornal do Brasil,” covering major stories in Spain, Buenos Aires, Mexico, and Central America. A Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University in the late 1980s broadened his outlook, especially regarding the coming digital revolution in journalism.

In 1991, Alves launched a pre-web digital news service in Brazil, paving the way for his future endeavours in digital journalism. By 1994, Alves moved to Austin, Texas, after responding to a job advertisement in The Economist. There, he took up a professorship and directed his focus toward online journalism, significantly influencing how journalism is taught in the digital age. His work at the University of Texas includes pioneering courses on online journalism, media innovation, and entrepreneurial journalism.

The creation of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas in 2002 marked a significant expansion in Alves’s efforts to elevate journalism standards and unity across Latin America. The Knight Foundation funded these initiatives, which led to the development of journalist organisations in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, and Colombia. Alves also established prominent conferences like the International Symposium on Online Journalism and the Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism.

Alves has been at the forefront of adapting journalism curricula to meet the demands of new media. He has integrated topics such as app development for smartphones and media innovation into his teachings, reflecting the shift towards digital journalism. His foresight into the digital age has equipped many journalists with the tools needed in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Amidst new challenges posed by advancements such as artificial intelligence, Alves continues to advocate for journalism’s evolution. He stresses the importance of understanding media consumption habits, adapting content to new formats like vertical videos, and strengthening journalism’s role as a trustworthy information source.

The discussions at the SIP Assembly addressed similar themes, with Alves noting that understanding the impact of emerging technologies on journalism is crucial. He emphasized the need for the industry to adapt to changing audience behaviours while maintaining ethical standards and veracity in reporting.

Despite transitions within the field, Alves remains optimistic about journalism’s enduring role. He underscores the importance of journalistic education in fostering skills that are transferable across numerous fields, reinforcing journalism’s educational value even as the industry itself undergoes transformation.

In summary, Rosental Calmon Alves has been a transformative figure in journalism, advocating for the adaptation and modernisation of the field to embrace digital innovations while upholding its core values. His contributions have not only shaped journalism education but have also fostered international solidarity among media professionals.

Source: Noah Wire Services