To work in the reporting world today it is absolutely necessary that you be experienced and knowledgeable of how a converging newsroom functions.

With the advent of the Internet, and such sites as Twitter and online blogs, “there is no such thing as first anymore,” said Comcast SportsNet’s online editor Chris Clark. According to Chris, newsrooms today are completely different even from those of the early 90’s.

When Clark started in this business the “Internet literally just started.”

In those days sites were “nothing but links,” said Clark.

“Night and day difference in terms of tools available,” said Clark.

The old model of “one image, one story,” is no more, according to Clark.

A good multimedia storytelling site must be “full of different stories and different types of stories.

The tools available to a reporter for telling a story is so much broader with interactive graphics, slide shows, embedded videos, blogs, and audience commentary.

“It is hard to find companies that are digital media only,” said Clark.

Today, news organizations must have media outlets in all areas including radio, print, online and television.

“With so many outlets and ways to disseminate info” the way that news is being covered has changed drastically,” said Clark.

Comcast SportsNet developed over several years growing from the “one image, one story” model. Under its original name, Sports vision it the channel was only a closed circuit two channel program. It later became Fox Sports Chicago then the Sports Channel, then finally Comcast Sports Net, however, it has now been bought and merged with NBC and more changes may be to come in the future.

“NBC partnership has helped us to have an outlet for ‘gossip type news,” said Clark. Before, the news, including “gossip, was all in one section.”

The merge has made the network “more accessible to some degree.

People are still hesitant to come over to the online side,” said Clark, however it “depends on their grasp or fear of the internet.”

“Some people are just more apt to try things,” he added.

Comcast has managed to use its television network and online divisions in a way that maximize its ability to tell the story right.

“Rather be right than be first and be wrong,” said Clark.

With the varied tools, media, and civilian reporting that takes place it is all the more important for credible news organizations to get the facts right and to maximize their usage of the tools available to them.