Behind the Times — and I Don't Mean the NYTimes

Photo: Tonie AuerBy Tonie Auer
DFW Chapter President and National Blog Chairwoman

There are times when I feel technically challenged and I often fear that this lack of comprehension of technology will hurt me if I ever want to return to a newsroom full-time. I've gotten spoiled to working as a freelance writer and editor - making my own hours, writing in my pajamas and working on the laptop from Panera when I need a break from sitting next to a basket of laundry that needs to be put away and a dishwasher that needs to be unloaded in the next room.

Then, I read Folio:'s commentary on MS Word falling out favor in the publishing world. It definitely makes me worry about how competitive I'll be when I go back into the world of magazines and newspapers.

What other programs out there should I be looking for and learning about? What sorts of technology and programs do most publishing houses, magazines and even newspapers use these days?

Labels: , , , ,

Comments:
The Folio: story was interesting as far as it went. I'd love to know more about how the other programs work vs. Word -- whether you are more limited as to how much formatting you can put in as a writer (bolding subheads, etc.) or whether it translates over well into print and web code.

Having seen the code that Word generates, I'm dubious about how well any program can translate it into something usable. When (if) someone invents a truly cross-platform system for handling copy from beginning to end of the cycle, that will be a great day for those of us who have to worry about production processes!
# posted by Blogger Martha Spizziri : May 5, 2008 at 11:43 AM
 
Post a Comment



<< Home