Knoxnews.com’s Web producer said journalists need to be ready for the changes happening in the journalism industry. 

“There will always be a need for journalists and the work we do, but the processes we use and medium to distribute the information will change. We also need to figure out soon how to monetize our industry as it shifts to online,” Lauren Spuhler said. 

Spuhler was hired as an employee of knoxnews.com in 2004. She handles the editorial content on the site that covers breaking news stories, videos, photos, and issues with the content management system.

Previously most journalists relied on print, in contrast to today’s shift to the Web. Spuhler thinks because of this shift, social networking sites are extremely important.

“Knoxnews.com has more than 20 bloggers, pages on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace, all managed by the online staff,” Spuhler said.

She also said it is very important for journalism students to learn how to manage and keep up with their own sites.

“Free blogging software makes it easy for anyone to blog, and students should know how to set one up and run it," she said. "But if blogging isn’t for you, and I know it’s not for everyone, students should buy their domain name and keep an updated resume online.”

With the economy down and the job market being so poor, Spuhler said many employers are looking to hire fast.

“If you have everything updated online, you can shoot a link over to an employer and get in the running much quicker.”

The best advice Spuhler can give to graduating students seeking a job in the journalism industry is to set up a Web site and begin publishing and blog or collect links to stories/videos you’ve had published elsewhere.

“The point is to get active and show employers you can run your own site, then once you land a job, don’t stop learning and keep an open mind. With technology changing fast, the ones resistant to change will be left behind.”