The Professional and 'Digital Journalist'

The Digital Journalist straightforwardly bills itself as “the monthly online magazine for digital journalism,” and its accomplished staff consistently offers smart, thorough coverage of the news, technology, and people influencing the field around the world.

The publication came to my attention through its companion Vimeo account, which features incredible videos from the journalists covered in the magazine each month. Award-winning Getty photographer John Moore is featured in the July issue, and his piece Zimbabwe – Photographer’s Journal is a prime example of the quality content the magazine produces:

The Digital Journalist’s focus on distinguished, singular voices and their painstaking reports makes for a coherent collection that seems to stay fresher than other news video, perhaps because artful storytelling is always compelling. By featuring professional journalism with a personal feel, the series bridges the gap online between successful, desk-bound news shows and the direct but often shaky work of citizen journalists

Though prevalent and successful in the text-based blogosphere, low production values, unpolished reporters, and lack of resources make it more difficult to translate that amateur newshound phenomenon to web video (though everyone from CNN to YouTube to the hobbled project, Global Report from Instablogs is giving it a shot).

While it isn’t entirely fair to compare the vast amount of work from amateur reporters to a small selection from seasoned photojournalists, it’s worth considering the best format and frequency for video reporting on the web. Note that Moore also weaves together live footage and photographs quite well, as in Afghanistan ‘Frontline Helmland’ below:

There’s no denying that all kinds of video reporting online will endure, but a fledging YouTube reporter hoping to tell a great story would do well to take cues from the craftsmen in the Digital Journalist archive. Be sure to check back each month for more great work.