I’ve for many years now wanted to take a sabbatical after 11 years of consulting full-time about new media to news organizations. My wish has come true, at least part-time.
Starting on Monday, I’ll be in residence for the academic year as Adjunct Professor of Visual and Interactive Communications and Senior Consultant on Executive Education for New Media at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
On Wednesday, United States Chief Justice John Roberts will dedicate the Newhouse School’s new $32 million, 74,000-square-foot (6,874-square-meter) Newhouse III building, a facility which will be largely devoted to new media. My work at the Newhouse School will be to help its curriculum adjust to new-media; to create a guest speakers series year-long about new media; and to organize an executive education program in new media. Next Spring, I’ll also to teach courses there.
This opportunity to help a major school of journalism adapt to new media and best utilize its massive new facility for that purpose was too good for me to pass up.
(Forgive me but I’m also somewhat, perhaps perversely, proud about this appointment because I’m a high school graduate, without a college degree who has worked his way up the hard way. When in 1977 I started working in journalism, I was the high school kid amid few journeyman who hadn’t college degrees and many graduates who had. Today, I’m perhaps the last of the journeyman. My appointment is a salute to those old guys who trained me. Although I recommend to anyone completing college, I’m reluctantly glad to have nonetheless achieved a professorship despite lacking a degree myself. If I’ve achieved a professorship solely upon my lifetime’s experience, it is due to all the people I’ve worked with during my time. I wholeheartedly thank them.)
My arrangement with Syracuse University allows me to continue as managing partner of Digital Deliverance, although that will be the minority of my time. I’ve spent most of July and August finishing my consulting work for most of my clients (that’s really the reason why I haven’t often posted here or on Corante’s Rebuilding Media or have finished a treatise I’m writing.) While at Newhouse, I’ll continue to consult with my favorite clients and can accept a few new ones, although the majority of my work during these next 12 months will be for the university and the general good of new media journalism.—Vin Crosbie