Journalism Today

Chapter 20: The Impact of Technology

Overview

Computers and Internet technology have revolutionized—and will continue to revolutionize—the publishing industry. Technology has made simultaneous reporting of the news a reality.

Hardware is the machinery used in a computer system, or its basic components. A computer's components include the central processing unit (CPU), the hard drive, accessory disc drives for CDs and floppy discs, a keyboard, a mouse, and a monitor. These parts work together to allow you to create, store, and retrieve large amounts of data. Networks (electronic connection of multiple computers) and modems (devices that allow information to travel across telephone lines) allow you to easily share this data.

Printers are also considered computer hardware, and various types are available, including ink-jet and laser printers. Whereas ink-jet printers are a common part of home computing systems, most schools or businesses employ laser printers. The resolution of a laser printer is measured in dots per inch (dpi). A standard low-end laser printer has a resolution of 600 dpi. Many school publications that want high-resolution printing (2540 dpi or beyond) go to an outside printer or a commercial service bureau.

Scanners allow you to download a digitized image into a computer program. To figure out what resolution you need to scan an image in pixels per inch (ppi), find out from your printer what line screen in lines per inch (lpi) the image will be printed at and then double it. Also, if you plan to enlarge an image, scan it at a higher resolution; if you plan on reducing the size of an image, scan it at a lower-resolution. Remember that lower-resolution images are smaller files and should be used for Web site publications as they are easier to download. Digital cameras transmit their images onto a disk to be printed directly from a computer or to be delivered electronically. Yearbook or magazine photos should be printed at greater than 85 lpi.

Although learning about hardware is important, you need to know about software, as well, which allows you to create documents. Every computer requires basic operating system software that gives the computer its fundamental instructions, such as how to access other programs, how to save files, and how to communicate with other hardware like monitors, scanners, or printers. Word-processing software gives you the capability to write, edit, and fit copy right on the screen. Pagination software, illustration software, and image-editing software allow you to design and layout pages, create illustrations, and adjust photos.

Since its beginnings as a system used mainly by scientists, the Internet has grown into a huge communication system. Journalists, both scholastic and professional, use the Web to gather and to disseminate information. Web-publishing programs help you format documents for the Web, eliminating the need to create web documents using HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and allowing you to easily upload your pages onto the Internet.