Change is scary because it is new and unknown. That said, I still think it is in the best interest of the J-school to converge the three media outlets into one website. But I do not think it will be the eHub as it exists today. The reason, because this school prides itself on innovation, a converged website with a built-in communication network would be innovative. What better way to showcase the talent of the up-and-coming journalists than to show that they are not afraid of moving with the industry?
I hate to be so blunt -- no wait, I don't. This is how the industry is evolving.
Newspapers and television station owners want to own each other. It is a logical business move. By gaining control both the newspaper and television news outlets you gain control of the business. The resulting convergence can and will be showcased on the web. As students, we should be preparing ourselves for this. We go to school to prepare ourselves for the "real world." Shouldn't journalism schools all over the nation be predicting the future of the industry and preparing the student journalists for the future? Is that not why we are here?
Now, back to the J-school. In time the students will realize that a converged website is needed. The question is whether we are ahead of the game or behind it.
When the website is converged, what will happen to the eHub website? I think it will still exist much like it does today. It will be needed for internal use, a communication between editors, television and web producers.
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