New digital book on journalism’s future is call for change and teaching tool

Eric Newton, the former the managing editor of the Oakland Tribune, is sharing his perspective -- his field notes -- with a new digital book on the major challenges facing journalism and its future.

“Searchlights and Sunglasses” is a digital expedition that draws on everything from Ancient Greece to science fiction writers to place the industry’s evolution in perspective. It also pushes journalists and educators to better blend traditional journalistic values with digital age platforms. It urges them to go beyond comfort news, to take advantage of new tools to both inform and engage the public, and to make sure today’s journalism students are ready for tomorrow’s digital jobs. That last point is perhaps the most important part: “Searchlights and Sunglasses: Field Notes From the Digital Age of Journalism” is not just a call for change but an example of that change. More than 1,000 lesson plans, resources and tools for educators are embedded in the HTML5 site. Newton developed this “learning layer” in partnership with the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, where he is a fellow.