This proposal will provide the human and some expense resources to develop a new professional development course for mid-career journalists through the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications System as a distance learning option. The course will be offered online through the Ball State University School of Continuing Education and Public Service. The author is unaware of any other course like this in the country. As publishers increasingly expect their photographers to produce more and more work in the time freed up by digital image gathering, the picture editor's role becomes more critical to the publication process. We live in a visual age.
Pictures are the primary entry point for publications readers.
Effective image management is essential to the continued financial success in print publications. In Indiana, there are more than 250 newspapers, any of which could benefit from the skills and principles to be taught in this program. The pool of potential students in this state alone should be sufficient to support the course. The use of online technologies for distance learning eliminates the need for proximity or even the physical presence of the student. This course has appeal to publications professionals nation-wide as a vehicle by which they might advance their skill levels and career opportunities.