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TIJUANA -- In response to the increasing demand for on-line news, the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana organized a two-day workshop on new techniques for using digital platforms to cover news stories.

During the opening session of the Aug. 18-19, 2011, workshop, U.S. Consul General Steven Kashkett recognized the need for digital tools in reporting breaking news stories. He noted that the media has an added responsibility in this era of smart phones and high-speed Internet service to offer immediate coverage of events that are of great public concern.

Some 32 journalists from the Mexican border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali attended the professional workshop, titled, "Journalism in the 21st Century."  The reporters, who work for print, radio, TV and on-line media outlets, discussed the challenges they face in a rapidly changing media environment. They also shared their own experiences and advice about new methods of news delivery.

S. Lynne Walker, vice president of the Institute of the Americas and Director of Journalism Programs, served as the instructor of the workshop.

In a session titled, "Using Social Media and Digital Journalism to Establish a New Relationship with Your Audience," Walker discussed methods of researching and covering stories via social media such as Facebook and Twitter as well as reviewing new, low-cost Internet tools that journalists can use to tell their stories on media web sites.

A second session offered by Walker and titled, "Ethics, freedom of expression and the growth of web-based media throughout the world," focused on the need for a new code of professional ethics in the era of digital reporting.

The journalists also heard a presentation by Andrew Donohue, executive editor of the San Diego-based on-line web site VoiceofSanDiego.com which was titled, "New Techniques for Digital Investigative Journalism."

Donohue, who served as a 2010 Pulitzer Prize judge, showed reporters ways in which they can offer their audiences award-winning investigative journalism for on-line news sites, even in cases where their media organizations have limited resources.