Ben Burns has seen a lot of changes in his 30 years in the newspaper industry. This Wayne State University professor, director of journalism and Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame inductee says technology is rapidly changing journalism like never before.

"It's very exciting in terms of where technology is going," says Burns, a former executive editor of The Detroit News. "The days of reporters specializing in TV or print will go away. Future reporters need to be well-versed in all areas - TV, print, radio and online media."

Over the summer, Burns will conduct a study at the Tampa Tribune, a cutting-edge paper combining print, radio, TV and online news. At the Tribune, print reporters work on TV and TV reporters write for print. Burns is particularly interested in the impact this type of situation has on the staff and whether it should affect how journalism students are trained and educated.

"I'll be looking at issues like, does this give the staff more stress? Do they flourish or resent those systems?" he says. Since TV and radio piggy back off the research and copy that print journalists provide and with the short shelf life of print, he says smart media organizations are looking at owning all three.

The print industry is pushing as rapidly as it can to go online. The challenge facing newspapers is how to convert what people are getting for free on the Internet to a fee-based service.

But don't ring the death knell for print anytime soon. "People like to read stories; they like to hear stories," he says.

The convergence of print, online, TV and radio provides a real challenge to educators faced with preparing tomorrow's journalists. "The challenge is to teach critical thinking and analytical reasoning," Burns says. "In addition to journalism students being able to write clearly, they need to be able to bring together disparate information and reach reasonable conclusions."

Burns will use the information from his study at the Tampa Tribune to fine-tune the Journalism program at Wayne State. He says WSU journalism faculty members consist of experienced journalists that currently work or freelance in addition to teaching.

Burns says the need for good editors has never been stronger.

"The Internet is a Niagara Falls of information available to consumers and they're standing there with a drinking cup," he says. "Someone needs to channel the flow."

The Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts is educating the next generation of visual artists, musicians, communication professionals and professional actors and dancers. The college offers 16undergraduate and 12 graduate programs in Art and Art History, Communication, Dance, Music and Theatre with students benefiting from expert faculty and excellent resources such as the nationally recognized Hilberry Theatre.

Fast Facts

Residence: Grosse Pointe City, Michigan

• Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
• Education: Bachelor's in Journalism, Michigan State University Master's in History, Michigan State University
• Years teaching at WSU: 11
• Career Highlights: Executive Editor, The Detroit News Night City Editor, Miami Herald Publisher and Editor, The Macomb Daily and the Daily Tribune of Royal Oak Founder of the Journalism Institute for Minorities at Wayne State
• Honors/awards: Inducted into the Michigan Journalists Hall of Fame Pulitzer Prize juror , First recipient of the Ben Burns Award Celebrating Diversity in Media
• Interests/Hobbies: Fishing