Imagine consuming your morning news by hologram.
That’s what Bob Hagh wants. He wants holograms, virtual reality and more social news.
“Five to 10 years in the future, the way we engage and interact and share the news will be totally different. I can’t wait to see where it goes. Video will be king, but will we have holograms? Holograms would be so cool,” he says.
Hagh is one of News Media Alliance’s Top 30 Under 30 winners. He is the Marketing and Multimedia Manager at The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC). The nomination was a surprise to him, not knowing until the reveal at mediaXchange 2016, when a friend texted him the news.
“[It was] one of the nicest things someone had done for me, and I was honored to be on the list,” he says.
He hopes his inclusion will serve as an example to other millennials and budding journalists. He says millennials are going to be the next wave of people to make a difference in the world.
“You can set your goals, you can make a difference…you can get a lot done at a young age,” he says. “My advice is to have fun and work hard. I think you need to have a nice combination of both. Be open to learning new technologies.”
He recommends not being afraid to fail, because it often leads to success.
“Eight out of 10 times, you’ll fail,” he says. “The ninth time you’ll have a minor success, and the tenth time you’ll hit it out of the park.”
Growing up, he wanted to be a meteorologist—or a game show host.
“I always wanted to do something in television,” he says. “I just love video, social media and technology.”
He describes his current position as a cross roads where they all meet.
“I like being involved in news and the news cycle,” he says. “I like having the flexibility of being able to learn new things, while at the same time, keeping the brand alive and well in the community.”
He is involved on the paper’s new project, College Town, a website focused on the four main universities in central North Carolina. The goal is to engage the college audience. It will include advice on topics from financials to the best place to eat. Students will have the opportunity to blog for the website.
“I think millennials, being in this age bracket, are showing we care about the news and it’s essential to our lives,” he says.
Starting in June, Hagh transferred to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as a SEO/Website Specialist for a new digital agency McClatchy will roll out.
News Media Alliance announced the winners of its first “Top 30 Under 30” Awards program at mediaXchange 2016 in April, which honors young leaders working in every aspect of the news media who are contributing to the future success of the industry. Over the next several weeks, we will feature profiles on the winners, highlighting their work and ideas, and how they’re helping the industry grow and evolve.
Contributing writer
