About

Welcome!

I am Paul-Christian Britz aka @pcbritz, an aspiring German journalist with a degree in American Studies and currently traveling around the world.

Journalism
I  completed my MA in American Studies, Political Science and Film Studies at the University of Mainz, Germany in November 2011.

My thesis (“After the Death of Journalism in the US: Reinventing Reporting on the Web”) is an analysis of the changing practices within investigative journalism in the US. I also surveyed the influence of online culture on investigative journalism produced by “mainstream media” such as the Washington Post (which appeared to adapt rather quickly in the changing landscape) and the New York Times (which didn’t fare so well in the analysis).
Contact me, if you would like to read the paper. For a German summary, click HERE.

With many journalistic experiences in print, video production and online, I am hoping to build on my previous experiences through a traineeship in spring 2013 and learn all the necessary skills for a professional journalistic career.

But for now: I am free!

What I’m up to:

I am traveling Southeast Asia, Latin America and a couple of other places to get a better idea of this world we are living in. Pictures from my travels will regularly show up on this site ( so don’t forget to subscribe) and on my blog: http://pcbritz.wordpress.com - Feel free to leave comments on the images and let me know what you liked.

This Blog:

PC’s Pixels and Posts is centered around Journalism. It originated when I was a Fulbright Exhcange Student in a class by Kathy Gill at the University of Washington in Spring 2009: “Digital Journalism“. Currently it also serves as a spot to share the adventures from my travels.

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What has heppened so far:

Journalism in Action

I do freelance work in web journalism at SWR since 2010. Since March 2011 to March 2012, I worked behind the scenes for the online presence of REPORT MAINZ, an investigative political magazine at ARD (First German television station).

I have also written print pieces for Rhein-Zeitung on media, culture, lifestyle and university issues, although I have tuned this down quite a bit since I was writing my thesis.

Social Media Projects

Also check out Campus Mainz – a project I have been working on with friends at the University of Mainz since early 2011. We are creating a web portal to channel all relevant student-related information in one place to make it easier to access all the different services like housing, job search, news, calendar and events as well as other cool features unique to the site.

The project is related to a former Wiki-Project (planning stage) as part of my position as an elected representative of student government at the University of Mainz. The idea was to grow a Wiki at the University of Mainz, Germany that will explain terms of university committee life in order to help involved and engaged students to understand and be more effective in their political volunteer work on campus, especially on basic levels.

I had first gained insight into Social Media through Kathy Gill‘s Digital Journalism class and writing chapter “News Media on Twitter” for her book Businesses L.E.A.P. into Twitter

After I was “Social Media Director” for Team Marco Polo, a cultural education TV show for kids by Seattle’s Filmateria Studios, I also did some Social Media work for Rhein-Zeitung when I returned to Germany that lead to my freelance writing.

FUTURE

I will return to Europe in January/February 2013 and will be looking for a post in a young and modern journalism environment, ideally an environment where I can apply my language, multimedia and online skills. However, if you would like to point me to an alternative, please feel free – the future is not set in stone
I am fascinated not only by still, but also moving images and I’m completely fixed on experiencing unfamiliar cultures! As a Photo- and Videojournalist I want to create stunning visual pieces that matter to the world.

With the current situation of Journalism, the decline of newspapers and traditional business models, the future is open and unpredictable. But I see it as an opportunity! This blog shall be part of my attempt to become part of the future of journalism and shape it actively – whatever it might be! Follow my Portfolio in the process.

Your Role

Thanks for dropping by and be sure to leave comments on the hits and flops of this page. I will be moderating for the purpose of filtering spam, but I don’t intend to censor here. So: spill!
If you care to find me on other places online, you can find me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and if you want all my updates, find me on FriendFeed.