Heifetz is working on Ball State's Digital News Project, the cornerstone of the university's $4 million digital journalism convergence initiative. The project, which should be operational by fall 2003, brings together the university's award-winning student print, radio, television, and online news products. The university also will produce a top-quality newscast for East Central Indiana, giving students a competitive edge in today's evolving market.

The Digital News Project at Ball State University is part of the iCommunication initiative, funded by a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.

"We're building a whole new student at Ball State," says Heifetz. The 34-year-old managing editor said the project will shape newsrooms of the future by providing the industry with cutting-edge journalists who can "tear down the invisible walls of a newsroom."

Convergence is a practice of sharing and cross-promoting content from a variety of media through newsroom collaborations and outside partnerships. Proponents call this new trend in journalism an appropriate response to consumer demand.

"The industry still wants people who excel in certain content areas. But increasingly, news organizations are looking to hire people with broader skills sets," said Jon Schwantes, corporate director of news convergence for The Dispatch Co. "The foundation is in place for building that kind of curriculum at Ball State."

Other journalism experts say that multimedia experiences can make Ball State grads stand out from the crowd and give them an edge when seeking jobs.

"It is the edge that the young journalists have over the grizzled veteran. If they don't come out of school with the experience, then they have no edge," said Al Tompkins, Group Leader of Broadcast and Online for the Poynter Institute.

Heifetz has Indiana roots and worked for TV stations in Indianapolis (WISH-TV, CBS affiliate) and Fort Wayne (WPTA-TV, ABC affiliate). At CNBC, he was in charge of all aspects of the internationally syndicated program "The Wall Street Journal Report," which was broadcast on more than 200 stations. The program is CNBC's highest-rated business program.

(Note to editors: A high-resolution digital photo of Terry Heifetz is available by email. Please contact rhigley@hirons.com.)