Home Page of a Futurist and Digital Timeline

This is the site of The Digital Futurist, also known as Howard Finberg’s reflections, ramblings and remembrances. During my career in journalism, I’ve looked at the future of newspapers and online media, at the future of journalism education and at technology’s impact upon journalism. My short bio: 40+ years in media and teaching and training. My latest [last] official bio can be found elsewhere on the site. As you read this, know that I’m retired so this site is a passion project to reflect on the past and ponder the future of an industry that I loved.

Most of the site’s focus is in creating a digital timeline. This is an opportunity to review a number of files from a number of careers and jobs. It is a “bits and pieces” project includes some personal stuff [ego], a bit of history and a touch of interesting connections as we looked back at our attempts to lunge toward the future. It’s a little like creating an autobiography in digital bytes.

There are a number of interesting historical items. For example:

The other areas on the site that I’m constructing include:

In 2024, site www.newsroomhistory.com was merged into this site with the domain of newsroomhistory.digitalfuturist.com. It seemed silly to pay for two domains. 

As with all projects, it is important to thank those who make it possible. In this case, it is Casey Frechette, a former colleague, a friend and currently the chair of the journalism department at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.

Update, 2025: I’ve started to use a custom ChatGPT to help organize and write entries to the timeline. This speeds to process of posting. All AI created items are identified.