The media world is rapidly changing, and those not ready to adapt will be left behind, says veteran journalist Norris McDonald.

McDonald, of the Toronto Star, was at Centennial College on Oct. 30 to speak with aspiring student journalists about the career they hope to pursue.

One of the many themes that McDonald touched upon was how the media landscape is quickly changing, and that the new breed of journalists need to embrace change if they hope to survive.

"Be open to change," McDonald said. "Don't graduate from here and get a job wherever, and say 'great, this is where I’m gonna spend the next 15 or 20 years of my life,’ because it’s not gonna happen."

McDonald said new journalists should take advantage of the industry’s ever-changing nature.

He talked about how being capable of utilizing technology is an excellent asset in the new media world, a skill that many in the old generation lack.

"One of the problems we have at the Star is that we have an aging staff," McDonald said.

"We have people who have worked here for 25 or 30 years, and are not even interested in getting involved with the Internet and learning new skills."

According to McDonald, his definition of a journalist is someone "interchangeable in the media."

For Norris, the ability to quickly switch between different jobs and positions is a fundamental part of being successful in the media industry of 2008.

Ted Barris, Professor at Centennial College and former colleague of Norris McDonald, seemed to agree, when he talked about Mcdonald's ability to adapt even in the most awkward situations.

"He could simply change tracks," Barris said. "From the reporting rooms and the editorial rooms at the Whig Standard, and then in his underwear from his kitchen, he'd deliver the news that was relevant and pertinent to people"

While McDonald emphasized the importance of adjusting to change especially in media, he also noted that it's necessary to be able to do so in any industry.

"It doesn't matter whether it’s journalism or whatever else you do in your life, we're heading down a mountain and the snowball is getting bigger and bigger," McDonald said. "The whole world is changing, not just the journalism world, everything is changing."