The Director of the Journalism School at the University of Texas at Austin, Tracy Dahlby, spoke to an auditorium of International Symposium on Online Journalism attendees this morning about the changing tides of the media. Dahlby first thanked Rosental Alves, the coordinator of the Online Symposium, for his work and determination for making this year’s symposium a success.

Dahlby joked that when he returned to his office one day, on his desk was a message from an Australian radio station desperately wanting to set up an interview with Alves. “Did that happen,” he asked Alves.

To which Alves replied, “Yes. It is now a Podcast.”

Dahlby went on to say that this year’s symposium falls at a good time in the year, when the “economy is in a free fall and a toboggan slide.”

He also spoke of the digital revolution and its ability to “fill the gap.” He cited the Nieman Reports, in particular an article by Maggie Jackson, who wrote about the radical changing of news gathering.

Dahlby was especially thankful to the guests and the people interested in the Online Symposium.

He also introduced the Keynote Speaker of the event, Paul Steiger, current Editor-in-Chief of Propublica.org.

“Paul Steiger is one of the best people in the business to work for,” Dahlby said. ”If there is a solution to journalism’s problems it is to me no more reassuring then Paul’s way of getting the word out.”

ISOJ 2009: Opening Session, from Knight Center on Vimeo.