Radio, Video, Text - or all at once!
I went to see Mark Hamrick, of National Press Club and Associated Press fame, talk about journalism and it’s future last Monday at Villanova University.
It was a really unique experience- a small room filled with college students and aspiring journalists, a prominent leader in the field, and me. It was more of a discussion fueled presentation than I had anticipated, and I thought it was really beneficial. Mark talked a bit about what he does with the National Press Club and AP, how journalism has evolved into a demanding, 24/7 job, and the future of the newspaper. Newspaper subscriptions are dwindling, but news itself is still thriving, through online newspapers, and social networking sites like facebook and twitter. I was happy to share how my iPhone keeps me in the know with my New York Times app, and even the news blogs I follow on Tumblr. The discussion evolved into the importance of unbiased and objective writing, and the necessity of keeping personal opinion from the public eye. I gained a lot of inside perspective and knowledge about the effort it takes to succeed as a journalist in the current climate. Most of the research I’ve been doing about the state of the media makes me nervous- thankfully Mark had some good advice for all of us, to “never let anybody tell you it can’t be done. Just have a positive attitude.”
Thank you, Mark Hamrick. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime soon? I’m applying for the National Press Club’s scholarship for journalism diversity.
