Jon DeNunzio visit
Image by @superamit via Flickr
Jon DeNunzio, former high school sports editor and current user engagement editor for “The Washington Post,” visited class on March 3 to talk about how journalism has and hasn’t changed and what it takes to succeed.
Things that don’t change in journalism:
- Journalism is hard.
- Real reporters run towards the bomb. You have to go into the tough places to find the best stories.
- Journalism requires you to ask tough questions.
- You’re competing for eyeballs, especially with the way technology has advanced and how many people can write online now.
- You have to love this job, otherwise find another job. Passion makes the best journalists.
- You have to work hard: long hours, nights, weekends, low pay.
- The best time working in journalism is when it’s busy, when something big has happened.
- You have to pay attention to really small details. Getting small details wrong drops your credibility.
- You have to keep it simple; don’t write flowery. What makes a story is the reporting and the facts you give.
Things that have changed in journalism:
- Having information at your fingertips. The access to technology has allowed people to have information as soon as possible.
- The audience. The audience is more empowered, they’re writing as well.
- Readers don’t trust journalists like they used to. Trust is harder to win.
- The pace of news. News moves so fast now because of the increase in technology.
- Big-time media personalities aren’t as influential as they used to be, because of the proliferation of opinion.
Some other tips DeNunzio provided:
You need to read more about online journalism to understand what’s going on. It helps you to become more well-rounded in case you’re thrown into something you’re not used to covering.
Interviewing and good listening can’t be overrated.
