Teaching the next generation of story tellers

Those who can't do teach

The classic expression was long over due for an edit when the opportunity to start teaching at Long Island University (LIU) came to me in 2024. It was a good time to start this chapter of my work experience at LIU. A real baptism by fire as they have started to restore the program at the university that hosts the George Polk Awards.

Journalism has gone from a hot profession, after All the President's Men inspired many to pursue the field, to a conflicted area of study in the era of social media and constant bashing by politicians and newsmakers. It's an identity problem, not an obsolescence issue. Being able to tell a story has never been more important.

Journalism used to be seen as a gateway to law school, but in my experience it was a gateway to business. Story telling is a valued skill in business, and sadly in short supply. It's never been a better time to develop the skills of a journalist, especially telling stories with data, images, video, and voice.

The road ahead at LIU has a chicken and egg problem to address. Can they build up the platforms they need to provide realistic experiences for students so they can attract students? In my career I've often gravitated to situations where building or renovating is part of the mission, and I've thrived where the pieces are all close at hand. Working on student media in school is an important experience. The Indiana Daily Student was a great learning laboratory. We taught each other as much, or more, than we were taught. Working at WTTV had a frontier quality to it since the local studio was far from the main center of operations so we improvised, collaborated, and produced shows for broadcast without many constraints. Creating this sort of environment at LIU will be crucial, but a situation with more of these parts in place will create more opportunities to teach a new generation of story tellers and communicators.