Kinzer's been here at Dominican for over half a semester, but I hadn't really been to any of his lectures or really heard him speak until last week's meeting (I heard him talking about the SonShine School in Africa a couple weeks ago in the Martin Recital Hall after a documentary presentation, but it wasn't for very long). I don't know what "expectations" I had of him, but he was a lot different than I expected. In his photos he appears to be, maybe, a stuffy old experienced journo dude, but that is a prime example of why you can't judge a book by its cover.
(justforeignpolicy.org)
Kinzer is a very animted speaker, and you get the sense that you're seeing a real person, no self-important pretenses or major ego issues that you may find in someone who has such vast experience and an impressive list of accomplishments. He comes off as friendly, wise, and knowledgeable.
He demonstrated to us that everyone has a story. You just have to dig for it. He explained how to find the color, the interesting tidbits that people will remember by creating genuine relationships with your interview subjects. No one wants to read straight up, boring listed facts. Journalists should look for the story where they may think there is none, whether it be in a desolate, not-reported-on place, or in a person that may be overlooked by society.
You want, as a writer, to produce something with depth that can affect and impact the human soul. In spite of the changing face of journalism, I believe that there is great hope and huge potential for where the field is going, and we aspiring reporters at Dominican have a great "resource" for inspiration.
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I haven't gone to his lectures this semester, which I regret not doing after hearing good things about them. I did hear him give a brief talk last year (before he was Lund-Gill Chair) that he gave to a Global Media class. I was encouraged to attend and I'm glad I sat in on the talk. Though it was brief, I did find his talk very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI also attended the discussion that Charlotte is talking about. I appreciated what he told us and I was able to learn more about his experiences as a correspondent. I found his comment about how "everyone has a story" the most memorable advice he gave. But overall, his talk allowed me to feel more hopeful about journalism overall.
Last week's Kinzer info session was GREAT!! He gave tons of advice and tips that will help us in our future careers. I asked him what he thought the future of journalism looked like as I'm majoring in it and have been a little nervous due to the major cut-backs the industry is making. He reassured me of my concerns and I feel much more comfortable. His words have restored my confidence in my future line of work. Although the way news is delivered is changing drastically and rapidly, the way news is gathered will always be the same and reporters will always be needed, according to Kinzer. Thank God!!
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