Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a session that was
part of a two-day journalism workshop sponsored by Liberty University Pittsburgh ,” and is also a
graduate of Liberty University .
(Several days later I would learn that she attended Liberty at the same time as my mother, who is also a Liberty graduate. They
were acquaintances who were both involved in the communications department at
the school.)
Wright emphasized the importance of being an informed
communicator. She encouraged the attendees to diversify their outlook to
include politics and business, noting that her choice to major in political
science helped her greatly when the time came to put her skills to practical
use. I jotted down a reminder to study both of these areas more in the
future.
As the session continued, Wright dispensed helpful hints for
the world of broadcasting right and left. For instance, she shared from her
experience with interviewing top cultural icons, such as Oprah, that it’s
important to ask the hard questions. Hard questions, Wright pointed out, allow
the interviewee to make a firm case for their side of the story instead of
simplistic “yes” or “no” questions.
However, perhaps Wright’s most powerful and pointed advice
involved a core element that many broadcasters and journalists are prone to
forget: people.
“The story is in the people,” she said, urging us not to
forget the heartbeat of the industry.
Sometimes one can become so consumed with “the story” that
they forget who makes the story come alive. People, she emphasized, are not to
be taken for granted.
Needless to say, I left the workshop grateful for Wright's helpful advice and more interested that ever in the world of broadcast journalism.
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