High School Journalism Stars at USC

Speaking at high school journalism day always restores my faith in our profession, no matter how much the technology may change. The University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism holds this event twice a year, with support from the MCormick Foundation. When I spoke to high school students in the early 1990s I was an anchor at KCBS-TV and most of them wanted to know about the typical career path in TV News: get your college degree, go to a small town and work your way up to the network level. Some things haven't changed. Most of the students still want to be on TV and most say they are interested in entertainment or sports, rather than hard news. However, the career path has changed. They must learn to be proficient in all media platforms. They might have more success as online journalism entrepreneurs.
My co-presenters were KTLA news photographer Phil Ige and Owen Michael, the online producer for KABC-TV. Phil is such a rock star in front of an audience that I wonder why he doesn't do more reporting in front of the camera. He entertained the students with the story of how he broke into the business when hard news broke out near Mt. San Antonio College, and he shot dramatic video of a police standoff that was picked up by the local stations. He also showed video of a San Diego reporter who was attacked in the field during an investigative report. He reminded the students that safety is job one: "No story is worth your life."Owen's style was a bit more reserved, but it was fascinating to hear him break down the web site elements of a big story that was unfolding as we spoke: the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan.
Putting it all together was Annenberg special event organizer Diane Guthman. The technical support from USC's Jim Yoder made the presentation flow smoothly. Thanks!
My message to these students is to get busy NOW. There are plenty of stories to be told in their own schools and communities, so why wait? They have all the tools they need to upload their work to CNN iReport or YouTube. My focus is on video storytelling for broadcast and the internet, and it was a chance to shamelessly plug my book, "Power Performance: Multimedia Storytelling for Journalism and Public Relations."Students often hear that the future of journalism is grim, with low pay and uncertain career prospects. I hope we reminded them that this business can be fun!Shameless plug: the book is available for pre-order at www.wiley.com. Enter the discount code VB237 to get the 20% discount price of $31.96. Teachers can go to the site to request a free review copy of the book. Amazon.com is selling the hardcover library edition for a LOT more money.

Update: the student reviews are in, and the presentation was a hit! Sample comments:
"Terry was my favorite speaker because she had... experience and knew what she was talking about."
"She was relatable for me, being a woman in journalism."
And you have to love the student who wrote: "Terry was by far the most interesting. I enjoyed her presence. I look forward to reading her book."
Students also got the message from Phil's video on the dangers of investigative reporting. They liked Phil's energy and Owen's insights, as well as my video examples showing the difference between a dude with a cellphone camera and a real reporter.
I wish them all the best as they begin their brilliant careers!