Journalism Isn’t Dead
The Art of the Story Press Conference
Top journalists share timeless wisdom.
A critical and thought-provoking press conference was held on Tuesday, August 30, in the Board Meeting Room 444 at the Walter Cronkite Building. That press conference was called "The Art of the Story," in which several journalists discussed how writing and producing a journalism story is a process and an art form that can sometimes be tedious, dangerous, and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding. They had two prominent guest speakers who are all essential figures in the journalism industry worth noting. First, they introduced us to a guest speaker, James O'Keeffe. I have heard of him and his work, but I have not had the opportunity to see him. This Individual has an extensive background in Investigative journalism, as he is known for his use of guerrilla journalism, whistleblowing, and unconventional methods in his reporting. The event's announcer told us this is why he is a controversial and prominent figure in journalism. Afterward, she gave additional accolades to James O'Keeffe, who had his house raided before for having a copy of President Biden's daughter's diary. He started the press conference by saying, "Do you all want to be journalists? And if so, what are you willing to do?" He added, "Are you willing to stand on the facts you report and write about? Perhaps even go to jail for them." My eyes and ears were fixated on what he was saying as he imparted exceptional knowledge to the people in the room, who were all aspiring journalists, during the press conference. After getting out of the way of who he was, he proceeded to discuss how journalism is a slow-burning process that also requires meticulous attention to detail and resilience. James also said, "Persistence is key; without it, you'll never break through and report a good story."
After he first spoke to us, they introduced us to another prominent journalist named Jason Watkins. He was an event journalist and photojournalist for the White House and President Obama during his two terms in office. His message resonated with the young journalists as I briefly looked around the room, and everyone was locked in on what he was saying. One of the things that he told us was, "All of you have unique skills in your own right. Use that to your advantage in whatever field of journalism you are going into." Jason Watkins then began to speak about how we can polish our skills for journalism, saying deadlines are Important, but what's even more important is the quality you produce. If you focus on nothing else, focus on quality and put your heart and soul into the story you are telling. After that, he and James O'Keefe walked out and waited for the rest of the press conference to wrap up, where they would take questions and offer advice to anyone in the room who'd like to receive wisdom. However, there was one more person who came to give remarks at the press conference, and her name was Sicily Shannon. She is also a journalist in Oklahoma who was a recruiter and wanted to see if students were interested in learning more about the two individuals and potential recruitment.