After a short, uneventful flight, I arrived at George Mason University-host the of the 2009 Washington Journalism and Media Conference-ready to explore journalism in a unique way. I hoped to meet new people, develop my skills as both a writer and speaker, and have a great time; however, the first day alone has been an experience far beyond that. Not only did I already meet students across the nation who expanded my knowledge of both my nation and journalism, I met experienced adults who are currently successful in journalism and the media.
One of the most spectacular things about today was the sheer excitement the WJMC correspondents shared. Each has an incredible passion for something in their life, be it journalism or something else, and from that, I learned the great diversity that resides in my own nation. Not only do we come from different places, but also we come from different cultures-complete with unique phrases, strange accents, and different activitites. Numerous conversations sprung up today regarding a funny name for this or that and surprise towards the fact that I as a Minnesotan participate in sports on snow! In addition, I learned many new areas to explore in the journalism field based on others’ interests. I expanded my knowledge regarding the future of journalism and how to be apart of it from conversations I already had today. Along with this, I learned a lot from a speaker we had tonight.
Another incredible learning experience I had today was from Brian Lamb, one of the founders of C-SPAN, who spoke to us in a unique way. Rather than force information and his opinions down our throats like many speakers do, Mr. Lamb gave us a chance to talk about what we believed journalism was and where we thought it was going. While I do wish he would have incorporated more of his own ideas into the process, I still believe it was a very effective and captivating way to open the conference. I gained new insight into the various areas journalism covers by hearing students’ responses to his questions, and I enjoyed hearing an experienced journalist answer questions from the students. Furthermore, I appreciated how he understood that we are the future of journalism so he geared the presentation towards concepts and devices that my generation embraces. Things like facebook, twitter, and iPhones were not items he shied away from; rather, Mr. Lamb showed how they may become-or are already becoming-the future of journalism.
Overall, my first day here was an incredible experience. I came here with an open mind, ready to meet new people and explore journalism, and this conference has already stretched that. I learned about new areas of journalism, experienced the way different parts of the country live, and reached outside my comfort zone. It has been a great experience and I cannot wait for it to continue!