Magzalez’s eyes on media

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Along the lines of my last post, I’m going over some of the key ideas I have learned this semester. This nugget of advice came courtesy of my editing professor, Ronald Rodgers.

In his editing class, Rodgers emphasizes cultural literacy. He gives us a list of terms ranging from Web 2.0 to libertarianism. He expects us to go over the list of terms and research them further. He also expects us to keep an eye on the news. He quizzes us frequently in hopes that we will be forced take his advice seriously.

He combines the importance of cultural literacy with the idea that as writers we must write with confidence. He insists that when we have a firm grasp of the topic we are writing about and an understanding of cultural literacy, we can write with confidence and assertion. That confidence allows us as journalists to make a better analysis of events without the need for attribution.

The question that arose when I explained these concepts to a friend of mine was “So he wants you to know a little about everything making you an expert at nothing?” I understood the negative connotation of his question, yet I felt he hit it on the head..sort of.

As journalists we have to know a little, or a lot even, about everything as well as come to a firm understanding of what we are writing about. If we start off knowing a little about everything. Over time, the more stories we write and the more topics we research, our areas of expertise will grow. But that initial knowledge is what will give us the opportunity to grow.

Have a good Thanksgiving. I’ll be back here on Monday.