CNN’s Brian Stelter shares his advice for Kent State students pursuing a career in journalism in an exclusive interview with CCI.
Q: You started a blog in college about the media called TvNewser and actually sold it to a company. How can a student jump start something like that today?
A: What's amazing about the internet is that you can bring like-minded people together about any topic. Nothing is too small. No matter what you're interested in there is someone else out there who's also interested in it and you can bring people together.
Q: What does the future of journalism look like?
A: The future of journalism is all of the above. Meaning more of everything. There will be more misinformation and hoax websites and scandals involving poor quality journalism. But there will also be more outstanding websites with information and multimedia and interactivity. With that in mind, the challenge for a young journalist is to figure out the more stable and rewarding spot in that space.
Q: There is a lot of fear going around among graduating seniors about our field. What are your thoughts?
A: It's an incredible time to be a journalist and entering the field or other jobs in the media. All of the disruption and the beginning of revolutions that are going on are creating opportunities for young people.
Q: If you were graduating now, what would you do?
A: If I were graduating college I would either create my own subscription based news service or get hired by one. Subscription revenue feels like the most sustainable path forward for everyone from the New York Times to CNN. Ask yourself what are you obsessed with, what are you really passionate about, what do you really care about. I would also prioritize working for a place that really prioritizes the truth.
Q: How can I separate myself from the pack?
A: The number one thing I try to tell students is that you should be indispensable in some way. Indispensable wether that's the beat you're covering, the platform you're using to cover it, the location you're doing it in. There are lots of ways to stand out in a crowded pack.