Three alumni of The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication returned to the school Monday night to impart words of wisdom to students at the first Must See Monday event of the academic year.
Lauren Gilger, an award-winning investigative reporter from ABC15, Lindsey Reiser, a multimedia journalist from CBS 5 and William Pitts, a reporter from 12 News, spoke to students and staff about a variety of topics ranging from the influence of social media to the ways in which the Cronkite School shaped their futures.
“The Cronkite School helped me understand that there is nothing to be nervous about,” Reiser said, “The more you do it, you will be amazed at how quickly you will learn.”
Reiser also emphasized the importance of being open to new experiences, both at Cronkite and at future jobs.
“It was out of my comfort zone but that was what I was there for,” she said of taking her first live shot on her first day at her post-graduation job.
The panelists spoke about the highlights of their careers and wisdom they have learned along the way.
“Fail as much as you can, so that you can find your way out of it,” Pitts said, adding that mistakes are inevitable but can serve as a worthwhile learning experience.
The panelists’ encouragement was popular with audience members like Scott Warren, a freshman majoring in journalism and mass communication.
“The best piece of advice was to not get discouraged,” Warren said. “In this industry, it’s easy to feel like you’re not good enough, or someone has better ideas than you, but there’s always the next day and always a better story.”
Students interested in investigative journalism were able to hear Gilger. Kerri Temple, a freshman journalism student, said Gilger inspired her to delve further into journalism.
“I’ve taken away the desire to pursue journalism to a fuller extent,” Temple said. “Lauren Gilger is an inspiration to me since that’s what I want to do, investigative reporting, and it gave me a glimpse into what I could be doing.”
Technology and social media were also hot topics, with each panelist sharing their insight on the changing world of journalism and communication.
“I get sources, story ideas out of Twitter and Facebook,” Pitts said. “It’s a way to keep connected to everybody who is watching you and reading you.”
The in-depth discussion about social media and its impact on journalists was popular with graduate student Jason Axelrod, who said, “I like how they talked about technology and how they incorporate that into their daily job because that’s something I want to do for a living: work really closely with technology and journalism.”
Axelrod added that he liked how candid the panelists were during the event as they shared their stories of nerve-wracking experiences. When facing a new experience, Lauren Gilger encouraged the audience by saying, “Do it, grit your teeth. Your knees will shake. It will be terrifying.”
As a final piece of advice, Reiser reminded students of the importance of passion and dedication.
“You have to show that you want it, that you have the drive,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”
Contact the reporter at rbouley@asu.edu.
