Media stories draw in so many readers that writers must maintain high journalistic standards when it comes to reporting on fellow journalists, according to Rem Rieder, editor at large and media columnist at USA Today.
That was just one point Rieder made during his Must See Mondays presentation at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He also shared advice and insight with aspiring journalists as he addressed a variety of topics, including recent coverage of the news media, the secrets of a successful column and the future of the journalism field.
To begin his presentation, Rieder emphasized the importance of sticking to the truth in light of the Brian Williams scandal. Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News, was suspended for six months without pay after admitting to exaggerating his experiences in Iraq, and the story has been widely publicized.
“There is such a high degree of interest in these media stories,” Rieder said. “Standards matter and good journalism matters. Brian Williams was condemned by a lot of people for stretching the truth like he did. I find it hard to picture him back in the anchor chair.”
Rieder also spoke about how he finds success in his role as a columnist, and how students can do the same.
“What I’m doing now as a columnist is responding to the events of the moment,” Rieder said. “What I try to do is to apply the same standards to everybody. You need to reach conclusions and have a point of view, or there’s no sense of having a column.”
Despite the many changes that have impacted the field of journalism, Rieder shared a positive outlook on the future.
“This is such an exciting time to be in journalism,” he said. “It’s a challenging time and it’s a difficult time, but there are so many different kinds of opportunities and different kinds of jobs.”
That view was popular with students who attended the event.
“He was really well-spoken and he had some good tips,” said Logan Tegler, a freshman studying chemistry and journalism. “I thought it was really interesting when he was talking about journalism dying and how it was actually a really exciting time.”
Rieder encouraged the audience to remember that the quality of the work, not the platform in which it is presented, is what matters the most. This idea stood out to Liz Nichols, a junior majoring in journalism and economics.
“It’s good to know, as a budding journalist, that the platform isn’t indicative of the quality,” Nichols said. “Platforms are always going to be changing.”
For students, the event was an opportunity to gain knowledge from a professional and hear about the necessity of being informed and unbiased.
“I thought it was very interesting hearing from the perspective of an editor,” said Nicole Collins, a freshman studying English literature and animal physiology.“You can’t let what you think or your bias affect you if you are a journalist.”
Contact the reporter at rbouley@asu.edu
