3 graduation speeches to recharge your journalism spirit
Your moment of Zen for new and veteran journalists
PRESS AHEAD is a book! Now available in paperback or ebook at Amazon or paperback via Barnes & Noble
***
[To mark graduation season, I’m re-sending this from the newsletter archive. Enjoy!]
***
Do you remember your college graduation? A student asked me last week about my graduation memories and I was embarrassed to say I couldn’t remember much about it. Maybe it’s age, maybe the ceremonies weren’t that interesting. Maybe a little of both.
Most commencement speeches almost follow an official template: insert inspirational message here, fit in a relatable anecdote there and sprinkle some life advice in between. But the speakers have an unenviable job: inspire, inform and entertain the crowd — and keep it short.
As graduation season kicks off across campuses, here are a few J-school commencement speech excerpts from the past few years that rose above the usual. Maybe they will inspire those graduates just starting out or re-energize those who’ve been at this thing called journalism for a while.
✍️ What about you? What was your graduation experience (or not)? Do you remember specific speakers/speeches? Post in the comments or reply to this email (pressahead@substack.com)
‘A life that is never, ever boring’
Paula Reed Ward, 2019 address to graduating students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s journalism department
I absolutely love what I do — from conceiving the story idea, to gathering the information to writing the story. Each step in the process for me is fun and exciting. I love delving into people’s lives and learning what makes them tick. What I do as a journalist represents a mishmash of disciplines — psychology, English, the law, investigations.
Writing a story is being able to capture a moment in time, a significant period in history, a personal emotion, a life-changing event. And doing it on deadline? With not five minutes to spare? Is absolutely exhilarating. …
… That’s not to say there have not been times where I question my career choice. As many of you are aware, journalism is not a terribly lucrative business … I have contemplated whether I ought to look for employment elsewhere. … [But] being a reporter is a part of me. It is ingrained in my soul. It’s how I identify myself. … It’s who I am.
In reaching this milestone, you have already proved yourselves to be exceptional. For those among you who will pursue a career in journalism, it requires bravery – to be able to ask tough questions, deal with difficult sources and editors, and know you face an uncertain financial future.
But you will also find that you’ve chosen a rewarding career path that gives you the chance to improve the world by telling stories — and will ensure for you a life that is never, ever boring.
‘The most marvelous profession in the world’
Jorge Ramos, USC Annenberg’s 2015 commencement address
... Journalism will keep you forever young. Really. Journalism is an art that only happens in the present and then fades away very rapidly. So there's nothing you can do about your age, but there's a lot you can do about being present, being here and now.
So take a stand, be a rebel, be present, be bold, ask tough questions, tell the truth and, please, enjoy the ride. This is the most marvelous profession in the world because the world is your newsroom.
‘Walk in grace, not the standard of perfection’
Maria Taylor, 2021’s commencement address at the University of Georgia
.. If I live by the standard of grace instead of perfection, then I really might be able to accomplish something in life.
Because the reality is that we're all gonna make mistakes. And if I can extend that grace that I'm now going to give to myself to others, then who knows what we can all accomplish together. So now, my ultimate goal is to walk in grace and not walk in the standard of perfection. And I hit it about maybe 75% of the time. So I'm definitely not perfect with that.
Cheers to all of that!
— Amy
Here’s a cat gif for inspiration and as thanks for reading. And if you want to learn more about finding jobs and navigating newsrooms, consider a subscription to the archive and complete Career Kit. It’s more fun than a cat giving a commencement speech.
What’s next for PRESS AHEAD?
Newsrooms often struggle with knowing when to STOP doing things. I told myself at the 6-month mark of this newsletter, I’d evaluate if I had anything else substantial to share, and I did. At the one-year mark (this spring), I didn’t. So, I’m trying to follow my own advice and know when it’s time to go!
PRESS AHEAD is a book! Now available in paperback or ebook at Amazon or paperback via Barnes & Noble