In the past few weeks alone, student journalists have been on a remarkable roll.
Impressive reporting at The Stanford Daily led to the resignation of the university’s president. And, after an investigation into hazing rituals by The Daily Northwestern, that university fired fired its football coach because of his players’ alleged involvement.
“More than anything, to me, this should raise conversations about the value of student journalism,” Theo Baker, the investigations editor of the Stanford paper, told the New York Times. And there are many other instances over the years in which student journalists have held powerful people and institutions accountable.
That’s heartening, because it suggests that — despite the challenges of being a young journalist today — there’s a high level of talent and commitment among the practitioners who’ll soon be professional reporters.
At perhaps the nation’s premier training ground, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Dean Jelani Cobb is immersed in the future of journalism.
And as a student of history, and an esteemed writer for the New Yorker magazine, he’s acutely aware of the need for young journalists to enter an uncertain field armed with the best possible skills and values.
I loved our conversation about how journalism has changed over the decades and how young journalists can anticipate — and be prepared — for what’s ahead. Let’s hope they are all of the caliber of those at Stanford and Northwestern who are already showing they know how to be effective watchdogs.
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American Crisis, Ep. 6: Jelani Cobb on the transcendent power of good reporting