Teaching the next generation

I’ll just say it: I absolutely love being a journalism professor.

In fact, it’s been one of my greatest honors to be a member of the adjunct faculty at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute where I began teaching the day before 9/11/2001.

And, while I’ve taught a long list of courses at the Institute, from magazine writing and the art of the interview to health writing, lately I’ve been teaching Inquiry, an intro course that begins with the basics and, much to my delight, ends with my students filing in-depth reported trend stories. At the beginning, it’s inevitable that my students worry that they won’t be able to reach that goal but, 15 weeks later, they all end the course with a sense that they’re on the road to becoming solid reporters.

My guest speakers are just as important to the success of the course and I’ve had the good fortune of having some of the hardest working journalists address my students, whether in-person or via Zoom. This is a great way for my students to polish their interview skills, and has even helped some secure valuable internships in the field.

It’s a win-win

Being a professor has not only kept my skills sharp, but it has been such an important way for me to understand the challenges facing current journalism students and this generation as a whole. After all, the media landscape has changed in every imaginable way since I was a journalism student.

Best of all, I’ve gotten to work with a long list of my students once they graduate—I have so many former students that have become my editors and that in itself is a great source of pride to me.

To get a sense of the course and the caliber of my guest speakers, please visit @hochinq, my classroom Instagram page.