Schmoozing

Being in Notre Dame's Gallivan Program of Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy has some pretty amazing perks. Like our annual advisory board meeting with some of the best journalists in the country, who just happen to be alums of our great university. Anne Thompson of NBC News, Monica Yant Kinney of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Tom Bettag, the former producer of "Nightline," just to name a few. Then there was the awesome summer internship at the Concord Monitor that I got through the Gallivan Program. And even across the pond, there are still Notre Dame journalism connections. Last Thursday, Dan, Dan, Tess, and I were all invited to a dinner with Stryker McGuire, a renowned interational reporter with Newsweek, because we are all journalism minors.
The whole evening was absolutely surreal. And definitely felt very grown up. First we went to McGuire's lecture on the state of reporting, which is the type of lecture we have pretty often throughout the year at school. McGuire mentioned how a lot of today's international television reporting involves reproducing and repackaging footage shot by others, which really resonated with me. That was exactly what I had noticed at my internship at NBC. It made me really miss the traditional newsgathering process, the man-on-the-street, shoestring reporting where you get out among the people and learn more about them. That was the type of experience that I had at the Concord Monitor, and I really loved it. NBC is different because it is responsible for international news on such a wide scale--it would be impossible to have all the reporters go out on assignments like at a local paper. The collaboration and sharing of footage that NBC does with other international news bureaus is great for coverage, but bad for traditional reporting. The main thesis of McGuire's lecture, like so many others we have heard, is that journalism is in a state of flux, but that someone will figure out how to navigate the new model and journalism will prosper once more. I hope that's true, because it seems like all they ever tell us is not to worry, because someone is figuring out how to make online journalism profitable, but no one offers any real alternatives or solutions. I suppose only time will tell.
After the lecture, we proceed, along with some other students and ND alumni living in London, to a snazzy little reception, complete with wine and cheese and crackers. I was shocked when I walked through the door and a glass of wine was immediately offered to me. I had one of those, "wait- am I old enough to have this?" moments (too bad I turned 21 in October...my mind is apparently slow in catching up). We spent the next hour schmoozing with the alumni and some professors. Did I mention I was holding a glass of wine the whole time? I just felt like this city girl at a cocktail party; it was pretty cool.
But the evening only got better from there. We went to dinner with McGuire, Professor Kucich, our program director, and one of the London Alumni Association directors. First, for the obligatory food mention: it was a fancy Thai restaurant, were they ordered yet another bottle of wine, and I had green curry. Which, according to Dan Masterton, was an adventurous order. It was pretty spicy, but I really liked it.
I liked my seating arrangement even better: between McGuire and Kucich, one of the funniest and most knowledgable people I've met in London. I had great conversation with both of them, as well as all my dinner companions, about everything from journalism graduate school (McGuire says don't go; get educated in something else and be able to write about it, and write well), our spring break plans, life on campus at Notre Dame vs. life in London, how the Alumni Association director met his wife, and Kucich's days as a broke literature grad school student. The meal lasted for hours and was absolutely wonderful. I spent the whole time thinking, "I can't believe this is actually my life right now." Great people and great conversation, just an overall amazing night!