If you’ve ever wondered what a career in journalism would be like now is the perfect time to find out.
The annual journalism forum is on its way to Bucks and is set to be held on Thursday, April 11 with workshops from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
The event, which has become a staple of the Bucks’ journalism program, gives both prospective students as well as current journalism students the opportunity to speak with journalists currently working in the field. Guest speakers discuss their experiences in the field and open the floor to allow attendees to ask them questions about the profession.
This year’s planned speakers include Mike Sielski, sports reporter for the Wall St. Journal, Naila Francis, feature writer for the Bucks County Courier Times and Mike Rushton, contributing editor for SportsNetwork.com. Past speakers at the forum include former NBC News President Steve Capus (a former Bucks student), New York Times reporter Charlie Leduff and Fox News senior producer Jerry Burke.
A former sports reporter for the Bucks County Courier Times, Sielski began working at the Wall Street Journal in March 2010 where he covers baseball, football and hockey. The Columbia University School of Journalism graduate is also an author of two books including Fading Echoes: A True Story of Rivalry and Brotherhood from the Football Field to the Fields of Honor. He currently lives in Bucks County with his wife and son.
Francis is a feature writer for Calkins media, the publisher of three Philadelphia area newspapers, including the Courier Times. Francis covers entertainment, with a focus on music and theatre. Through recent years, Francis has interviewed prominent figures such as James Earl Jones and the Lumineers.
Rushton graduated from Bucks before transferring to Temple to receive his degree in journalism. Rushton is responsible for providing daily previews of games from the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB. Rushton covered the 2012 Summer Olympics in London for SportsNetwork.com
Bucks students were quick to point the valuable information they received from attending the forum.
“Going into it I was still pretty new to journalism and I was anxious to see how the pros handled things, entered the working world and if they were in fact happy,” said Stephen Godwin Jr., co-editor-in-chief of the Centurion. “I came away from it happy with the answers and they did make me think I had made the right decision.”
“I attended last year’s event and thought it was very helpful in guiding me in the right direction,” said Anthony DiMattia, the other co-editor in chief of the Centurion. “After speaking to reporters working in the field it gave me a sense of what the career would entail. It certainly made me want to continue my pursuit of a journalism career.”
“Students have told me that this event gets them really excited about journalism,” said Tony Rogers, professor of journalism at Bucks and forum organizer. “They say it’s a great opportunity to ask questions of people who are in the news business right now.”
Rogers said he believes past students have been influenced by the forum. “I would hope that it has inspired them. This is a chance for students to hear from professional journalists who are working in the news business right now. So they have a very fresh perspective to offer,” he said.
The forum is open to all Bucks students interested in journalism and will be sponsored by The Centurion, Bucks’ student run newspaper.