The University of Denver School of Communication welcomed ABC News correspondant Sam Donaldson to address more than 250 students, faculty and community members last Wednesday as part of its annual Summit on communication issues.
The Summit is a three-day event that includes panel discussions which address issues relevant to the contemporary study and practice of communication. This year’s topic was “Reputation and Responsibility.” Approximately 600 people attended the three-day event.
Donaldson, a 37-year news veteran, delivered Wednesday night’s keynote address. He told the audience to “speak your mind,” regardless of whether or not your views conform.
“I’m not used to being liked,” said Donaldson in reference to a story that he told about a letter that he received from James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr.
“He wrote me a letter in perfect English,” he said. “It said, ‘I used to think that you were an ignoramus fool. But now I understand that you have other despicable qualities as well.'”
He said that journalists do not become journalists to be liked, but rather to bring people information.
Donaldson also addressed the changing nature of news, especially rapidly expanding Internet environment. He specifically talked about the problems introduced by Web blogs. He said that opinions are an essential component of news communication, but they need to be backed by facts, where blogs often are not.
On the other hand, Donaldson said, the speed with which people can receive information now is “impressive.”
“I was impressed when CNN broadcast live from Beirut years ago,” he said. “But the speed of the blogosphere is really impressive.”
Donaldson then kicked off Thursday with a 7 a.m. breakfast with Fred Brown’s ethics class.
During the breakfast, he briefly discussed his desire for a national shield law that would protect reporters from having to reveal their confidential sources.
Thursday and Friday’s sessions hosted numerous journalists and experts as panelists. Rocky Mountain News CU sports beat reporter B.G. Brooks shared his perspective on the recent rash of scandals that swept across the University of Colorado, Boulder campus at the panel called “Reporting Scandals on Campus.”
Brooks joined Bronson Hilliard, editor of the Colorado Daily, a Boulder alternative newspaper and CSU Collegian newspaper editor Jeff Browne.
The panel discussed the effects of the scandals on student media at both schools and the different aspects of scandal reporting for students, newspaper staff and those being interviewed.
“I don’t think campus news is much different than news in a big city,” said Hilliard. “There are good people and bad people, just like a big city.”
“Media Ownership: Issues, Impacts and Responsibility” also drew local journalists and Sen. Wayne Allard.
Roger Ogden, president and general manager of KUSA 9News and Dean Singleton, vice chairman and CEO of MediaNews Group, which owns The Denver Post, both agreed that it would be beneficial for cross-ownership in media. Singleton said he would like to own a local television station and develop it into a local news station. He said this would be better than letting other corporations buy the station and not include local news. He also said metro residents would benefit from the cross-fertilization of news coverage.
Friday was professional development day and the panel discussions included one about reputational management. Panelists came to the conclusion that when people are faced with a potentially damaging situation they need to “have a plan” so that they don’t get themselves in trouble with the media.
