Rick Smith '70 |
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Chairman, CEO, and editor-in-chief, I went straight from Columbia's Journalism School to Newsweek. One could even say I started at the magazine only soon after the dinosaurs walked the earth! Although I never left Newsweek, I can honestly say that my experience at Columbia became more important the longer I was in the business. At the Journalism School you are a student, but you are obliged to discuss issues and play out scenarios that more often than not fall within the province of senior managers, producers, and employers. I was definitely a satisfied customer. It became clear to me, the longer I worked at Newsweek, that the value of the education I got at Columbia increased the higher up the career ladder I moved. The Journalism School prepares you not only to be successful in your first job in journalism, but also to be able to deal with the larger issues a senior editor or manager will have to deal with later in his or her career. There are fewer and fewer places that can provide the sort of mentoring and training that earlier journalists gained on the job in the past. Financial pressures and the increased access to information mean that there is less time to mold and educate promising journalists today. At Columbia, not only do you get the tools to perform well next week, but you also acquire the background and training that will serve you well even five or ten years from now. Under Dean Lemann’s leadership, there is greater emphasis on expertise and excellence in particular subject areas, and students are encouraged to examine and participate in the future of journalism. Read more about Rick... |
Photo/Claire Holt
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