Nicholas Enoch
Special Contributor
Jayne Miller, a local Reporter and Journalist for WBAL came to The CCBC Essex Campus to speak with students and staff interested in Political Science, Communication, and Journalism on Thursday, Sept. 12.
The Penn State Graduate who majored in Journalism with a minor in Political Science spoke to the audience about her experience as a journalist and the situation going on in Baltimore.
Throughout the talk, Miller gave advice to students who are interested in pursuing the Journalism field.
“Being curious is the most important trait to have as a journalist,” she said.
As the talk continued, Miller spoke about her experience in the field by going beneath the surface and trying to find both sides of the story as a journalist. She explained that it is important to investigate all angles of a story and be objective, clear, and concise in writing.
Miller continued offering her advice to prospective students who are looking to pursue Journalism. According to Miller, having clear, concise writing is the most important skill that a journalist must possess. She also told the crowd, “You cannot be scared…you must have thick skin and have the courage to stand up and speak up to people. Good speaking skills… public speaking as a reporter is important as well.”
After the presentation many students and faculty were eager to speak with The Penn State Graduate. During the question and answer portion, topics that were mentioned ranged from how to be objective in the Trump era, maintaining neutral language, how we can help Baltimore improve from crime and poverty, and additional advice for Journalism, Communication, and Political Science majors.
Jayne Miller mentioned three important tips that journalism students must have to be successful in the industry. She said, good writing is a must have skill. Also, come to the job knowing a little bit of everything (business, policy, history, government, etc.) and three, look at your end product and say to yourself, “what do I say?”
Miller’s last piece of advice for all students was about Internships. She made it clear to the audience that they (an Internship) are what gets you in the door and getting that hands-on experience can help create that passion for working hard and furthering a person’s success.
The Political Science department brought Miller to campus as part of their celebration of the 232nd anniversary of the signing of The U.S. Constitution.
