Writers’ Round Table

By Lauren Hoover

The Fundraiser that occurred at B-CC on Thursday, March 18th was a huge success. It brought phenomenal journalists, fiction writers, students, and parents together to discuss the future of journalism. This event was organized by Chips (award winning literary magazine) and Tattler Extra (the online Tattler) to raise money and simply give students the opportunity listen and ask questions about journalism and novelistic writing as a career. The entertainment of the night was performed by The Former Kings, a band with B-CC students. Approximately five hundred dollars was raised for the two publications: Tattler (print and online) and Chips. David Lopilato, a teacher at B-CC who had the idea of creating Tattler Extra, was a main contributor to the event. “We have so many wonderful writers associated with BCC- parents, friends, and alum. We wanted to bring some of those writers together to help students understand the many benefits and real concerns that come with pursuing careers in writing” says Mr. Lopilato when asked about the purpose of the event. Ron Charles (a deputy editor and a weekly fiction critic of The Washington Post “Book World”, in the book review section of the Post) was the Moderator of the conversation, Janet Hook was a panelist who represented print news journalism, Richard L. Harris was a panelist representing broadcast journalism, Steve Hull was a panelist representing Magazine writing and publishing, Gary Michael Krist was a panelist representing fiction and nonfiction writing. The topic of the disintegration of the print journalism industry did come up quite frequently in conversation between the panelists. All of the speakers recognized the trouble that newspapers have encountered in this day and time, but all of them also reminded us of the hope and determination journalists still have and will still have in the future if our generation continues it. When asked about the future of journalism Mr. Lopilato states, “with the predominance of un-sourced articles, it is now more important than ever for today’s idealistic students to pursue careers that ensure that legitimate journalism (in whatever form: print, online or other) does survive.” When asked about the most important comments of the night Mr. Lopilato mentions, “if you want to be a journalist, be prepared to not only put a great deal of work (some beginning jobs require 10 stories a week) be prepared to multitask (learn how to write, interview, take pictures, and dabble in layout).” With regards to fiction, Mr. Lopilato mentions, “when you start out, get published any way you can…school newspapers, trade magazines, letters to the editor” which was also an emphasis the speakers made on the future of writing.

Junior Amalia Halikias attended the event as a member of the Tattler Extra website. She stated, “the most interesting comment I heard was that journalism will never die out because, as much as technology may change, people will always want to be connected to one another” when asked her favorite theme of the conversation. Amalia also expressed her personal opinion on the success of the event, “I personally benefited because as someone who is extremely interested in writing, I am always looking to find out more about how writing is changing and about potential writing careers. This event really opened my eyes to how many different types of writing jobs there are and how real writers make it out there.” Amalia ended the night with a positive outlook on the future of journalism as well, “after listening to all the speakers, I’d say that journalism is immortal. As long as there are stories to tell and people to tell them, there will be journalism.”

As technology and accessories we use in daily life advance, journalists must adjust and discover a way to succeed while society is changing. Sophomore Valeria Mar R attended the event as an active participator in Tattler Extra and stated, “I got a glimpse into what the future would be for me if I decide to become a journalist. But I also got to see how current journalists are adapting to the changes in their profession.” Freshman Aaron Wildavsky attended the fundraiser as a current writer for Tattler Extra as well. He stated, “The most interesting comment I heard was that, in the words of one of the panelists, “journalism is not dying. Newspapers are just struggling financially.” That comment gave me a whole new perspective on the position of journalism as a whole, both in the present day and in the future” when asked how he benefited from the discussion. The speakers gave the students the perception of reality in the career of journalism, and also what future journalism jobs may expect from us. “I learned a lot about how different parts of the industry work, and what people like me, who are considering someday having a job in journalism, should expect” said Aaron when asked about what he took away with him after attending the event.

This event was beneficial financially for Tattler Extra and Chips. It was also beneficial and exceptionally informational for the students, parents, and teachers who participated and attended the event making it a successful event for everyone.