Reporter Gives the Inside Scoop to High School Media Students
Reporter Gives the Inside Scoop to High School Media Students
Accomplished news reporter John Dias visited Seaford High School on Feb. 2 to share his career journey and inspire students who may pursue media arts careers. Mr. Dias, a three-time Emmy-winning reporter for CBS News New York, spoke to about 45 students in the Broadcasting, Filmmaking and LIU Journalism courses.
The Long Island native told students about his career path, which started as a television reporter in Colorado before returning home for a job at News 12, covering New York City. He has been with CBS for eight years and discussed the process to find stories, gather information and put together news packages. Mr. Dias noted the importance of balancing hard news with “feel good” feature stories.
As a news reporter, he performs many tasks from interviewing sources, to filming B-roll footage, to editing for both television and social media. During a question and answer session with students, Mr. Dias talked about covering controversial stories and the importance of separating his personal opinions from his reporting.
Teacher Curtis Tripoli (Broadcasting), Melinda McKee (Filmmaking) and Kathryn Miedl (Journalism) each gave an overview of their respective classes and the types of work that students are producing. The teachers also showed a few of Mr. Dias’ stories and asked him to reflect on the news-gathering process behind each one.
Coordinator of Fine and Applied Arts Dr. Patrick Kennedy spearheaded the visit to allow students to connect with a media professional. He noted that Mr. Dias offered practical advice on interview techniques and story selection through a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a news reporter.
“We were fortunate to hear about John’s journey from high school through his various roles in the industry, and how evolving technology continues to shape journalism today.” Dr. Kennedy said. “Our students walked away with a deeper understanding of the skills needed to succeed in journalism, including communication, adaptability, a strong work-ethic and neutrality when reporting. They gained real-world insight into career pathways in media and left feeling inspired and better prepared to pursue their own interests in broadcasting and storytelling.”
