The end of the semester is always a time of mixed feelings. To the satisfaction of getting through the term, a certain nostalgia is also added. This class was also different than any other class I have taught. I know that there are a good number of things that I could have done better, and I so much appreciate your feedback. But despite the shortcomings, and the 20 war documentaries I made you all watch (oh wait… I added an extra 0, it was 2 war documentaries!), I feel really good about this class. I felt like we all learned from it. This is not the first time I teach a graduate course, but it was the first time it felt like I was teaching a graduate class, where the openness and collaborative environment made me look forward to it every week, and made me go home filled with optimism at the end of our meetings. I think we worked together all semester long. You didn’t work for me.
I also think that in a way we barely scratched the surface of what you could do with your beats. The semester goes by fast, you are all overworked and overwhelmed, and there is not much time for reflection, evaluation and re-strategizing. Reading your self-evaluations made me feel like going on for another semester, and take the class blog one or two levels up.
Some thoughts for each of you:
Sara: It was a pleasure sitting next to you every week. Your posts were informative, revealing, and had an activist subtle tone that I loved. I am very glad you had a chance to explore this beat and inform us every week.
Lamont: I am very glad that you stayed with your beat and made it interesting for all of us. Perseverance is an underrated secret weapon that gets many things in life. You are a talented writer.
Rebecca: I felt that you really explored your beat and gave us some real insight on the cord-cutting phenomenon. I loved that you enjoyed the class, and that showed in your writing. You are good at this.
Christin: Your writing is so much fun. And I don’t really care about the topics you write about, but your passion and mix of reporting and personal blog, and your super spontaneous style made me laugh quite a few times.
Carolann: I think you opened up the world of BuzzFeed for many of us. It’s easy to go back to the same publications over and over for years. And thanks to your coverage I am now fully aware of what else is going on.
Jie: I was very interested by your story selection. I know you could have done more. But I also know you have a lot going on, and not much time. Still… I think you learned some valuable things from the class, and I appreciate your commitment.
Keisha: You transmitted passion about your beat every week when presenting. I am glad you pointed out differences in the coverage of reality TV news. It’s not usually noticed, but even celebrity news offer a diversity of angles and editorial lines.
Danielle: Apart from your weekly posts, I was also inspired by your midterm assignment. Something about it was very memorable. And I am very glad something good came out of it.
Leroy: I am so glad you were able to blog about something you are so passionate about, and that you have made new and beneficial connections. And I very much welcome your feedback.
Kevin: You were a great writer before this class, and with this class you have developed a voice as a hip hop blogger. I find your writing funny, insightful, but also respectful of the world of hip hop.
Andrew: The timing of your blog and the hockey season could not have been better. I was also impressed by your midterm assignment. Interviewing two such different journalists must have been a priceless experience.
Sarah: I really hope this was a great experience for you. Coming from Europe for a semester must have been a tremendous challenge. So I appreciate you keeping up with the class and making an effort to cover such a difficult beat.
Sally: I loved your enthusiasm and your diligence. I also liked that you commented on your classmates’ posts. Your coverage of movie reviews was always insightful and snappy.
Michael: I think it’s obvious by now that I am a tech fan as well. So I looked forward to your weekly post and learned a lot from them. I think you have great story selection judgment. You should keep doing this.
Haeni: I think you made a great effort, and it showed. Your beat was not easy, and you managed to find interesting angles and stories every week. I am very glad this class opened you to journalism. All media producers are a bit journalists.
Wendy: Your posts were so entertaining and interesting, but I also love your final reflection and was very glad to read about what your learned from this class.
Jeremy: Your blog posts reflected your voice accurately and were always very informative and fun. You also were a key part of the class. Great comments came out of your corner every week and your engagement with our guests was great. Also… thank you for the feedback. I most definitely will take it in consideration next time I teach this class.
My main goal with this class was to raise awareness about the way news is selected, edited and reported. I am not sure we achieved that to the extent I ambitioned. But I think we achieved a lot. And I am proud of that. I saw progress in each one of you. I hope you enjoyed writing and researching your stories.
For those of you who are graduating… I wish you the best in the world. For those of you who still have a year to go… I look forward to seeing you around and working with you.
P.S. And the winner of the award to the class favorite blogger of the semester is… Jeremy! Three votes. There were a few of you with two votes.