What postcards can teach writers

By Jacqui Banaszynski in Blog, Journalism, Reporting, Students, Teaching, Writing

A friend sent this Washington Post story today about the dwindling popularity of postcards. Just one more tradition being disrupted, eclipsed, overrun ~ pick your victor verb ~ by digital convenience and social media ubiquity.

I note it here because postcards have always held a special place in my life. If I were a collector, postcards would be high on my list. Not for the initial image, but for the act of sending and receiving, and the magic of storytelling involved in that action.

When I send students off into the world or reporters on assignment, the one thing I ask is that they send me a postcard. I’m always delighted when one actually arrives. I love seeing the images they choose, being introduced to their handwriting (a rare thing these days) and being enchanted by the mini-story they’ve chosen to tell me.

Because that’s another huge value of postcards. They are the perfect venue for practicing the craft ~ and purpose ~ of storytelling.

Trekkie Ethics, with a Vulcan hand salute

By Jacqui Banaszynski in Blog, Interviewing, Journalism, Reporting, Teaching Tags: journalism, Journalism Ethics, Star Trek

Today, I raise a Vulcan hand salute to Leonard Nimoy. To the unparalleled character he developed as Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, and to the even more creative man who played that, and other, roles, on screen and off. In tribute, and without apology, I offer a touchstone: “Trekkie Ethics.” It might not pass muster with the more serious scholars of either journalism or ethics, but it leans on their wisdom, and has served me well. – in work and in life.

Lessons from the back of the sled

By Jacqui Banaszynski in Blog, Journalism, Reporting, Students, Teaching

Out of my inbox…

Brendan Meyer came into my orbit his last year at Mizzou. Charming. Creative. Cocky. And a bit caught up in the notion of where he wanted to be instead of the steps along the road to getting there.

He graduated from the J-school last year with limitless ambitions and dreams (ESPN! Sports Illustrated!), limited experience and limited traction. But he took butt-kicking pretty well, from me and others at the School of J.

It seems his tires have caught — that traction thing — and, in the parlance of where he is now, he is finding the cattle beneath his hat.

Out of my inbox

By Jacqui Banaszynski in Blog, Editing, Interviewing, Journalism, Reporting, Students, Teaching, Writing Tags: editing, journalism, Missouri School of Journalism, teaching, writing

I cringe when I think of the practical wisdom buried in years of disorganized and deleted email exchanges.

I’ll send up a flare when I’m struggling with a deadline project and get quick help back from some generous soul who knows stuff I don’t. That’s a whole lot of souls.

Or I’ll get a ping from a student, journalist or first-time Thanksgiving dinner cook desperate for some career or craft counsel. The pleas pile up my inbox. I scan, reply best I can, hit SEND – then move on. As Jed Bartlett would say, “What’s next?”

Incoming, Outgoing. And over time, a trove of lost treasure.

Simple brilliance, and folding panties

By Jacqui Banaszynski in Blog, Students, Teaching, Writing

I spent way too much time fretting about my “teaching philosophy,” which I finally had to file with the University of Missouri after 15 years of teaching here, and which you can read about in my previous post. The actual writing of it was a chore, as writing can be. Thinking about it brought joy because it allowed me to think about the amazing teachers, of all stripes, I’ve had in my life.

And, as these things tend to do, it raised my radar for related things. Like this tribute by John Dickerson, published in Slate, to his 10th grade English teacher, Neal Tonken.

Learning to teach, teaching to learn

By Jacqui Banaszynski in Blog, Journalism, Reporting, Students, Teaching, Writing Tags: Missouri School of Journalism, students, teaching, Writing Process

The University (in the capital-U sense) wants my “teaching philosophy.” Reasons for that request are happy, which isn’t always the case with a cap-U request. But happy doesn’t get the work done. So…

First: Thank God and Whoever Else had more important things to attend to while I taught at Missouri for 15 years without figuring that bit out.

Second: Even greater thanks, with apologies, to the students on the receiving end of me figuring it out as I go. And a deep bow to the Missouri Method – learn by doing – which doesn’t end with students.

Third: I have to write something. Cue anxiety, procrastination, much abuse of the F-word, coffee and wine.