What You Learn When You Suck at Journalism

Some of the most valuable lessons you'll ever learn come from the classes where you don't excel.

For me, that class was journalism.

As an undergraduate at Chapman University, I enrolled in a journalism course expecting another semester of working hard and earning good grades. Up until then, I had been a straight-A student. If I put in the effort, I usually received positive feedback from my professors.

Then came journalism.

My professor, Susan Paterno, believed in teaching journalism the right way. She wasn't interested in how I felt about a story or what opinion I wanted readers to take away. She cared about one thing: the facts.

I can still hear her comments.

"Stick to the facts, Christina."

"You're letting your opinion seep into the story."

"This isn't balanced. Try again."

Again.

And again.

And again.

For someone who had always done well in school, it was uncomfortable to realize that working hard wasn't enough. I had to completely change the way I thought about writing.

I didn't fail the class, but it was one of the few times in college when I genuinely struggled. Looking back, I'm grateful I did.

More than 25 years later, I can honestly say that journalism may have been one of the most valuable classes I ever took.

I don't write news stories today, but I communicate every single day.

With clients.

With colleagues.

With community leaders.

With my husband.

With my teenage sons.

And just like I did in college, I still have to remind myself to separate facts from opinions.

It's harder than it sounds.

When emotions run high, it's easy to assume motives, fill in missing details, or present our interpretation as if it's the truth. We've all done it.

I've learned that better conversations begin by asking myself one simple question:

Am I sharing facts, or am I sharing my interpretation of the facts?

That pause often changes the entire conversation.

I've found that people become less defensive when they feel they're being heard instead of judged. Decisions improve when they're based on facts instead of assumptions. Relationships become stronger when we focus on understanding before convincing.

I'm still a work in progress.

There are days when I catch myself slipping back into old habits. When I do, I hear Professor Susan Paterno's voice in my head.

"Stick to the facts."

It's amazing how often that simple advice still applies.

Looking back, Professor Paterno has taught journalism students at Chapman University for decades. She has probably taught thousands of aspiring writers. I doubt she remembers one student from more than 25 years ago.

But I remember her.

The lessons she drilled into us about fairness, balance, and objectivity have stayed with me throughout my career. What felt frustrating at the time became one of the greatest communication lessons of my life.

Sometimes the classes we struggle with teach us the lessons we need the most.

Reflection: The next time you're in a difficult conversation, ask yourself, Am I stating the facts, or am I letting my opinion do the talking? That one question may completely change the outcome.