The Metropolitan hosts workshop

-- Andrea Jackley

The Metropolitan student newspaper hosted a writer and editor’s workshop at Metropolitan State University’s St. Paul Campus on March 31, which included a panel of three working professional journalists.

"The best editors ask questions," said Paul Tosto, St. Paul Pioneer Press higher education reporter, a reporter for 20 years, the last 10 of which spent covering K–12, college and editing. "Which angle is the reporter taking, and so on?"

Other presenters included Tim O’Brien, Minneapolis Star Tribune letters editor and columnist, and Melinda Voss, former Des Moines Register reporter and public relations director for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

The Q-and-A session became so entrenched some of the scheduled activities, such as reviewing student writing, could not be completed for lack of time.

The panel held a lively discussion with students and faculty that provided insight on subjects ranging from in-depth editing to design elements and beat writing tips to the current state of journalism.

"A good article has three components: Clarity, rigor and creativity," said Voss during discussion about journalistic writing. Voss reminded attendees and The Metropolitan staff that hard news, which is vital news to your reader, should always take precedence over human interest stories on the front page.

The conversation drifted toward what young professional writers should be studying for the future. All three panel members emphasized Web training, podcasting, blogging and editing for the Internet. Film is another media form not to be ignored, said Tosto.

When asked how the blogoshpere would affect the newspaper industry, O’Brien, who writes a weekly column following local and national blogs, said, "Newspapers need to do what newspapers do best, better." No other media source does in-depth coverage of news and events like newspapers, said O’Brien.

All Metropolitan State writing and communication majors as well as faculty and staff were invited to attend the informational seminar. The Metropolitan’s mission was to generate interest in and to improve the quality of the university’s student newspaper.

The students’ positive response to the workshop encouraged The Metropolitan to organize additional events, and the staff said they plan to hold similar gatherings at least once a semester going forward.

Visit The Metropolitan online at http://themetropolitan.metrostate.edu.