So, for the majority of us that attended the YouTube seminar on Monday night, what did we get out of it? I thought it was a really interesting seminar, but I was curious as to what everyone else thought. A friend and I were discussing the ideas thrown around after it ended. We agreed with most of what they said, but then again there is always something to disagree with.
What really interested me was that an editor of a newspaper from Virginia was listening in on my table conversation and it seemed as though he really cared. Asking us questions after we'd started talking about how too much pressure is put on the youth of today to do above and beyond, whether it's by parents, friends, peers, whoever and then we step into college and we are nobodies.
After the session was over, he stopped us and said that what we had been discussing was extremely good and that once we get into the real newspaper environment we won't experience that anymore, so basically enjoy it while we can. Yet, he was the guy that stood up and said that newspapers and traditional journalism need people like us to change how their companies are run. How can we expect to want to change it and then get hit with something like "enjoy it while it lasts"?
I could have just misinterpreted what he said, but what do you guys think?
Comments (6)
I think that he meant once you have a real job you do not have people trying to push you to do your best. Instead you are expected to be able to push yourself. I actually agree with him, once you are in the "real world" you have to be able to set goals for yourself. Also, I agree that people like us can change the way companies are run. Our youth culture has a great understanding of both traditional and nontradtional media. We see the benefits of traditional media even though we live in a digital era.
Posted by Phil Mix | March 12, 2007 1:26 AM
Posted on March 12, 2007 01:26
Well, I was at the same table and I also thought that it was really cool how much interest he showed in our ideas and stories. In regards to that particular comment, I thought that he was referring to how lucky we are to be able to really explore ideas and talk about things like youth culture and to be in such a good school.
Posted by Hayley Shanks | March 12, 2007 4:26 PM
Posted on March 12, 2007 16:26
I think maybe he meant that once you get a real job it becomes much more difficult to sit down with your peers and understand your own generation. With the responsibilities of a job, a family, and everything else, it becomes harder for us to relate to our peers and even to communicate with one another. Whereas now it is much easier for us to communicate with one another because we are surrounded by each other and almost seem reliant on interaction with one another. It seems like once we are released into the "real" world it will be up to us to do well in the corporate world and we will not be able to rely on our peers as much.
Posted by Mandy Earles | March 12, 2007 7:49 PM
Posted on March 12, 2007 19:49
I was not at the same table, but I found myself asking some of those same questions. I thought the seminar went okay, but for some reason I felt like none of it was new information to the students or the people running it. I enjoyed the discussion at our table as well and thought the leader sitting at our table really cared about what we had to say. However, i feel alsmost feel like we were beating a dead horse (if that was even the word i was looking for). I felt like the discussion really didn't have an affect on anyone. This is just my opinion, so I would like to know what others thought about that.
Posted by Lauren Ruddick | March 12, 2007 8:38 PM
Posted on March 12, 2007 20:38
Well I personally was not there on Monday because I had something else I had to be at, but if someone could maybe inform me about what the seminar was like I am kind of interested to hear more about it or what you all talked about. I'd appreciate it, thanks!
Posted by Ali Mills | March 13, 2007 12:44 AM
Posted on March 13, 2007 00:44
I agree with Laurens comment. They kept asking us what we would change in journalism to help break the sterotypes of youth and i felt there was no other answer besides just report the truth. I did however love the John Stewart parody of facebook because a lot of that is so true. Overall i thought it was a good experience but i agree that there wasn't anything to be laerned from it. We should have discussed other things then the same topic for an hour.
Posted by JWittlinger | March 13, 2007 5:18 PM
Posted on March 13, 2007 17:18