Donald O'Mahony's Comm 361 class blog

Brad Kalbfeld has over 36 years of reporting experience, and on March 23, he came to George Mason University to share some of his experiences and give advice to students who are starting down the journalism path.

Brad Kalbfeld

In a time where many journalists are being laid off or bought out, Kalbfeld is looking into the future. “I’m trying to find ways to build a business model that works,” he said. “In my day, everything was one way. I report, you consume. Today, everything is interactive. Consumers are in the drivers seat.”

Kalbfeld began the presentation by giving students an idea of how far technology has come during his career. He brought his old typewriter and compared it to his iPod and a personal wifi hotspot.

“It’s interesting that someone who started their career on a typewriter is so enthusiastic about changes in technology,” said Chanel Dority. “I think aspiring journalists can learn a lot from that. We really need to be flexible and have the ability to adapt to new things.”

Kalbfeld also stressed the importance of quality journalism. “I think that journalistic values are more important than ever,” he said. “News is now participatory, with people emailing links, posting comments or sending in new facts or video. Writers need to make more of an effort to make sure things are accurate and sort through that things that are not.”

In the end, the business is always about the consumer. “If our audience doesn’t care, we don’t care,” said Kalbfeld. For as long as he is working, he will continue to do his best to make the consumers care.