4/15 - Jennifer Grogan Summary, Jesse Grab (Amanda Wisniowski)

Speaker: Jennifer Grogan
Notes by Jesse Grab
Discussion Leader: Amanda Wisnioski

The first point of discussion that Amanda brought up was whether or not the class thought the military beat should be assigned to somebody more experienced. Pat said that was not the case and that her freshness in the field gave an unbiased perspective. Emily agreed and added that Grogan’s enrollment at the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism may have made her more able to tackle the tough assignments. Joe agreed that her inexperience may have made her more likely to take the assignments more seriously than a seasoned reporter.

Amanda then asked what students thought about Grogan being a woman on the military beat. Amy saw this as an advantage because people may be more compelled to divulge information to an unassuming woman. Christine said that in her bull paper research, she found that men in power tend to have a “good ole boy” connection and let their guard down to women sometimes.

Professor Dufresne then hinted that a good point to focus on with the final in mind would be on what allowed Grogan to be successful despite the elements working against her. Amy said that she gained credibility the best way, which is kicking ass. Katie agreed, saying that Grogan didn’t take no for an answer and challenged authority to get where she is. Erin said she was not lazy and hard work gave her the shot she had and Joe agreed. Emily pointed out how helpful the acknowledgments in the NBA book must have been to Grogan’s career. Another student was impressed that instead of saying she was patronized as a woman, Grogan manipulated the situation to be advantageous as a reporter. Amanda agreed that Grogan made a supposed negative into a positive. Professor Dufresne added that Grogan’s accurate reporting gained her credibility over time and that should not be overlooked.

Amanda finished by asking what people thought about the option of going to grad school instead of jumping right into the newsroom for experience. Two students agreed that unless they had money, grad school seemed unnecessary and that building experience in the field was more important. Another student added that though money is an issue, grad school is a good option if you can’t find a job. Britton then said that the name of Columbia helped Grogan and Amanda agreed that going somewhere people are paid to pick apart your writing as good as Columbia is a good option.

On takeaway cards, students focused on how Grogan has built and been able to maintain credibility in a gender-biased field. Students also brought up points about technology and ethics relating to the position of military reporting.

Shane Goodrich: You have to gain trust and credibility as a reporter working in an institution like the military that is normally very private.

Kim Romanello: Jennifer gave a great presentation and was very interesting. I would have never known being a military reporter could be so interesting.

Chase Carnot: As far as taking gifts from sources, the distinctions that come up in practice are important ones. I can’t believe women aren’t allowed on submarines at all.
Joe Callahan: Being a female was a challenge for her, felt the soldiers underestimated her. Don’t jump to conclusions. There is always more to the story.

Christine Gratton: I thought it was interesting that technology doesn’t seem to be a “threat” to her paper, Its importance didn’t seem to be as big a deal as with other speakers.


Kate Monohan: I thought that the discussion of whether or not to go to grad school was really helpful. I thin that it confirmed that I’m not going to do it, Her idea about print Thursday-Sunday and online Monday-Wednesday was also interesting.

D. Henry: It was interesting to see how she judged the political aspects of the military along with the more human aspects of the military.