Wichita Eagle Visit

Maybe it's just because I'm from a small town, but I was very impressed with today's trip to The Eagle. I felt like Kirk and Tom were really knowledgeable and it was great to hear about all their experience. They also seemed to really enjoy speaking to our class, which impressed me as well. Some people aren't so friendly when they have to take time out of their day.

The thing I liked best about visiting with Kirk and Tom was their honesty. I think most of us already know as we've studied journalism that it's not exactly an industry you're going to strike it rich in. While we already know this, I think it's important that Kirk and Tom didn't just sit there and sugar coat it, they reinforced what we already knew. But we all have a passion for it and you can tell they do it. In order to do what they've done for so long and recognize they're not going to get rich but still do it and push others to get into the profession, you know they love what they do. Seeing the news room was also a really cool environment for me, I've never had the chance to experience something like that.

Finally, I'd have to say that I really enjoy The Eagle's sports section. I grew up reading The Salina Journal so seeing a bigger market paper like The Eagle is cool for me. I think they cover everything the area is interested in. It's also nice to have a figure like Bob Lutz writing columns for the paper because everyone you talk to has an opinion about him one way or the other. I think adding a Oklahoma City Thunder beat reporter would be a good idea, having a team close enough to Wichita to cover, they should take advantage of that, even though I'm not an NBA fan. Overall, I'd give a big thumbs up to The Eagle.