A legend speaks at IC

Last night, journalist David Cay Johnston visited Ithaca College to give lecture "Digging Up the Dirt: Investigative Journalism." The lecture was co-sponsored by the college's chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the department of journalism and the Park Center for Independent Media. 

David Cay Johnston                                               Source: PBS

Johnston has only a high school diploma, though in eight years he attended seven colleges including the University of Chicago and acquired enough credits for a masters degree, he said. 

He is commonly known for reporting on taxes, the one percent, the casino industry and about the police department in Los Angeles a few years back. 

What makes this guy most impressive is not the fact that he is a Pulitzer Prize winner, or that he has worked for the Los Angeles Times, or The New York Times, or  Reuters among other reputable publications without holding any sort of degree. What makes him badass is his legacy in investigative journalism. 

During his time at the LA Times, Johnston uncovered political spying ordered by the LAPD.  He also investigated the misuse of charitable funds at United Way and news manipulation at WJIM-TV in Lansing, Michigan, among other issues.

He once even hunted down a killer the police had failed to catch, which resulted in an innocent man winning acquittal at his fifth trial.

His work was produced mainly at mainstream media, which he complained would sometimes censor or refuse to publish his more controversial articles. 

This brings us to a question. What if Johnston had been a blogger at the time? He probably would have published these regardless of how controversial.

In class Johnston mentioned student journalists should expect a difficult job market. It will be hard to get a job in mainstream media ... but with the freedom that comes with blogging and writing for other independent outlets, more and more journalists are shifting to those mediums. I don't blame them.