Student story-Journalists discuss their muses

By Brooke Pritchett

Every one has a story, and it’s a journalist job to find them.

But sometimes it’s the journalists and writers who provide the inspiration for others, including high school students and instructors at the Flint Hills Publication Workshop.

Their idols range from world-renowned award–winners from the most elite of papers or television stations to local celebrities. In the age of high-speed Internet, online writers are thrown into the mix. Favorites sited include Rick Reilly, Anna Quindlen, Mike Royko and Roger Cohen.

Former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite was known as the “most trusted man in America” and a favorite among some at the workshop.

“He’s probably one of my favorites,” said Stacy Neumann, an instructor this week who worked in broadcast. “He’s the one who set the standards for what journalism was to become.”

“I really like him,” said student Katie Gilbaugh. “He was so inspirational in his time.”

Tanner Maxwell, of Goddard High School, has two favorite journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who broke the Watergate scandal.

“I still really admire them,” Maxwell said. “ They really try hard to find the truth.”

Brooke Pritchett is a sophomore at Derby High School and a student in the advanced writers class.