Dan Guzman, senior producer of WBUR’s Morning Edition, spoke about his career in journalism X-block Thursday, Oct. 18 in 310.
Guzman had worked in cable news for 13 years and switched to radio news at WBUR six years ago. Guzman primarily discussed his current work at WBUR.
His job as a producer is to organize the information that is reported on Morning Edition, a radio show that runs from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. He uses information from WBUR’s reporters, new sources, press releases, and social media to compile the news for every show.
Explaining his decision to speak to aspiring journalists at North, Guzman said, “I like talking about what I do. I like journalism because it’s something everyone takes a part in. Journalism, no matter how people get their news, is something everyone consumes.”
Guzman gave advice on the basic skills needed to be a journalist. “Make sure you read and learn about the world, whether that’s Worcester or the other side of the world. Listen to what people are telling you because we don’t have enough of that in the world.”
Throughout the talk, students were given the opportunity to ask questions about Guzman’s career and experiences in journalism. “I thought it was interesting to see how people whose jobs are to inform the world think,” said sophomore Juliette Catlin.
Sophomore Dani Imperato said that she found the talk educational and helpful for anyone interested in journalism. “The meeting was very informational and told us a lot about what it is like to be a journalist. I learned lots of information about broadcast journalism, and that you don’t need to go to college for journalism to be a journalist.”
According to Guzman, the career path to becoming a journalist can vary greatly. “Anyone can more or less be a reporter. You never know who you’re going to meet and what their life experiences are.”