The Art of the Well-Told Story

Bill Rose came to Ole Miss on a golf scholarship.

That is the way Rose began recounting the story of his journalistic beginnings to an auditorium full of students during his guest lecture Sept. 8. Seeking an easy A, Rose enrolled in Journalism 101 during his first semester of college.

While he had written a few sports pieces for area newspapers, the Shelby, Miss., native couldn’t tell a lead from a headline. Once his instructor set him on the right path, Rose fell in love with the art of journalism. Today, he is managing editor of the Palm Beach Post.

Rose’s biggest concern with today’s journalism graduates is their inability to write.

“Learn how to write,” he told the audience, urging aspiring journalists to write often and to read great writers.

Rose spoke animatedly about storytelling in journalism, encouraging students to “throw off the shackles” and use narrative features to tell the stories they are covering.

I found it incredibly refreshing to hear the editor of a major daily newspaper encouraging young journalists to be creative when writing their stories. I generally dislike news writing because it is bland and uninteresting—both to read and write. I am glad to know that creativity still has its place in journalism.