IN THEIR WORDS

John Robinson: Adjunct Director and Lecturer - UNC Hussman

If you want a journalist, either behind the camera – which is where he has experience – or pounding on a laptop, he’s your guy. But that’s not what necessarily distinguishes him to me. Before I became a teacher, I was the editor of the News & Record in Greensboro, N.C. When I considered job candidates, I didn’t worry much about journalism skills – we could teach them reporting and writing. I looked at their character. The most important bond between a reporter and editor is trust. And the most important bond between a reporter and readers is trust. I depended on journalists of character to establish that bond.

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On the last day of class, I ask students to respond to the statement: Why I write. This is part of what Adrian wrote: I like to think that when I am writing, it is going to improve someone’s day. Most of the stories I tell are positive. Maybe the stories you tell are a bridge to your personality. I enjoy making others smile. That is what I get most out of writing. Giving others a reason to smile.”

He does that in his writing; he does that in his actions.

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If I were still a hiring manager, I would hire Adrian.