Former Argus editor-in-chief Chris Fusco visited campus to share his journalism expertise with students and alumni.
Fusco participated in the Hart Career Center’s Journalism & Media panel, met and conversed with the current Argus staff and taught one of IWU’s annual homecoming “Back to College” classes on the future of journalism.
Fusco currently serves as the editor-in-chief of The Chicago Sun-Times and spent many years as the news organization’s managing editor and as a reporter.
At the career center’s panel, Fusco and several other journalists discussed success within the media industry.
The other panelists included Justin Williams, Sarah Weinstein Edwards and Elizabeth Weinstein McMahon.
Fusco focused on having optimism within the industry and persevering through the rougher news cycles.
“Accept that it won’t be fun all the time,” Fusco said.
Fusco also examined the generational changes impacting the news world, and how Facebook and Google influence the industry.
Google and Facebook continue to claim advertising dollars as newspapers continue to struggle and cut staff members.
Fusco discussed how news organizations as they currently exist are trying to combat the huge shift the internet has caused.
“We’re doing more with less than ever before,” Fusco said.
Describing the way in which the Sun-Times tracks their analytical data online, Fusco spoke on how they use the data in order to see what readers enjoy reading.
This tool is something organizations can’t get from their physical papers, which is why papers are beginning to move their focus towards the internet.
In a world where more and more readers are getting their news online, Fusco stressed the importance of online analytics to their content creation.
Fusco also touched on the skills future journalists should hone in order to succeed in the current industry, specifically mentioning delivery, concisity and being aware of all the tools available.
Fusco then told listeners to ask themselves how they would maintain a consistent audience.
Fusco described the ways in which the aforementioned skills would help create that audience and took questions from the audience about the skills’ importance.
Stressing editing and learning from mistakes, Fusco warned attendees that though optimism is important, journalism is not for the light of heart.
“If a mistake doesn’t make you physically ill, you’re probably not right for journalism,” Fusco said.