Communications and journalism students show off their work, then listen to a former Wall Street Journal reporter talk about how we parse news and truth as journalists and Christians.

By Clarion Staff

Former Wall Street Journal business reporter Paul Glader talked media and truth to a full house of students, media members and the public in the Olson Boardroom March 28 as part of Bethel University’s Johnson Center Symposium.

New Johnson Center Director Dave Kansas introduced his former bible study co-leader from his own days at the Journal. Glader named his talk “Has Truth Been Trumped? Why Journalism and Religion Still Matter?” Glader dug right in.

“In journalism classes … we say ‘Don’t bury the lead,’ ” he said. “So I’m going to answer my question right away. No, it hasn’t.”

Glader went on to quote journalists, philosophers, theologians and the Bible to back up his claims. Listen to his full speech here:

Glader teaches journalism at The King’s College in the financial district of Manhattan. Bethel journalists, including two this spring, participate in TKC’s NYC Semester in Journalism. Glader also runs the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute.

After his speech, Glader was challenged about his definition of fake news and some political points, which he answered directly by explaining his research and methodology.

Before his talk, communications and journalism students showed some of their community-based work. Videographer Andrew Hed shared a piece he’d made about a new industrial fatbike trike. And videographer Toey Lidstone showed Metropolis, a video he produced about the Twin Cities’ nature of community.

Then journalists discussed a few of their projects. McKenzie Van Loh and Callie Schmidt represented their community journalism class to describe their project stories published by area weekly newspapers. Schmidt and Petersen shared a design/editing call project called The Maxfield Times, invented and carried out at Maxfield Elementary in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood.

Lastly Miranda Weippert, Alayna Hoy, McKenzie Van Loh and Carlo Holmberg previewed the multimedia Textura Guatemala project, a magazine and website produced by a January interim class that partnered with Michael Polanyi College students to tell stories in Guatemala. They chronicled their trip in an introduction video produced by recent MPC graduate Hana Ko.

Students will discuss what they learned on the trip in a Primetime event at the Bethel Library’s Fireside Lounge Tuesday, April 18 at 10:20 to 11 a.m. That night, those same students will release the magazine and open a photo exhibit of their best work. The event is sponsored by Bethel’s Office of Off-Campus Programs, the Art Department, the English Department and the Johnson Center.

The Johnson Center of Journalism and Communications at Bethel was founded by Gene and Kathy Johnson of White Bear Lake and Press Publications. Its purpose is to support exemplary journalism. The Johnson Center Board includes working journalists and professional communicators from throughout the country. Its next meeting May 5 at Bethel.