Brian Storm Speaks Truth to J-School Grads

"The moment journalism institutions began answering to their shareholders and their ever-increasing demands for profit margins, the public’s need to know was in jeopardy."

The speaker is Brian Storm, visionary president of MediaStorm, the award-winning multimedia production studio based in New York City. (MediaStorm's mini-documentaries are proudly showcased here on KobreGuide.)

Brian returned to his alma matter recently to deliver an excellent commencement speech at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism graduation ceremony. Here are some highlights:

Walter Williams wrote in The Journalist’s Creed that “The supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service.” There’s no mention of 25% profit margins as a metric for success. If you want to make a pile of money, this is not the right profession for you. Frankly, Journalism needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for a quick buck. Journalists lead a rich life, but rarely get rich. We are inherently purpose driven, not profit driven. Simply put, we, the practitioners of this craft, need to take journalism back....

It is one of the most exciting times in history to be a young journalist. You have an almost limitless palette of storytelling tools, an audience unbound by physical borders and the most powerful communications technology ever developed at your disposal.

We strongly encourage you to read his whole inspirational speech over here.