HPR goes to Washington

Culture | October 26th, 2016

By Amy Venn amyvenn86@gmail.com

The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) conference was held in Washington, D.C. over the weekend and was attended by HPR’s own Amy Venn as a journalist, exhibitor and presenter. The conference included a trade show room, presentations on everything from building a portfolio to working at the White House, and several keynote speakers.

Most of the 1300 attendees go to such conferences for networking opportunities and industry education. My agenda consisted of much more than just that. I wanted to be inspired, to choose a clear path after my impending college graduation and to finally visit the capital of the United States of America. The trip that unfolded in D.C. was nothing short of a life-changing experience.

Bob Woodward, a renowned journalist most notably known for his work with the Watergate scandal, was Friday’s keynote speaker at the ACP convention. Woodward has authored 17 best-selling nonfiction books in his career and worked for The Washington Post. I have idolized him since I was old enough to know who he was, so understandably I arrived an hour and a half early for Woodward’s speech to secure a front row seat.

Woodward urged the room full of eager young journalists to find something in the world that isn’t working and figure out why. He told us to challenge authority, as “all good work is done in defiance of management.” Woodward’s advice was simple, yet valuable; thoughtful, but rebellious. Finally, he passed along a sentiment that had been given to him decades ago. “You’re not going to tell the whole story,” he concluded, “Ever.”

Edward Snowden, the former government subcontractor who leaked classified information, also spoke via satellite about his experience with sharing information. He has been living in Russia after seeking asylum there due to the criminal charges he faced in the U.S. for his alleged espionage.

Snowden spoke strongly about the U.S. government, a system of checks and balances he believed was fundamentally failing. He explained, “If we only knew what the government wants us to know, we wouldn’t know very much at all.”

The keynote speakers all provided unique insights and pertinent messages about the world of journalism. The most inspiration, however, came from wandering the streets of D.C. both day and night, following the footsteps of our forefathers. The memorials found in the National Mall filled me with a sense of patriotism and pride that bordered on emotional at times. To stand where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream,” speech, to walk along the overwhelming Vietnam War Memorial, to see Abraham Lincoln watching over all the monuments at his feet; it was surreal.

We have all seen such places in movies and on television. Most of us are probably cynical enough to not be affected by the importance of it all. Washington, D.C. is beautifully historic, wonderfully modern, and perfectly American. I came home ready to tackle the next chapter in my journalism career.

The more I want to change the world the more the world is changing me. I guess Bob Woodward is right, “History is never over.”

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