An upcoming lecture will focus on how to get readers hooked and keep them entertained, even when writing about numbers- and policy-based subjects.

Washington Post economic correspondent Jim Tankersley will visit Linfield on April 16 to talk about how to combine the interesting elements of human-interest stories with current events and issues, like healthcare and economic downturn.

“America’s problems are growing more and more complex,” Tankersley said. “The great challenge in American journalism today is helping news consumers — readers and viewers and listeners — understand those puzzles, so the country can solve the big problems.”

Tankersley grew up in McMinnville, attended McMinnville High School and worked for the local paper, The News-Register, in his summers off.

After high school he went on to earn a political science degree at Stanford University and has worked for various papers since then, including The Oregonian, The Rocky Mountain News, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau and the National Journal magazine.

“We are thrilled that Jim is going to be visiting Linfield to talk about journalism,” said professor Brad Thompson, chair of the mass communication department. “This will be a great opportunity for our students to interact with one of the finest journalists working at the forefront of the intersection of new media and journalism.”

Tankersley will also talk about a new blog launched by the Washington Post that aims to inform readers about complicated public policy topics and analysis through story-telling, graphics, photos and video.

The lecture will be on Wednesday, April 16 in Riley 201 at 7:30 p.m. It is titled “Tell me a story (with numbers, too).”

The lecture is hosted by the mass communication department and for more information contact Brad Thompson at [email protected]

Olivia Marovich

News editor

Olivia       Marovich can          be            reached   at
[email protected].