Archived News |
April 8, 2009
Lisa Ling discusses her career with 香港六合彩开奖直播 students
Journalist Lisa Ling continued to delight and educate audiences with a Wednesday morning appearance before students of political science and history at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
The host of 鈥淣ational Geographic Explorer鈥� highlighted her career, followed by a question/answer session with students of Drs. Kevin Unter, John Sutherlin and Joshua Stockley.
The session was part of the Presidential Lyceum Series, an initiative established under the direction of 香港六合彩开奖直播 President James E. Cofer to promote intellectual exchange among 香港六合彩开奖直播 campus family and the community.
Ling expressed regret over the spike in the 鈥渄ivisive rhetoric鈥� sometimes seen in today鈥檚 mass media market, especially when so many other compelling and newsworthy stories could be told to an American audience growing hungry for pertinent information and a substantive analysis of current events.
She said she was proud of her work for National Geographic, which stands out because she is able to delve into complex subjects on a deeper level and avoid 鈥渟pewing the kind of dangerous rhetoric鈥� exhibited on many networks 鈥� both left and right of center.
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking viewers along with us 鈥� to feel and experience the event (as if) you were there,鈥� she said, explaining the difference.
But Ling didn鈥檛 deny that she has become extremely close to the subjects she covers off-camera. She admitted she had even befriended an entire family addicted to heroin and remains in contact with the father.
鈥淛ust because I meet (you) through a story, doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 become my friend,鈥� she said.
She said certain topics reveal themselves as inherently wrong, such as the plight of seven-year-old girls being taken as child brides by men more than twice their age in third world cultures.
Ling, who has covered the hidden and dangerous culture inside American prisons, implored students to realize that 鈥渟ome things are undeniable鈥� 鈥� including the exploding prison population and America鈥檚 high recidivism rate among ex-felons.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incumbent upon us to address these things,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f that makes me an activist, so be it.鈥�
Still, Ling insisted that she doesn鈥檛 cover stories to push any agenda, only to raise awareness.
The journalist noted that public radio listeners have surged at a time when many other media outlets continue to hemorrhage. She said quality, in-depth reporting is unlikely until broadcasters can afford to shun an addiction to ratings, which drives corporations to pay top dollar for on-air advertising.
She also encouraged students, as she did during Tuesday evening鈥檚 presentation, to travel as much as possible and to document their experiences.
Saying that the recession has forced her to focus on more national issues, as opposed to international, Ling indicated that the current recession has shifted Americans priorities.
鈥淲hether you are Republican or Democrat, I think that鈥檚 a good thing,鈥� she said.
PLEASE NOTE: Some links and e-mail addresses in these archived news stories may no longer work, and some content may include events which are no longer relevent, or reference individuals and/or organizations no longer associated with 香港六合彩开奖直播.