Kevin Van Valkenburg, a sensitive, laid back Midwesterner looks almost shy as he enters Professor Terry Dalton’s freshman seminar “Journalism in the 21st Century: The Real Story.”  But the 27-year-old Baltimore Sun sportswriter says despite his soft-spoken nature, he has convinced people all over the world to tell him their stories.

Van Valkenburg is among a parade of print and broadcast journalists who provide personal insight into the industry. Other guests include WBFF-TV Anchorwoman Jennifer Gilbert, WBAL-TV News Director Michelle Butt, and CNN Headline News Anchor and McDaniel Alumnus Thomas Roberts.

Roberts will speak at the College 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27, in McDaniel Lounge. “Trust Me: From the Hill to CNN’s Anchor Desk,” is presented by the English and Communication departments. The 1994 graduate with a degree in Communication will speak about his career in journalism and the two weeks he spent in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The event is free and open to the public.

The Baltimore Sun’s Van Valkenburg writes about high school, college, and professional sports, and he has reported from Athens about Maryland Olympians Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff. However, Van Valkenburg is most proud of a feature story he wrote about a female college basketball player who lost both arms below her elbows and both legs below the knees to bacterial meningitis. Despite the odds, she continues to be a part of her college team. (To read the article, click here)

“The best thing about my job is meeting people and hearing stories I wouldn’t otherwise come across,” Van Valkenburg said. “I’m a white guy from a western state and didn’t have much exposure to different types of people. Reporting gives you an incredible perspective on the world.”

WBAL-TV News Director Michelle Butt was recently invited to speak about television reporting and producing. The self-labeled type-A personality with a North Carolina accent told students that a news career requires great sacrifice – like working long hours and changing jobs frequently. That came as a surprise to Holly Boltz ’09.

“I learned a lot about how you have to move around a lot to be a journalist. I couldn't believe how many times Michelle has changed jobs,” Boltz said.

However, Butt told the class that as journalists, they have the ability to shine a light on injustices and hold those in charge accountable. She cited the actions of reporters in Louisiana shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit.

“When you use journalism to its fullest power,” Butt said, “you can make a difference. You can make a Red Cross truck stop to feed a family. You can hold the Federal Emergency Management Agency accountable. You can hold President Bush accountable.”

Butt told students not to expect a big payday. She made $11,000 a year at her first job and recalled buying bulk potatoes and rice at the grocery store.

“You don’t do it for the money. You do it because it is different every day. You do it because you have a love of the great big and the little tiny,” Butt said.