Renowned photojournalist Katz caps masterclass series  

The ability to shape stories and represent diverse perspectives through the craft of journalism is increasingly relevant — and perhaps more critical now than ever before.  
 
Beginning last September, the Charles Center collaborated with Virginia Media to create a masterclass series that provided students interested in the field with indispensable mentorship from leading professionals. 
 
Denise Watson, formerly the features editor of the Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press newspapers and now a Team Editor with WHRO Public Media, led the workshops, engaging aspiring journalists in reflection and lively discussion about important themes and skills required in the industry today. 
 
For the 67 students who registered for the series this year, each of the six workshops contained pearls of wisdom and practical tools relating to an aspect of the field, including “Media & Ethics,” “Writing for News,” and “Tone and Style: Writing for popular audiences.” 
 
The final masterclass, “Visual journalism,” held March 21 in the Grimsley Board Room, was no different. Watson invited award-winning Virginian-Pilot staff photographer Stephen M. Katz to discuss via Zoom his approach to photojournalism with the 15 students present. 
 
“Being a photojournalist is having a front-row seat to life," Katz told students. “The camera isn’t a barrier, but an invitation to someone else—or other people—to participate in photography with you.”
 
In college, Katz majored in anthropology, which he said is the “best major for a journalist.  It teaches you to be an observer, how to watch, and take notes.”  After graduating, he worked as a social worker in Washington, DC, before going to graduate school for journalism and becoming a professional journalist.  
 
“I had intended on being a journalist—a writer—but I guess I’m a better photographer than a writer, so that’s where my work went.” 
 
Katz advised the budding journalists and photographers to find inspiration in their unique passions. 
   
“Find local things and things you’re passionate about,” Katz said. “Find a local nonprofit, volunteer with them, ask if you can take pictures, and see what you can capture.” 
 
According to Virginia Media Editor-in-Chief Kris Worrell, the unique opportunity provided by the masterclass series to learn from practicing journalists like Watson and Katz is an invaluable experience for students. 
 “No matter who you are, if you’re learning from somebody who is currently working in the field, you’re learning up-to-the-minute information,” Worrell said. “It’s a different perspective. You’re learning from someone who is in those meetings and having those conversations every day.” 
 
Worrell’s own passion for journalism sparked when she was 12 years old and went to see the Daily Progress newspaper being printed in Charlottesville, Virginia.

She went on to study English at the University of Virginia and earned her graduate degree in journalism from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School.  
 
Since then, Worrell has run newsrooms in Texas, New York, and Southern New Jersey before acquiring her current position at Virginia Media in Newport News. 

“Journalism isn’t something you do; it's something you are,” Worell said.

“I love being the first draft of history, and I also love watching younger reporters really blossom and even surprise themselves with how much impact they can have,” she added.

In addition to the masterclass series, the Charles Center is further partnering with Virginia Media to offer paid summer internships in which students will cover stories spanning from Williamsburg to Virginia Beach.  

 
The internships will serve as another way for students to gain practical experience under the guidance of professionals and form valuable connections that may prove beneficial in their postgraduate career path. 
  
“There’s nothing like hands-on experience. You can read or hear about it, but when you actually do it is when everything comes together,” Worrell said. “One of the reasons we love having interns is that it's a great way to connect with students who might want to come work for us someday.”