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Wendi Thomas, columnist for the Commercial Appeal, visits BBHMS Recently, the journalism students at Bishop Byrne High School were inspired by Ms. Wendi Thomas, columnist for the Commercial Appeal. Ms. Thomas visited the class to share highlights from her interesting career as a journalist. During the visit, she enlightened the students about the advantages and disadvantages of being a thought provoking opinion columnist. Ms. Thomas, a graduate of White Station High School, helped the young journalists assess the challenges of the profession to which they aspire. She talked about her struggles, both as a journalist and as a young professional. She encouraged students to get to know others who are pursuing their careers in the profession that students are interested in. She said, “I can not over emphasize the importance of networking”. People in the business are essential to helping someone become more acquainted with any field they are pursuing. It can make them aware of opportunities they might not have known about otherwise. She also said, “You can’t be a good writer if you are not an avid reader.” She reads a lot everyday and keeps up with what is going on in the world.” When asked by a student, “How does a person become a sports writer?”, she responded that one of the best ways is to start reading articles in Sports Illustrated magazine because she thinks they have the best writers in the business. The students were amazed that after being relocated to Baltimore, Ms. Thomas chose to come back home to Memphis. She stated that even though she was promised more money there, she found that the cost of living was higher. What seemed like a better opportunity was not as appealing once she left. She missed Memphis and her readers missed her. Evidently her boss at the Commercial Appeal missed her also because he offered her a raise and a front page position for her column if she returned. Sometimes her column is controversial and she has those who agree with her and those who don’t. However, she says her most important job is to get people to read and to think regardless of whether they like what she writes or not. |
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