College welcomes 2015 Ottaway Visiting Professor

The campus community was introduced to Alissa Quart, SUNY New Paltz’s 2015 James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professor of Journalism, during a Q & A at the Honors Center on Feb. 12. Quart fielded questions from College President Donald P. Christian and from the host of students, staff, faculty and community members in attendance.

“Each year we’re able to bring exceptional journalists here to share their expertise and to teach our students, and 2015 continues this practice,” said Christian in welcoming Quart to New Paltz.

Quart spoke about the progression of her journalism career from writing for print publications to engaging in more collaborative work on multimedia projects for video and web. Her first such experience was “The Last Clinic,” a documentary produced with filmmaker Maisie Crow. “If you work with a photographer or a filmmaker it’s just this whole other dimension of collaboration and intimacy,” Quart said.

She continued to suggest that the extensive opportunities available to modern journalists in multimedia formats help to offset concerns about the future of traditional journalism. “Even as the industry is, in certain ways, falling apart, it’s also coming together,” she said.

Ultimately Quart offered an optimistic outlook on the value of an education in journalism, in terms of both the professional and the personal growth of students. “Because of the fieldwork element, journalism trains your mind,” she said. “The writing part helps with how to be a good communicator, which is very useful. But then there’s also the thinking part: ‘How do I make sense of the world around me? How do I find trends? How do I use data? How do I figure out who a viable source is?’ That’s all very useful, on a skills level and on a cognitive level.”

Lisa Phillips, assistant professor of Journalism at New Paltz and coordinator of the Ottaway Professorship, praised Quart’s understanding of “how great reporting and narrative can thrive both on the printed page and in media in its many forms” in her introductory remarks at the event.

Phillips also thanked Jim and Mary Ottaway for their “vision and generosity” in enabling the Professorship to bring to campus distinguished leaders and educators in journalism “whose bravery and spirit of innovation have made an indelible mark on the profession.”

Quart is teaching an upper-level journalism seminar, “Narrative Nonfiction in the Digital Age,” during the spring ’15 semester. On Monday, April 13 she will give a talk at Lecture Center 100, to be followed with a book-signing and reception.

Learn more about Alissa Quart’s work at http://www.alissaquart.com/, and about the James H. Ottaway Sr. Visiting Professorship at http://www.newpaltz.edu/ottaway/.