Bob Schieffer, moderator of the Sunday public affairs show, Face The Nation, joined students participating from the George Mason University Video Studio along with Steve Scully, the political editor for the C-SPAN networks, and students from the University of Denver and Pace University to share some stories, laughs, and helpful tips for the aspiring journalists.

Being a journalist today means more than just being a good writer, it takes a grasp of the available technology and understanding how to use it to better your stories and get them out quicker.  “The Internet has changed the industry more than anything else to date, it’s changed everything about the way the rest of us do business,” said Schieffer. He commented on his early days as a reporter in the 60s by saying, “In those days, if you didn’t have a phone you didn’t have a story,” and now it seems to be the same except the Internet has become our primary means of communication.

A student from University of Denver asked, “The younger generations seem to be attracted more to shows like the Colbert Report and the Daily Show, do you think that these are good places for people to get their news?”  Schieffer, a friend and fan of both Stephen Colbert and John Stewart, compared the comedian’s shows by saying, “What editorial cartoons are to the newspaper, that’s what the Colbert Report and the Daily Show are to broadcast news.”  He himself enjoys the programs, but wouldn’t recommend to anyone that they treat them as their primary source of news.

The distance learning course, which is produced by C-SPAN, is a unique opportunity for students to interview guests via video conference. The course airs on C-SPAN3 on Fridays at 5 p.m. and also streams online (http://www.c-span.org/Distance_Learning/).