By Joan Seaman
Contributing Writer
Greg Mitchell ‘70 returned to his alma matter for the first time in 30 years this past week as the Lenna Visiting Professor.
Richard Lee, assistant journalism professor who hosted Mitchell, introduced him. The group of students and faculty in Murphy Auditorium were the first to learn Mitchell’s thirteenth novel would be an exploration of grassroots movements in Berlin during the height of the Cold War and the role of the media in keeping that footage hidden.
Professor Mitchell researched the tunnels that spanned from communist East Berlin to West Berlin, allowing university students from East Berlin to visit loved ones. Mitchell explained the race between TV stations to videotape and release war-time footage that ultimately never surfaced. Mitchell said this new book stays true to an ideal he has kept throughout his career: ethical journalism and a citizen’s right to know versus national security, a question that most college students understand the importance of in this day and age.
The second half of Mitchell’s lecture was a discussion about the relevance and application of the ideas he addressed during the first portion.
Chris Gilbert, a sports communications major, liked Mitchell’s lecture style.
“He is very poised and has a confident style,” Gilbert said. “My favorite part was his opinion and how he was very strong-willed. He is knowledgeable, and I believe he has a lot to say to our younger generation that needs to be said.”
Lee reached out to Greg Mitchell at the start of the spring 2014 semester with hopes of creating an opportunity for interaction with his media and democracy class. Although they were unable to align their schedules, Lee said he thought of Mitchell when it came time to nominate individuals for the Visiting Lenna Professorship. The Lenna Committee voted and chose Mitchell for the job.
“Greg brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to campus,” Lee said. “If I had to identify one particular insight he offers, it is showing students the importance of journalism, specifically the valuable role journalists play in our society whether it be exposing corruption or writing entertaining, thought-provoking pieces on pop culture. And of course, the education Greg received at Bona’s is reflected in his professional success as well as his personal integrity and decency.”
Liam McGurl, freshman journalism major, said he found Mitchell’s talk interesting.
“I found this lecture to give a sense of the real struggles people faced not too long ago,” McGurl. “Also, the lecture did an amazing job highlighting the important role journalism plays in our lives. Without journalism, we miss opportunities to be informed and feel true empathy.”
Mitchell has 27,000 followers on Twitter and runs a blog called Pressing Issues.
seamanjv14@bonaventure.edu
