Who Is Matt Crossman?
Matt Crossman is a self-made, American freelance writer who travels throughout America to experience life and write about it. Crossman stopped by Liberty earlier this semester to talk to the journalism students who participate in LHS Publications or hope to participate in it soon.
Crossman, who has worked in daily metropolitan newspapers in Michigan and Pennsylvania and at publications such as St. Louis Magazine and The Sporting News, talked about his adventures as a journalist, how he got into the profession, the ups and downs from his point of view, and answered questions about going into the journalism career from LHS students.
A professional journalist coming to Liberty was definitely a highlight of this year’s experiences in the classroom.
Journalism 101
Crossman shared many important key factors to think about when thinking of pursuing journalism . Some of the major points he made were how much money you’ll make, the experiences you’ll go through, the interviewing process, and how important it is to make connections.
One of the first things Crossman made a point on was that when pursuing a career in journalism, you aren’t going to be rich in wealth or rolling in a pile of cash. However, you will be rich in life because of the experiences you get to go through, the people you’ll meet, and the well-rounded life you will get to enjoy and look back on.
Crossman also mentioned that there will always be challenges and “you’re going to see things you don’t want to see.” He shared some really heavy stories with the room that no one would want to go through, but as a journalist, you can’t pick and choose the path a story leads you on. On top of that, he also mentioned that you have to work for it.
The journalism world is very challenging but also very rewarding. To get to the rewarding part of it though, you have to put in the hard work and be passionate about it as well. If you aren’t putting forth your very best, why are you doing it in the first place? You have to go through all of the storywriting process with your best attitude. Along with that, Crossman gave powerful advice on how to handle the interviewing process. He explained that interviewing isn’t always going to be the easiest process.
“You have to be honest with them,” Crossman said. “You’re digging into someone’s personal life.”
This is a crucial part of interviewing and a big part of the story writing process.
What did LHS students gain from Matt Crossman’s speech?
Matt Crossman taught students in the LHS Publications some important journalistic lessons.
“It was a great opportunity to hear about his experience in the journalism world and how we should apply ourselves to be successful in this field,” Emery Miyasaki (9) said.
“You don’t get as much income as you would expect and you’re also moving around a lot, but doing something you love is still worth it,” Amber Sethaler (12) said.
Matt Crossman is an inspiration to students who are interested in the journalism career and we hope he comes back soon. Thank you Matt Crossman for showing us a sneak peak into what might be some of our future careers.
