Professor Sissel McCarthy’s News Literacy in a Digital Age class took a trip to the New York Times on Dec. 2. Edmund Lee, an editor on the Times’ trust team, led the tour. Lee’s work focuses on improving readers’ understanding of how the newsroom operates.
Students entered the Times’ massive, well-lit lobby at 9:30 a.m., and the newsroom was already bustling. The building is encased in glass, symbolizing the paper’s intention to produce transparent journalism and maintain their accountability to the public. The Times’ influence cannot be understated. Many students were surprised to learn that Times Square got its name from the paper.
The class first stopped by The Times’ in-house museum, which includes such historical items as the first edition of The Times, a miniature model of its previous building, and a display about the printing process. There are also articles on display from The Times’ archives covering topics from World War II to the civil rights movement. The museum serves as a time capsule of world history and a reminder of the values that The Times works to uphold.
The group then walked through The Times’ newsroom, passing by the famous red staircase where the editors announce their Pulitzer Prize winners. They received a glimpse into the paper’s day-to-day operations with reporters and editors typing away at their desks and teams meeting in conference rooms.
Finally, the group attended a career panel led by Carla Correa, The Times’ deputy director of career programs. Correa and Lee spoke about their career paths and tips for aspiring journalists. Raven Campbell, a senior at Hunter, said that what stood out to most to her was learning that many of the people who work at The Times don’t have academic backgrounds in journalism, “so there really is an opportunity for people of all different majors to find a position there.”
