by Bailey Burnett | Oct 2, 2019 | News Slider
Former local news anchor Lydia Lenker advised Lipscomb communication and journalism students to “enjoy the journey” while chasing life’s opportunities during the school year’s inaugural installment in the Media Masters Series. That series, hosted by the Department of Communication and Journalism, brings media professionals to campus to offer insight to students as they ponder their futures. As a part of the advice she offered students, Lenker urged them to call and reach out to people to get their names out there, elevate their profiles. “This town is so full of media opportunities. Make the first move, share information, and build trust,” she said. She reminded students to be aware of — and careful with — their social media presence. “Employers go right to social media to see what you are all about,” she said. “Be really aware of your virtual footprint.” Lenker brought tons of experience to the appearance. After Lenker graduated from Temple University, she worked in numerous roles behind the scenes in TV production, as well as some on-air radio positions. Eventually, Lenker worked her way up to her dream position of a reporter/anchor at NewsChannel 5 in Nashville, where she won an Emmy for “Best Weekend Newscast” in the Southeast region. She also was known among the news media, locally, for her strong reporting about the state Legislature and the governor. That pretty much set the stage for the non-broadcast part of her career. After her 16-year stint as a reporter and anchor with NewsChannel 5, Lenker became the press secretary for Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen during his initial campaign and continued in that role through...
by Erin Turner | Sep 15, 2014 | News Slider
Phil Williams is no liar. He is an award-winning investigative reporter who always seeks to tell the truth. “You never can tell who’s telling the truth and who’s telling you a lie unless you’re willing to do the hard work of testing it,” Williams said to a group of communication students at Lipscomb’s first Media Masters event of the school year. To illustrate the mindset of an investigative reporter, Williams called on a volunteer from the audience to close their eyes and do the trust test with him. “All of your life you’ve been told ‘learn to trust people.’ “Well, the mindset of an investigative reporter is ‘trust no one.'” Williams discovered early on that a journalist should always be a truth seeker, constantly seeking not just an answer, but a truthful answer. “With a lot of people that you will interview as a journalist, telling the truth is not exactly what they have in mind. They want to put their spin on the truth rather than just coming out and acknowledging it.” “We live in a world where truth isn’t always the best defense because sometimes a lie is much more powerful.” When working on investigative work, Williams suggests to first determine the truth if possible. If the truth cannot be supported with proper evidence, Williams explains that it is always best to give both sides of the story. “I think you have to deliberately put your biases and suspicions aside to tell the truth as much as you can. “I have great faith in the public to decide for themselves to decide if someone’s telling the truth or...
