The New Journalism

Cogan Fellow Frank James ’79 adapts to sweeping changes in his profession

by George Fitting '10

June 29, 2010

Frank James ‘79 spoke about the changing media landscape during his campus visit.

Veteran print journalist Frank James ’79 recounted his journey from traditional reporting for some of the great American newspapers to co-hosting a news blog for National Public Radio during the Cogan Alumni Lecture on Feb. 26.

“Blogging and new media aren’t for everyone, but embracing the Internet can create opportunity and save your bacon,” James, a member of Dickinson’s board of trustees, told a capacity crowd in the Stern Great Room.      

James based the title of his lecture, “There’s a Place for Us: An English Major’s Journey from Old to New Media,” on the song “Somewhere” from West Side Story.  He focused on the shift from print to online media, emphasizing that even as newspapers flounder there are still online opportunities in the journalism world.

After graduating from Dickinson, James worked at “a giant insurance company” for a year before becoming a journalist. “I actually owe Dickinson my career in a bizarre way,” he said.

He applied for a job at the Wall Street Journal, unfortunately submitting his resumé and a few clippings from The Dickinsonian to the wrong person. However, the man was a Haverford alumnus who had fond memories of a Haverford-Dickinson football game, after which enthusiastic Dickinson fans rampaged through the town wreaking havoc on flower gardens and plastic lawn furniture. He decided to help James get the job. 

James worked with the Wall Street Journal for 10 years before moving on to the Chicago Tribune. He was national news correspondent based in Washington, D.C., for many years and created the popular political blog “The Swamp.” Highlights of his career include covering Nelson Mandela’s presidential election amid celebratory gunfire and flying on Air Force One with former Mexican President Vicente Fox and former President George W. Bush.

The rise of the Internet changed everything, according to James. “The wheels of the newspaper delivery truck have come off,” he said. Because newspapers make most of their money from classified ads, they are failing to stay afloat in the age of Craig’s list, eBay and pop-up advertisements.

That rise also changed James’ career. “The Swamp” was so successful that NPR asked James and another newsman, Mark Memmott, to create a blog, which they named “The Two-Way,” radio-speak for an on-air discussion between a host and a reporter. James has worked at NPR for a year and is excited to provide breaking news and analysis for the media organization. (Check out his work at www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way.)

Besides meeting with students and delivering the Cogan Lecture, one of the responsibilities of Cogan Fellows is to judge a literary dessert contest at a dinner attended by English majors and faculty. Students submit desserts with literary themes and compete for gift certificates to Whistlestop Bookshop. James chose the winner, Caroline Peri ’10’s “James Joyce’s Dubliners,” Guinness-stout chocolate cupcakes with a Bailey’s ganache center and Irish cream and butter-cream frosting.

The Cogan Alumni Fellowship was established in 2000 by Associate Professor of English Wendy K. Moffat, with the goal of clarifying some of the nebulousness usually associated with career paths for English majors. One or two outstanding alumni with English degrees are selected annually to inform students about their experiences after graduation and to serve as living examples of some of the opportunities the professional world has to offer. Past fellows have included novelist Brock Clarke ’90, poet Susan Stewart ’73 and Fennemore Craig attorney John Balitis ’84.

The fellowship is named after Eleanor Cogan, who received an honorary doctor of letters in 2003 after taking 52 courses at Dickinson, 32 of which were in the English department. It recognizes both her passion for learning and her dedication to the study of literature.  Commenting on Cogan, James said, “She really was a noble Dickinsonian.”