SPEAKER: Welcome to the Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communications What's Your Story podcast. In today's story, we hear from Jennifer Atwater Professor of Broadcast Journalism, News Writing, and Reporting in the Department of Mass Communications. She expresses the importance of always remaining curious.� PROFESSOR JENNIFER ATWATER: We spend so much time in our journalism classrooms learning about style and structure and punctuation and audio editing and video editing and how to take well-composed photograph and how to make sure your video just really doesn't shake so much-- trying to make them ready for the real world, so that when they go into the newsrooms of their future, they'll know what they're doing. But there is one big lesson that I try and teach them. And I hope that maybe they'll remember me for it sometimes.� I always tell them, picture me in my rocking chair when you're on CNN. And think about me when you break these rules that I'm teaching you, because you can break them sometimes, but not now. One of the big things I teach them is about curiosity. I just want them to be curious about the world. You know, we start out covering stories on campus. And I say to them, go look at the bulletin boards. They are fascinating.� I love bulletin boards. There are so many stories there. What's up with that person who needs a new roommate and you can't be allergic to cats. Or I don't know. Maybe there's this interesting story there. Or you have to be able to live with iguanas. There are so many stories. And they'll look at me sometimes skeptically. And then one of them will admit, you know what, I like bulletin boards too.� And I'm like, yes. And we high five. And then we move on. But you know, of course, story ideas go bulletin boards. But I want them to be thinking every time they're out there-- you know, what's up with that? How does that work? Why is that person that way? Why is that law being passed? What is it about it that is making it feasible?� You know, it's so important, especially in today's world, that our journalists are well-trained, but also inspired. And they want to go out there and seek the truth. And I think part of that is being curious. I started my career in lots of little towns-- Columbia, Missouri Boise, Idaho, Des Moines, Iowa, which was actually a really awesome place. And then that led me and my husband to Baltimore.� And I've done all kinds of. Stories I've interviewed famous people. I've interviewed the governor. But I always love the interviews with the everyday people. I love to tell their stories. I love to meet them. I love that they let me into their house, because people let journalists into their lives during the worst moments-- the very worst tragic moments-- and the greatest happiest moments of their lives.� And I really feel that that's an extreme privilege. And I try and pass that along to my students-- that this is a privilege, this job. This is something that will take you places you wouldn't go otherwise.� [MUSIC PLAYING]�