Speeches
Forum Recap: An Interview with the Hartford Courant Opinion Editor
Jeff Benedict, Director of the Institute for Writing and Mass Media at Southern Virginia University, conducted an interview-style forum with special guest Carolyn Lumsden, opinion editor of The Hartford Courant, in front of an audience of students, faculty and staff gathered in the Stoddard Center.
Lumsden addressed her role as the first female opinion editor of the Hartford Courant and recounted the trials and blessings of being a woman in journalism. Both Lumsden and Benedict provided insight on their professional progression in the media industry and offered advice on how to achieve success as a writer.
“You don’t need raw talent to be successful.” Lumsden said, “if you want to achieve something you have to work for it, and skill can be learned whether it comes naturally to you or not.”