Freelance Journalist finds his niche in the details - Patrick Newman - February 9, 2018
It’s all about the details for Victoria’s David Lennam. Freelance journalist, sometimes radio host and author David Lennam came to Camosun Monday to talk to the CMNS 165 class about his experiences in writing and teach an interesting lesson. About 10 minutes into his talk, a member of the audience launched an angry tirade about fake news and attacked Lennam.
“Something weird happened right in front of you and you were all watching it,” said Lennam.
Lennam had an actor planted among the students to prove a point about observation. “The exercise here is great for freelancers because you're out there trying to find a story and not getting paid all the time, “ says Lennam. “You’ve got to observe right?”
No one had really noticed that the angry man in the audience wasn’t a student in the class. Lennam really emphasized that the story you think you’re after, isn’t always the one you’ve gone to chase down, but may in fact, be in hidden in the background. It is up to the journalist to notice things others may not.
“When you enter a room look around.” says Lennam. “If you're interviewing somebody at their house or their office, their space is going to be filled with private things that will tell you about them and it might reveal something really terrible about them. But you should look and and snoop around a little bit and maybe use your camera.”
The author told a story about going to interview notorious free-speech lawyer Doug Christie, a man that infamously defended Nazi war criminals and Holocaust deniers. Lennam said the thing that stuck out to him in Christie’s office was a poster of General Lee.
Lennam related that Doug Christie’s character and attitude were revealed through a poster of General Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate States Army during the U.S. Civil War. When asked about why he had the poster, Christie replied that Lee, ‘was a gentleman, a Christian, a great man and apparently, from what I read, he never hated his enemy… General Lee was also model of a man under great stress. showing patience, consideration, and humility.’ When the lawyer was asked if the general was a role model, Christie agreed.
“So it was like the perfect lead for the story, and I was like wow this is cool. It all ties together just because I asked him about that poster.” said Lennam.
Lennam’s also discussed the difficulties of travel writing, selling stories, the importance of relationships, and getting sued. While Lennam stressed the lack of money to be made in freelance journalism but that one can make a living at it.
“We write because we have stories to tell. We right because we want to change things. If you want to get paid, write a screenplay or something like that,” Lennam said. “I think what you need to do is figure out your niche.” David Lennam has certainly found his.
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