Carol Kino, a New York Times journalist, spoke to SMU students about the future of journalism Wednesday evening in Umphrey Lee Room 244. (Sidney Hollingsworth/The Daily Campus)

There’s no such thing as routine for arts journalist Carol Kino. One week she is interviewing the world’s stop cartoonist and the next she’s highlighting unique features in military art.

The freelancer, who regularly writes for The New York Times, Town & Country, Art + Auction and other publications, spoke to SMU students, faculty and staff in a lecture Wednesday evening.

In her lecture, Kino outlined the future of journalism and gave advice to students trying to break into the industry.

Twenty people came to hear Kino’s take on arts journalism and its uncertain future.

Kino believes that the future of journalism is more in freelance than in staff positions.

“The freelance lifestyle is probably going to be the future lifestyle of journalists, I would think,” Kino said.

“Even when newspapers shed jobs, they have all the more reason to depend on freelancers,” Kino said. “It makes my services in more demand.”

Attendee Melanie Jarrett, who works in SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts marketing department said she thinks this scenario presents new challenges for journalists.

“It’s not just your craft, but it’s the ability to get your craft noticed-that’s something that goes beyond talent,” Jarrett said.
“[Kino’s] entrepreneurial spirit is important for aspiring journalists and working journalists to understand and draw something from.”

But Kino also suggested aspiring journalists try to land a staff position in a publication and link into a network.

“If you want to write, get yourself associated with a publication or some place that has a structure,” Kino said. “Get a staff job, even if it’s not what you want.”

Kino explained that a network of people in the industry is invaluable in staying afloat in the profession.

“You need two sorts of connections: connections with your sources and connections with the people who can get your story into circulation,” she said.

Sophomore Mallory Ashcraft found Kino’s idea of preparing for both freelancing and staff writing “jarring.”

“Kino was saying that you should try to get a job with staff if you can, but then she said the future of journalism is really freelance. So, it’s really double sided,” Ashcraft said. “You have to be ready for both, be ready for anything.”

While many people believe blogging and social media are the future of journalism, Kino suggested that might not be the case.

“Blogs are only as good as the people writing them,” Kino said. “Blogs, a lot of times, are badly sourced opinions.”

Clara Lemon, a junior journalism major in attendance, agreed with Kino’s perspective.

“There are so many voices out there that you really have to filter through and find the most authoritative ones,” Lemon said.

No matter how students choose to venture into journalism, Kino suggested the most important thing is curiosity.

“Ideas are the important things,” she said.

“I love reporting,” Kino said. “I used to have a friend… who used to say, ‘it’s the perfect career for a nosy, curious person.”