Brandon Skaggs

10/16/12

Sandra Knispel Story

Word Count: 350

UNIVERSITY, MS- An experienced journalist shares her wisdom with journalism students to help give them a better grasp of the professional and personal sides of life for a journalist.

Sandra Knispel is a two time award winner of the Edward R. Murrow award and a  master’s graduate from the University of Mississippi.  She was born in Germany but attended the University of Wales in the United Kingdom.  After earning her B.A. she moved to New York to work for a German-American Newspaper.  She did not keep this job long, due to her boss. 

Knispel spilling tricks of the trade to the students had a lot of advice.  “Voraciously consume news,” advised Knispel to her audience supporting her advice with cons of the journalism world.  “Right now getting a job in journalism is hard,” said Knispel, emphasizing the urgency for starting internships early and learning to “adapt” as needed.

As for her advice on emotions Knispel was clear that as a reporter it is one’s job to be objective and just report the news, facts, and statistics, and to just let the soundbites and quotes do the emotional work for you.  Her most memorable reporting experience was with a war veteran with post traumatic stress disorder.  She claims that the reason it was her most memorable was because she was interviewing this burly ex-soldier covered in tattoos and seeing him breakdown and cry.  She even said she began to cry herself, but knew that she must continue to obtain all the information she needed.

Knispel seemed to emphasize more than anything to “Protect your credibility.”  Knispel was very clear that on moral guidelines, plagiarism, and integrity to never be false or immoral with your reporting, “It’s ultimately all you’ve got.”

Knispel works for the Mississippi Public Radio as a freelance journalist to have a more flexible schedule to take care of her children, but still continue working.  She spoke to journalism students here at UM on Thursday, October 11th in Farley Hall room 124 for UM’s “Meek Week.”