DePaul University Newsline > Multimedia > Dean Baquet and Lourdes Duarte visit journalism students

Dean Baquet and Lourdes Duarte visit journalism students

April 26, 2019

What's the secret to a great interview? A lot of preparation, says WGN reporter and anchor Lourdes Duarte. Journalism students in Carol Marin and Don Moseley's class dug deep for great questions before meeting with Duarte, a 1999 graduate of the College of Communicaton, and Dean Baquet, executive editor of the The New York Times. Baquet and Duarte did not disappoint with their candid answers on the state of journalism, how to make mistakes (it's going to happen, just own up to them), and their favorite parts of their jobs. Later that day, Duarte and Baquet received awards from the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence for work that embodies the highest principles of journalism, including truth, accuracy, fairness and context.

Left to right, Lourdes Duarte, investigative reporter, co-anchor, WGN News and a DePaul alumna, Dean Baquet, executive editor, The New York Times, and Carol Marin, co-director of the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence at a meeting with College of Communications journalism students. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

DePaul alumna Lourdes Duarte, investigative anchor with WGN News, and Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times, speak with Carol Marin, co-director of the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence. Students in Marin’s journalism class interviewed Duarte and Baquet about their careers. "I think it's an exciting time to go into journalism," Baquet told students. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

Dean Baquet, executive editor of the The New York Times, talks with Carol Marin, co-director of the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence, and College of Communication journalism students on Thursday, April 25. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

Dean Baquet, executive editor of the The New York Times, speaks to faculty member Carol Marin and a class filled with DePaul journalism students. Baquet worked at the Chicago Tribune in the 1980s and won a Pulitzer Prize there for his investigations into corruption. He told those gathered for the awards, "At a time when local journalism is fighting for its life, it’s worth reflecting on that time. There’s no question that a city with great competitive, local journalism is better for it. Ambitious, big-hearted journalism makes a city take a hard look at itself." (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

A students asks a question to Lourdes Duarte and Dean Baquet during a meeting between the journalists and College of Communications journalism students. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

Students interview Lourdes Duarte and Dean Baquet during a meeting between the journalists and College of Communications journalism students. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

Lourdes Duarte, an investigative reporter and co-anchor for WGN News and a DePaul alumna, shares her professional experience with College of Communication journalism students. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

DePaul alumna Lourdes Duarte, an investigative reporter and co-anchor for WGN News, shares her professional experience with College of Communication journalism students. During her award acceptance speech, she thanked her father for the sacrifices he made to from Cuba to the U.S., where he found political asylum. “I don’t tell you this story to make a big political statement, but I tell you to understand what this means to me and for many of the students who come here to DePaul for an opportunity and to get their education here.” (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

Later that evening, Duarte and Baquet received awards from the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence honoring their work that embodies the highest principles of journalism, including truth, accuracy, fairness and context. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

Baquet and Duarte urged DePaul students to stick with journalism as a profession, and expressed excitement for how media is evolving. “I’m still an idealist and there’s still a huge part of me that just wants to change the world. So my view is, however you want to hear about it, however you want to read it, my job is to get it to you,” said Baquet. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)

The distinguished journalists along with College of Communications journalism students. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)