Solve The Problem

Matt Dulin, the community outreach director for the Missourian, said something in class that resonated with me: “We shouldn’t ask ourselves if we’re giving people what they want or what they need. We should be asking what the problem is and how do we solve it. The true value of a storyteller is finding something that isn’t thrown at you." Dulin’s presentation centered on how to reach out to audiences via social media, but his words also apply to his work as a professional. He came to Missouri two months ago from Houston, and he’s on a mission to meet 100 Columbian residents within 100 days in order to broaden his knowledge about the community. I find his idea to be not only very authentic, but it’s also a way to engage community members who feel underrepresented.
Because society is much bigger than even the needs of one person. As journalists, we have a responsibility to embrace the humanism in our profession in order to paint a bigger, better picture of the reality we share as a community. What this man is doing serves that purpose: reaching out to the voiceless who desire to be heard, not resorting to covering those who suit his own biases. And as a minority, I certainly respect that. -- Chris Yangas