Despite his career change, Joel Sappell said he is still a journalist to the bone. A former investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Sappell now works as the deputy director for strategic communication for Los Angeles County. Sappell is one of three guest speakers invited for Journalism and Public Relations Day Monday where he’ll touch on his experience in the realms of journalism and public relations. Sappell spoke with the Daily 49er about the importance of utilizing skills from both fields and the necessity for student journalists to make professional connections and immerse themselves in news.
How did you come to be the guest speaker for journalism day?
I worked with [journalism professor] Gary [Metzker] at the L.A Times for years and I believe that Gary recommended me as a speaker. I think originally, his idea was to have me speak about my experiences covering the Church of Scientology, but then it got kind of morphed into something broader because I have made that transition into, for lack of a better word, public relations. So I think it’s going to straddle both those worlds: hardcore journalism and public relations and how to incorporate some of those principles of journalism into the field of public relations.
What do you think student journalism and public relations students can take away from you discussing the relationship between the two fields during Journalism Day?
A lot of that depends on where they are and what they’re doing in that public relations. In general, I think that journalism is based on honesty, integrity, [and] information. PR and journalism, if at their root they are based on providing of quality information to the public, then that is what I would hope to convey. That you can take those values and skills of journalism and put those to work in public relations, and when you do that, it has the ring of authenticity to the public and it builds integrity and credibility for your client, whether that is the government or a private individual.
What advice would you give to the student journalists at CSULB now?
Obviously every student needs to to be on the cutting edge of whatever is happening now and what’s happening next. It’s crucial for student journalists to be immersed in the news; to consume different kinds of publications, to be involved in it. I’ll get more into this in my talk, but my thing was: I was big on internships.
I think getting into a professional environment where you can make connections is a big part of it because I’ve done a lot of hiring over the years and it’s one thing to get a resume, and a good cover letter is essential, but if I’m working with an individual already, through an internship program or whatever, I get a chance to see that person up close. So I think, as a student, getting into a professional environment where you can build connections and see how it operates is crucial. My advice is: Get into a professional setting as fast as you can and soak it up, make connections.
Journalism and Public Relations Day is open to all Cal State Long Beach students and will be held in the USU Ballroom Monday from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.