I have been thinking about writing this week. The generative AI discussion is really making people think about what writing might look like in the future. It was less this though, and actually a quote from one of my favourite local writers in the media, that struck a chord with me. Howard Tsumura, who I have written about here before, and I have known and read for more than 30 years had this interesting quote when writing about the challenge of finding new writers to fill his shoes, “there is no issue finding young people who can take photos, shoot video or help broadcast . . .but finding writers even close to the standard of deadline writing with flair is nearly impossible.”
And I will put my biases out there, as someone who still subscribes to several hard copy newspapers, and finds joy in this act of blogging, I am on “team writing.”
In our digital age, where visual content reigns supreme, it’s no surprise that we find an abundance of talented young individuals adept at photography, videography, and broadcasting. I am so impressed by them in our schools. Their ability to freeze time in a photo or bring an event to life on screen is nothing short of remarkable. These skills are invaluable, and the ease with which students pick up cameras or manage live streams is a testament to their adaptability and tech-savviness. I have great admiration for them. I wish I could do more of what they do. I wish that the posts you read here had more photos and videos to help tell stories and bring my words to life.
However, there’s a different kind of magic in written words – a magic that seems to be fading in the backdrop of high-definition images and live-action videos. The art of writing, especially under the pressure of deadlines and with a flair that captures the reader’s imagination, is a rare find among young individuals today. This is not to say we don’t have good writers, but sometimes I feel like we have fewer writing storytellers with our young people. And yes, I know this is all in a world of murkiness now with the ever growing power of generative AI. Can’t Chat GPT just do this, why do we need to do it?
Writing is not just about stringing words together; it’s about storytelling. It’s about painting a picture so vivid that readers can feel the adrenaline of the moment and it is about conveying the emotions, the passion, and the spirit of the situation in a way that resonates with those who were there and informs those who weren’t. It is something I have tried to get better at – and I have found that my most read posts here have not been my technical pieces of writing or my opinion pieces, but those times I have been able to tell a story and make you feel like you were actually in our schools or with me on a particular journey.
The challenge lies not in the lack of talent but in nurturing the interest and honing the skills required for this kind of writing. Just as we encourage young photographers to look beyond the lens and videographers to see the story in every frame, we need to inspire young writers to find their voice and use it powerfully. We can’t say we are producing good writers if we are just producing good technical writers.
In our schools we must continue to create spaces where writing is celebrated and where young writers feel empowered to explore their creativity. And even at a time when we see traditional print media being some of the worst job security out there, we need to be encouraging students to contribute to school newspapers, blogs, or social media channels. These can give them a platform to showcase their work and build their confidence. And while there may not be as many jobs in the future for using words to tell stories as there have been in the past, I am not ready to abandon its importance.
The quest for young writers who can craft stories with style and meet deadlines is not an impossible one. It’s a journey that requires patience, encouragement, and a collective effort to ignite a passion for writing in young people – in schools and our community. As we continue to marvel at the stunning photos and videos that capture the essence of our school events, let’s also strive to find and nurture the writers who can bring those moments to life in words.
Thanks Howard for the prompt this week.
On the topic of generative AI – I am going to start playing around with using AI generated imaged to accompany my posts. In the past I have largely used stock photos with some personal photos. The photo at the top of today’s post was generated by me pasting this blog post into Chat GPT 4.0 and asking it to generate some options of images that could accompany the post.
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