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students just starting out, their message is often unintelligible. One newspaper editorcame to class armed with the latest national research sponsored by an association ofnewspaper editors. She spent the first forty-five minutes reciting book, chapter andverse of the study. As a researcher, I found it fascinating. My students, on the otherhand, were completely bored, even those who were headed toward journalism careers.Finally, toward the end of the period, I interrupted from the back of the room. What,I asked, do you think all theis means for students headed toward careers in newspapersor other media? The speaker had no idea. The insider comes and talks about theirworld, their job, their views, often without fully considering who they are speaking toor what level of knowledge the audience might have.Managing Guest SpeakersAfter enduring these archetypes in various forms and fashion in my own classroom, Idecided to attempt to develop strategies for using guest speakers more effectively.Rather than giving up entirely on inviting speakers into my classes, I knew there mustbe a way to make the experience more productive for both the speakers and thestudents.Speakers as CurriculumThe first step came in developing a stable of speakers who came in and did a wonderfuljob of communicating. Despite the above archetypes, there are professionals who cancome into a classroom and engage, entertain and inform. But even with these speakers,it’s crucial to discover what their strengths are and build those strengths into acurriculum. This involves two steps. First, through listening to professionals andquizzing them about their interests and expertise, you determine what their strengthsare. Some are better lecturing about developing story ideas, others excel when talkingabout ethics, still others have developed special techniques in investigative or on-linejournalism that they can teach effectively to students. The key, no matter their field, isto find where their passion and expertise lies. The second step comes in building thesespeakers and their strengths into the course curriculum.Keeping Speakers on MessageIt falls upon the instructor to prepare the speaker as best he can for the class ahead.When I schedule a speaker, we talk first about a specific topic the speaker is likely tocover. This makes it clear from the outset that the class will not be a free-for-all. Imake it clear that I need the speaker’s help to cover a particular topic, and between us,we decide what that topic should be.I then ask the speaker to provide me, several weeks in advance, an outline of exactlywhat will be covered. This is a not-so-subtle way of sending a message that thereshould be an outline. Few professionals give a presentation without an outline. Nobroadcast journalist does a story for an evening newscast without first writing a script,so I am merely asking for the same kind of preparation for the class presentation.Although some speakers are surprised by the request, most comply. If, as the dateapproaches, I have not received the outline, I e-mail the professional, with anotherrequest for the outline. Once I have received the outline, I review it and may makesuggestions for what additional points might be covered. When a speaker arrives with72Feedback April 2003 (Vol. 44, No. 2)