Howell Raines, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and former executive editor of The New York Times, spoke at the 2013 Neil O. and Henrietta Davis Distinguished Lecture on Thursday, April 18 at the Dixon Auditorium at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
Raines' career at The New York Times started in 1978 with him in the position of national correspondent.
He then switched positions many times, but finally landed his executive editor position in 2001. He held the position until May 2003, when he was dismissed for continuing to print Jayson Blair's stories, which contained fake bylines and plagiarism.
Approximately 150 people came to the lecture.
Judith Sheppard, associate journalism professor, opened the lecture by recounting the history of Neil O. and Henrietta Davis' time in Auburn.
Roy Bain, former publisher of the St. Petersburg Times and Raine's co-worker at the Tuscaloosa News, introduced Raines, speaking of their early friendship when Raines was still a "rookie.?
"(We) sized the new kid up and agreed he had talent, good writing and could tell a story," Bain said.
Raines spoke about his experiences working at various newspapers in Alabama and around the world and how they have influenced his point of view.
"The newspapers of Alabama were my graduate school," Raines said.
Raines said he was happy to see many of his old friends, as well as students at the lecture.
"I feel a special kinship with the student journalists who are here," Raines said. "(They) are entering one of democracy's most essential professions in a time when none of us can predict its future."
Raines said students should find out how much a publication will pay them for their skills and what kind of news they will want.
Raines also brought up the constant transformation of technology.
"This revolution in communications technology is the most powerful thing we've seen in human history since the printing press," Raines said.
Jack Simms, former chair of the communications and journalism department, said Raines is a very impressive journalist.
"He's a very aggressive writer, and he's had heck of a career," Simms said.
Margaret Fitch-Hauser, chair of the communications and journalism department, took from the lecture that journalism has influenced the course of history and will continue to shape the course of the future.
"I think anybody can learn a lesson to pursue your dreams like he has done and pursue your passions like clearly he has done," Fitch-Hauser said.
The lecture closed with Raines' stance on how journalists continue to report what they are told, not what is true.
"The American people insist on quoting people we elect accurately," Raines said.
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