Durham College journalism program gives student endless possibilities

Connor Pringle has barely scratched the surface of his career, but in his two years in Durham College’s (DC)’s Journalism – Print and Broadcast program, he has already achieved more than he thought with only two more semesters left to go.

During his placement at the Sudbury Star in Sudbury, Ont., Pringle’s work made the front page of the city’s newspaper when he documented the awakening of bears after their long winter hibernation.

“I just happened to be outside when I noticed a bear climbing a tree,” said Pringle. “I ran to get my camera and took a lot of shots before I settled on the one that made front page. The bear was looking right at me, claws out.”

The journalism program at DC has provided Pringle with the skills to tackle all kinds of different news stories, and his success has opened many doors – both on and off campus.

“I had the opportunity to photograph OneRepublic – a major American pop band, and interview other bands as well as local actors and actresses,” said Pringle. “About five years ago, I started writing screenplays. I stopped because I didn’t think my writing was good enough. But with the skills my professors have taught me, I plan on writing them once again and hopefully sell one.”

Pringle’s hard work in journalism has not gone unnoticed. At the beginning of the school year, all students were informed of the Journalism Awards, intended to recognize students for their accomplishments. Pringle, through his hard work, walked away with two awards – Best Second-Year Photo and Best Second-Year Broadcast story for two hard news stories he covered for DC’s student-run newspaper – The Durham College Chronicle.

“I was at placement when they held the awards ceremony, and my friends let me know I won the awards through Facebook,” said Pringle. “You know, it’s funny. One day you’re just doing your job, and the next thing you know, you’re winning awards. It’s unexpected, but it feels great to be recognized for your hard work.”

Pringle plans to return to DC his third and final year to complete the three-year journalism program, which was recently consolidated into the two-year Journalism – Web and Print and Journalism – Broadcast and Electronic Media programs.