On October 16th, Floral Park Memorial had the pleasure of welcoming St. John’s University journalism professor Michael Rizzo to the newly established broadcast journalism class.

Professor Rizzo has been in the sports journalism business for over 30 years and was happy to share his insight and knowledge of the business with the students of FPM. He has covered numerous World Series, Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and even a few Olympics. He currently teaches at St. John’s University and is the head of the journalism program in the Department of Mass Communication. Although we were limited to a single class period, Professor Rizzo was able to present his tips on being a successful broadcaster while also answering our questions. When asking students what they learned after his lecture, many stated the importance of being neutral when reporting a story. Just because you are a Yankees fan, does not mean you can hate on the Red Sox (although that World Series is a pain).

After meeting Professor Rizzo last summer at the National Student Leadership Conference for sports management at Fordham University, my love for the field of journalism has only grown. We are so thankful that he took time out of his busy schedule to visit. A plan for Professor Rizzo to return is already in the works for the spring!