Review — ‘Passion and Perseverance’ for student journalists and their advisers:

Create a culture of grit, says author and professor Angela Duckworth

 Reviewed by Carolyn Schurr Levin, Stony Brook University School of Journalism


Think of grit, and you may immediately think of John Wayne in the film, “True Grit,” or Jeff Bridges in the 2010 remake.

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“THE POWER OF PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE,” BY ANGELA DUCKWORTH

But grit, says Angela Duckworth, applies to college students and professionals of diverse interests and vocations—including journalism.

Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2013 MacArthur Fellow, offers sage advice that can be applied to college media.

The advice: Create a culture of grit, Duckworth passionately argues in her recently released book, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” and in her 2013 TED Talk, which has been viewed more than 8.5 million times. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a global set of conferences run by the private nonprofit organization Sapling Foundation, under the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading”.

Duckworth defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance exhibited by high achievers, even when they are faced by challenges and hurdles. People act more gritty, she writes, when they’re around gritty people—hence the call to create cultures of grit. Continue reading “Review — ‘Passion and Perseverance’ for student journalists and their advisers:”