Reporter George W. Schulz urged journalism students to develop investigative skills in a lecture given at San Francisco State University on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009.

Schulz told the students that these skills would make getting the information one needs for a story much easier. He also said these skills would allow them to find stories that others might overlook. He stressed that much of the information one needs for a story is readily available to the public. Schulz said one must be knowledgeable of the world they live in

He noted that one of the strongest tools of a journalist is knowing the area you live in well. This knowledge will lead to great sources. Schulz said he got to know the city of San Francisco by driving newspaper circulation trucks for the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

He also imparted the students with some general tips any journalist. He gave them techniques for interviewing. He taught them about the ways people try to shield themselves from the press. He explained the importance of having general knowledge of the world. He did this by urging students to read as much as they could.

Schulz graduated from the University of Kansas. He went on to work for the San Francisco Bay Guardian. There he learned much of the ins and outs of the newspaper business. He also met A.C. Thompson, who taught him many of the lessons he passed on during his lecture.

Schulz left the Bay Area, returning to Kansas, and worked for the Urban Tulsa Weekly. A new market meant a new perspective for Schulz. He said the change in market taught him a valuable lesson. He had to work harder to meet the new standards. He also learned about the alternative journalism scene through various niche magazines containing articles that the mainstream media never covered. This broadened his sense of what one can do with journalism.

Since returning to the Bay Area, he has gone on to work for the Center of Investigative Reporting in Berkeley. Some of his work there includes finding the impact on civil liberties after Sept. 11, 2001, as well as researching how officials are spending Homeland Security grants. -30-