An award-winning and innovative storyteller whose career has spanned print journalism, broadcast television and documentary film will discuss his transition from photographer to filmmaker as well as his overarching approach and professional passion during a question-and-answer session March 2 as part of the Journalism Speakers Forum, which features weekly speakers during the spring semester at Penn State.
The session featuring Ben Garvin, who has been honored with journalism’s highest accolades and traveled around the world on assignment, will begin at 7 p.m. March 2 on Zoom.
Garvin grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, raised by parents who taught him to remain idealistic about a world that's often dark. He’s carried that philosophy into his award-winning work for more than two decades, first as a still photographer for newspapers and now into television and documentary filmmaking.
Garvin has covered local, national and international stories during his career. What he remains most proud of in his career is the "Love Them First" documentary about a Minneapolis school, which he co-directed, shot and edited in collaboration with a KARE 11 team. "Love Them First" earned Columbia University’s Alfred I. duPont award, which is often called "the Pulitzer Prize" for broadcast journalism.
Garvin has worked for the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune in Minnesota, the Christian Science Monitor in Boston and the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire as well as KARE 11.
The series of special guest presentations was coordinated by Will Yurman, the Norman Eberly Professor of Practice in Journalism in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Yurman serves as host for the weekly discussions. Videos of previous visitors for the forum may be found online.