The Hampton Script

Jaylen Harris | Staff Writer

Gabryelle Awkard

“I love coming home to Hampton, it feels like a second home now,” said Matthew Winkler, Bloomberg News co-founder and editor-in-chief emeritus. Winkler came to visit our “Home by the Sea” to speak with Hampton’s future journalists. The Sept. 25 event started at 4:30 p.m. in Scripps Howard auditorium; seats were filled as the session began with students enthusiastically taking notes, their full attention on him. Winkler spoke on many topics, from the beginning of Bloomberg, the state of journalism and where he is now in his career.

Winkler’s journalism career began upon his arrival at Kenyon College where he wrote for the Mount Vernon News as well as The Kenyon Collegian, the school’s official student newspaper. Not long after, he began working as a reporter and assistant editor at The Bond Buyer before venturing off into becoming a reporter for Barron’s, the founding editor/reporter for the Dow Jones Capital Markets Report and The Wall Street Journal. Winkler then moved on to become the co-founder and editor-in-chief for Bloomberg News with Michael Bloomberg. He has been growing with the company ever since, developing the handbook The Bloomberg Way.

Matthew Winkler spoke about fear as journalists: “The thing we have to fear the most is fear itself. Growth depends on all of us trying to get out of our comfort zone, we should never be comfortable” were the words given to Hampton students from the wise Winkler. He also noted that remaining comfortable is one thing we should never be comfortable with as it limits us into thinking that where we are in life now is good enough; however this mentality will only create a stagnant way of behaving and living.

Additionally, Winkler added, there wasn’t a fear in starting Bloomberg, if anything he knew that it would be great from the beginning. This ties into manifestation and belief. Believing and thinking a way strongly until you see it manifest into what you know it to become.

Winkler also spoke about the diversity that is included within the Bloomberg News company and that there is a diversity program to which students can apply. Executives at Bloomberg News understand how powerful it is to hire more diverse employees, as well as why diversity is needed inside the journalism workforce in particular. Hearing those words gives journalists such as myself hope and a sense of relief that big news companies like Bloomberg hear our problems and are invested in solving them.

“Knowing how hard it is for not only African Americans but women as well to migrate through the workforce, and be paid or treated the same as men and, hearing Mr. Winkler speak about Bloomberg’s Diversity program definitely has increased my interest in applying for the company. I’m grateful that he visited,” said Caprece Miller, a sophomore journalism major and psychology minor from Newport News.

Many students left the auditorium learning more than they expected, now having more insight into Bloomberg. Personally, I will be adding it to the list of companies I will apply to as well.