Episode Transcript
[00:00:09] Speaker A: This is the owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens. This is the alumni edition.
Listen to the exciting story of the american community schools of Athens. Check out what drives all the members of our international community of learners as we create the education of the future.
Here's John Papadakis.
[00:00:46] Speaker B: This years academy commencement speaker was none other than the distinguished Tom Mustin, a veteran in the world of broadcast journalism and proud ACS Athens aluminum. With a celebrated career in television news, Tom has navigated the rigorous demands of the industry, emerging as a highly respected storyteller and communicator. His journey is marked by resilience and excellence, qualities that have earned him three Emmy awards as both an anchor and reporter. In addition to his on screen accomplishments, Tom brings a wealth of experience in media communications coupled with a commitment to education. As an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Tom Mustin's commencement speech was a profound and inspiring address centered around five critical lessons for our graduates. He emphasized the importance of adaptability with his first lesson, it's okay to change direction. Recognizing when you are on the wrong path and having the courage to start anew is crucial. His second lesson, dont be afraid to fail, underscores the value of learning from mistakes and persisting towards your dreams despite setbacks. The third, good is the enemy of great challenges graduates to strive for excellence rather than settling for mediocrity, stressing the need for hard work and dedication. The fourth, check your excuses at the door, speaks to personal accountability and the importance of being reliable and diligent in pursuing ones goals. Finally, Toms fifth lesson, just go for it, encourages graduates to live without regrets, to pursue their passions with vigor, and to surround themselves with supporting and uplifting individuals. These principles, drawn from Toms own experiences, were designed to equip our graduates with the mindset needed to navigate the complexities of their future careers and personal endeavors. As his commencement address still reverberates, Tom visited the media studio to talk more about the news media and the crucial qualities of media literacy. In today's episode of the Outcast, Tom emphasizes the significance of serving a school community with a global perspective and the unparalleled benefits of a robust alumni network. We discussed the qualities essential for graduates to succeed, emphasizing the power of storytelling in the media industry. Tom's insight into the human element of communication highlight how genuine connection and empathy are key to impactful storytelling.
Additionally, he shares his personal reflections on what it means to be recognized with multiple Emmy awards, offering a glimpse into the personal fulfillment that comes with such achievements. Furthermore, Tom talks about the crucial need for media literacy in today's information rich society and the ongoing challenge of maintaining fairness and balance. As a journalist, he urges our community and its graduates to check their excuses at the door if they wish to excel and addresses the significant role of parents in guiding their childrens interactions with artificial intelligence. Through his words, Tom aims to inspire a new generation of graduates to embrace their potential, uphold integrity and commit to lifelong learning. Tom Astin's commencement speech left an enduring mark on our community and of course, the class of 2024, imparting wisdom that will resonate well beyond their time at the academy. His extensive experience and heartfelt advice is undoubtedly inspiring as our graduates forge their paths with courage, dedication and a relentless pursuit of excellence. We're proud to welcome Tom Mustin in the media studio of ACS Athens.
[00:04:43] Speaker C: Although you've been in Greece before, it's the first time you're visiting ACS Athens since you left in the late seventies.
So it's only logical to ask you, Tom, what was your first impression as you crossed the gates of your school?
[00:04:57] Speaker D: I didn't even recognize it. John vaguely could see some of the buildings, but it's changed so much in a good way. And the most impressive thing was you took me into the media center. I went, this is better than I would see it in college, University of Colorado. So, yeah, it's, I mean, it's been almost 50 years, so it has changed a lot. But a lot of memories came rushing back there. When I walked in the courtyard, I went, oh my gosh, it feels like yesterday.
[00:05:20] Speaker C: What kind of vivid memories come to you? I mean, what has stayed with you all these years?
[00:05:25] Speaker D: Well, one of the things I remember walking across the courtyard, there was a little area where you could buy a rice pudding and bread, and we used to kind of sneak off campus. I'd wait like the monitor was there. I'd wait till he turned his back. I'd run over and get it.
[00:05:38] Speaker C: Kids fences at that time.
[00:05:39] Speaker D: No, kids don't try this at home. But anyway, so I would go there and get rice pudding and bread, and that was my lunch and I loved it.
[00:05:46] Speaker C: Fresh bread, it's kind of a unique combination.
[00:05:50] Speaker D: It's very healthy. I eat a lot better now, though. Yes, but I just remember the smell of the fresh bread and eating that rice pudding, and it was just a joyous memory from high school.
[00:05:59] Speaker C: Did you try to find rice pudding in Colorado?
[00:06:01] Speaker D: Well, you told me about a place. I'm going to try this, maybe tonight. I have not had a chance to get it.
[00:06:05] Speaker C: There's a greek grocery somewhere in there. We found it after you mentioned it in the knowledge series, but it was too far away to offer it.
[00:06:15] Speaker D: Oh, that's nice.
[00:06:16] Speaker C: So you've been an active member of ACS Athens Global, our alumni network, serving also as a member of the advisory council. What would you say is or should be the role of alums in a school like ours that is quite unique in its history, in its international community and perspective in education?
[00:06:34] Speaker D: Well, one thing I know. Cause we left here and I actually graduated in the Washington, DC area, is the perspective that students have here. You're an american or you're from another country and you're in a foreign country, so there's a protective bubble over you in the school, and it's a unique experience. So I think that the bonding is much greater. You're almost like you're together in this crazy world and you have to sort of make it work. So, you know, 65 different nationalities represented here. That's really, really impressive. And I don't think that's something you get anywhere else in the US. You know, the US, we all are from the United States, so it's. But here it's a foreign country. It's almost like you have to band together. You're part of a team, and I think that's a special thing, and that's what makes acs so special to me.
[00:07:16] Speaker C: So how can someone capitalize on this bond between the alums of a school like acs, where, you know, we have graduates all over the world and we go to different places, and doctor pelones and the members of the council and everybody, wherever they go, they're trying to create a mini reunion, mini gathering of the people that are local, and we see their reaction. So, as someone who knows how we work and how the ACS Athens Global was planned and how it's operating, how does this connection, in a sense, benefit?
How do you see it?
[00:07:53] Speaker D: I just think the global perspective is something that not a lot of high schools in the world have. So why not? I mean, I remember that reading the newsletter and seeing that there was a reunion in DC and my brother went to it.
It's amazing, but all the different perspectives across the world, we need to utilize those people to give us their perspectives and help out. So I love that.
[00:08:16] Speaker C: Getting back to the reason that brought you here, you were a great commencement speaker for the class of 2024, and we're all proud that you were here and the one who shared life experiences and mentorship to these future leaders and citizens of the world. These graduates entered high school during the first year of COVID and they had to be resilient enough to adapt to new methods, new mentalities that used to be good to have, but now it was critical to have. I'm talking about online learning, virtual classrooms, hybrid learning materials, etcetera. So they graduated, having thrived through the landscape and opportunities they faced. What do you think are essential qualities or traits that today's graduates cannot do without as they try to navigate higher education and their careers in general?
[00:09:06] Speaker D: That's a great question. I think you need to. I mean, I said this in my speech. The common denominator of anyone who's successful is hard work and perseverance. And whether you're in Covid, in lockdown or not, it's something that will serve you well no matter what field you're in. And I think there's no magic formula to success.
Every day you punch that clock, you go in there and get better every day. And I always said to myself when I started journalism, I want to get better today. That's my goal. And I started off awful and got okay following that thing. So I just think what you can learn from the ACS community is that there are a lot of very successful people here. I mean, I was kind of humbled just being in the presence of some of these people.
The fact that we can utilize these people to talk to us and be mentors is pretty amazing. I think that's great.
[00:09:59] Speaker C: Your career in entertainment, journalism and the media has been a long and successful one with multiple words and distinctions. You have won three Emmy awards as a tv news reporter. But primarily describe yourself as a storyteller.
[00:10:14] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:10:15] Speaker C: So is this the first quality to develop as a person? If you want to make it in the media business?
[00:10:19] Speaker D: I think in tv news you have to be a storyteller because, you know, you covering a city council meeting, it can be pretty boring. And the first thing, if someone's home watching you do this boring story, they're going to change the channel. So the goal is to keep the viewers watching you. So, yeah, being a storyteller, as you know, I always think of myself as watching a newscast. What would I want to see? So if you can tell an interesting tale, you'll get people to continue to watch. And I think being a storyteller separates the really good journalists from the ones who are just okay. And in life, you want to be the good journalist.
[00:10:54] Speaker C: So what's a good question to ask yourself when you try to figure out what's the story?
[00:10:59] Speaker D: That's a good question. Well, what I always tell my students, you know, I teach at the University of Colorado in Boulder, is, you know, build your story around a person. I don't want to have a story talking to officials. I don't want three police officers talking about a crime. I want to talk about the person whose house was robbed. So you want to get interesting people telling their stories, and then people at home can relate to that.
[00:11:20] Speaker C: That human element.
[00:11:21] Speaker D: Exactly. Exactly. You need that human element because otherwise it's just.
[00:11:25] Speaker C: It's just a press release.
[00:11:26] Speaker D: Yeah, it's a press release, and you're talking to an official saying at 0600, the house exploded and no, I want to hear about the family who now cannot eat at home because their roof blew off.
[00:11:36] Speaker C: You know, do you think that this is a good rule of thumb for any kind of communication?
[00:11:42] Speaker D: I think so, because you, the way you get people interested is you build the story around someone whose life has changed because of the story you're covering. And if you're talking to an official who's just reporting on it, you don't have the same resonance with the audience. You need to have that human connection. Like, if I'm doing a story about acs and I don't talk to you, John, it's not going to work. I need to have you talking about your experience here and why it's so.
[00:12:07] Speaker C: Rewarding for you, and there are so many of me's in this school.
[00:12:16] Speaker A: You are listening to the owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens.
[00:12:29] Speaker C: Well, the Emmys you have won were earned for specific stories you produced and presented. Which of the three Emmys is most significant to you personally? Which one you feel the most proud of or resonates more with you and your personality?
[00:12:45] Speaker D: Well, you know, I'm proud of all of them because they were for different things. One of them, I was anchoring a newscast. It was breaking news. A police officer was shot in Denver, and we were on the air for 6 hours, basically just kind of talking about what we were learning. And there was no script, and that was me on the desk doing it. So I was proud of that. The other one was where I was a reporter after a school shooting, and I was live in the field, which I was proud of, too. Not that, you know, it was a horrible story, but I thought the stories we brought about families who were concerned about their children were really good. Obviously, it resonated then. The other one was a national Emmy. We got for same kind of a story, another tragic story. And I was a reporter, too. So they're all very special, and I was honored to win those.
[00:13:27] Speaker C: Excellent.
And how about the capacity to tell the true story, not only from the storyteller's perspective, but also for the audience? I mean, we live in an increasingly heavy burden to try to decipher real from fake truth from alternate truth, and fact from belief. In a nutshell, how important is it to be media literate in this day and age?
[00:13:51] Speaker D: It's more important than ever, John. And, you know, our job as a journalist is to present both sides of a story and get out of the way and let the viewer or the reader or the listener decide what is right. If a viewer or listener or reader can see where I'm leaning in a story, I've completely failed. And the trouble with a lot of the so called journalists today is they give their opinions on things. And whatever you think of Donald Trump or Joe Biden, your job is, if you're gonna say something bad about Biden or Trump, you need to balance it with the other side. That's what I preach all the time, as a fair and balanced. As a news person, news anchor. And people have gotten away from that now, it's a lot of entertainment now. And there are journalists who are more entertainers than actual journalists, and that's tough for me to see.
[00:14:36] Speaker C: Well, if you're going to report fair and balanced news or stories or whatever, you also need to be fair and balanced as a person.
[00:14:43] Speaker D: Correct?
[00:14:44] Speaker C: So for someone who's going towards that field, how can they develop this fairness in their personality?
[00:14:51] Speaker D: Well, you have to work on it, because we all have opinions on everything. You know, when I'm doing a story about something, I know how I feel in real life, but the challenge is to go about it as a person, almost like a craftsman, who's saying, okay, I'm going to tell this story to an unbiased audience. So you got to step away from your personal opinions and just present facts as a journalist. And that takes work to get to be that way.
[00:15:13] Speaker C: Okay, at this point, let's speak into the rabbit hole now. And the rabbit hole is media literacy and AI. Fake news. Deepfakes, yes, but also enhanced creativity, multiple modalities, and unlimited resources. What's your take? How do you see the onslaught of AI in the media business?
[00:15:32] Speaker D: You know, we can't stop it, John. It's out there. AI is here. And, you know, whether you're using chat GPT to write a script, it's there. But you still, more important than ever, you need to. You need to make sure what you're saying is fair, because they've done studies with AI, they can write a great report, but there are inaccuracies in that report, their biases, their biases, and you need to catch that. So for me, I've used it just to try it and find out what's going on in. My students use it a lot, too. But you're still a journalist, and you can use AI to help you with things or help you get started or give you some background, but you got to make sure you check every word of that copy. There have been mistakes that have gone on the air. Fake news stuff that's gone on the air. People sent like, news releases out as a joke that was all written by AI, and it's gone on live and people believe it. They believe it because it's news. So, yeah, it's a slippery slope, John. AI could be really good and it's here, or it can also be used for really bad things.
[00:16:32] Speaker C: How do you handle your students when you know that you asked them to write something and you can see that that is not what they. It's not their own?
[00:16:40] Speaker D: Well, I tell them, you know, okay, you're allowed to use, use AI, chap, GPT, whatever, in my class. But know that when you're in a newsroom, you're always under a deadline. You don't have time to go google something, and you have to just. There's the danger of using that as a crutch. AI, you're still a reporter. You're still gonna have to go knock on doors and talk to real people.
[00:17:01] Speaker C: So is that still happening?
[00:17:04] Speaker D: I'd still do it. We always say the story's not in the newsroom. If there's something happening in a city, you've got to go there and knock on doors and talk to people, because a lot of times you'll try to call them, email them, and you're waiting 3 hours and you don't hear. So I'm always more proactive. You know, we're on a deadline. I don't have time to wait 3 hours for a phone to ring. I'm still live at 05:00 and it's 230. So I always say to my photographer, let's go, let's go out there. And that's the way I've always operated. It seems to work.
[00:17:32] Speaker C: Yeah. The main concern that I have sometimes when I read an article or when I listen or see a story on video or radio is that we have a very rapid cycle of news. And you have your news director who's telling you as a journalist, we have to write a copy by 2 hours from now. And, you know, you don't have the time to go knock on doors and you have to rely on the Internet. And so is this diluting the journalist spirit of trying to find the bottom line and try to find what's really happening? I mean, that is something that I cannot find an answer. Yeah, you know, it's an industry standard. I mean, you know, after cable news.
[00:18:16] Speaker D: Came in the eighties, immediate gratification. And, you know, students the age of the kids at acs and in college aren't watching local news. Now when they want a story, they pick up their phone, they want it instantly. So there's, you're always under the pressure to beat the other journalists on the other stations and get it quickly. But the danger in that is, okay, you might be on first, but you might be giving us wrong information. So it's better to be wait that extra 20 minutes to verify something to go live. But you're always under pressure to get it first. So, you know, that's one of the things about, especially television news, is the second you walk in that newsroom, the hourglass is turned over and you are on a deadline, and nobody cares about your headache or your fight with your boyfriend or your girlfriend, and your dog's hurting, okay, that's all great, but you're still live at 05:00 and if you go to your news director and say, you know, I'm not feeling, I have a mental health day I need today, cause I'm just not feeling, they'll say, oh Tom, I'm so sorry, you're fired. The reality is you are there to get the job done and you gotta, I said at my speech, check your excuses at the door. You are a professional reporter and you know the deadline, you know the deal and the adrenaline's flowing, just get the job done. The show must go on.
[00:19:29] Speaker C: Our community is made of young parents and children who are growing up within social media, AI assisted learning and technology on their fingertips. This generation will see the dominance of AI. What advice or insight do you have for parents who are debating whether to embrace this technology or raise the floodgates to protect their children?
[00:19:51] Speaker D: You know, I think as a parent you sort of have to, everyone's different. You gotta gauge it differently. For me, you know, my kids are already are grown, so they're not, they're out of the house. But would I be worried if I had a twelve year old kid and never had access to AI? Maybe, but I think the best thing you can do as a parent is to go over it with them and sort of give them little doses of it and work with them together on it. AI is.
[00:20:15] Speaker C: But you also have to be educated as a parent.
[00:20:17] Speaker D: Well, that's what I mean. But you need to learn it with them, too, which is smart, because I have a lot of friends who are my age. They don't have any idea what SS AI said. You better get used to it because it's here. So people are looking at AI like it's this big danger. I look at it as an opportunity to help you. So how you look at AI depends on how you use it. And I think the best thing to do is get educated about it.
[00:20:38] Speaker C: What we say to our parents here is you have to see AI as a partner. You cannot see it just as a tool.
[00:20:44] Speaker D: Right.
[00:20:45] Speaker C: And this is something that we always talk about with our students because they're coming in. As I said before, you know, we know that they're using AI in everyday life.
The point is, if you know how to use everything through AI, you are going to be obsolete on your own.
[00:21:02] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:21:03] Speaker C: In a few years. So the mentality also for the parents should be go through it with your kids, as you just said, and make sure that you know the pitfalls and know the dangers and know what needs to be used and not something to avoid it.
[00:21:19] Speaker D: Yeah. And the scary thing is, and you mentioned this too, John, you see these deep fakes where like LeBron James is talking about when he met Jesus Christ and you're looking at going, this is, that's his voice.
[00:21:30] Speaker C: Cannot be true, though.
[00:21:32] Speaker D: I don't think he met Jesus Christ. He's a great player. I don't think he's gone back in time, but, yeah, so there's a danger there. And we've seen things where national news has run stuff that was AI generation deep thinking. So that is a problem. But I think as we all grow up with it, more that will come to pass.
[00:21:50] Speaker C: So more optimistic or pessimistic?
[00:21:53] Speaker D: I'm optimistic because I think any kind of new tool can be a good thing depending on how you use it. So get educated, figure out how it works and how to use it to your advantage, but don't use it as a crutch, especially as a journalist. Your job still is to get the facts and meet people and get out there and do a story. So use it to help you, but don't use it to be the only tool you use.
[00:22:17] Speaker C: Finally, Tom, you are a university professor who's also a practitioner. You teach to your craft based on your long experience, not just on theory. The class of 2024 you addressed the other day included graduates that aspire to have a career in journalism and the media. If you sat down with these students and talked to them on a personal level, not as a commencement speaker over the podium, but as someone who knows the industry, what would you tell them to avoid? What's your best advice you could give them?
[00:22:49] Speaker D: Well, you know, I said it earlier, too. The secret is working hard.
Tv news, especially, people have this thing that's so glamorous. Oh, you're on tv all the time. Yeah, you are. They don't see that the 9 hours beforehand where you're standing out in the snow or the sun and putting the story together. So understand that, yes, it is glamorous, and people recognize you in the grocery store and whatever else, but also, there's a lot of work that goes behind it. I would say journalism is at a crossroads right now, so we need good journalists more than ever. And I'll tell you what, I was so inspired meeting some of those students here at ACS because it made me feel reinvigorated about the future. There were a couple of years ago, I was thinking, wow, we are just in trouble. You know, we've got a president who's calling us fake news and the enemy of the people, and it's just. It's a dark time. But now I think we're kind of. We're seeing the light a bit. And the students are smarter than ever. They know technology better than ever. But they also have to understand that they're still going to have to step it up every single day and work hard.
[00:23:51] Speaker C: So I'm also optimistic, to tell you the truth, because they have instinctive, and they are. They're given so many things to see and watch that their instinct kicks in. And I agree with you. Hard work and make sure that you stay true to your. To your purpose. Tom Austin, thank you so much for stopping by the studio and the school and for being inspiring to everybody here at the community. And we hope we're not gonna see you after 50 years again.
[00:24:19] Speaker D: No, no, no. I promise I'll come soon. But, John, it was an honor to be here. Thank you so much, and great to see you, my friend.
[00:24:23] Speaker C: Thank you for doing this. Thank you.
[00:24:27] Speaker A: You are listening to the Owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens. Make sure you subscribe to the Owlcast on Google Podcast, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. This has been a production of the ACS Athens Media studio.
