David Pogue, personal-technology columnist for The New York Times, visited campus this week, speaking to students and community members on mixed media. He also served as the keynote speaker for the second annual opening convocation of the College of Music & Dramatic Arts.
Musician and Emmy Award-winning journalist David Pogue speaks on Campus
The sleeves of his plum shirt are rolled up, cuffed at his elbows. His fingers dance across the ivory keys of a grand piano—the first grand piano in the Manship School of Mass Communication's Holliday Forum. Looking directly at the audience, David Pogue belts out lyrics on technology, adding his original words to familiar songs.
Pogue, a musician and Emmy Award-winning technology journalist, visited campus this week, speaking to students and community members on mixed media. He also served as the keynote speaker for the second annual opening convocation of the College of Music & Dramatic Arts, or CMDA.
For his discussion in the Holliday Forum, Pogue was introduced by CMDA Dean Laurence Kaptain. Pogue and Kaptain have a bit of history as Kaptain presented Pogue with an honorary doctorate in music from Shenandoah Conservatory in 2007, when Kaptain was the dean at Shenandoah.
Pogue is known for his work at The New York Times as the personal-technology columnist. Each week, he submits a Thursday column called "State of the Art," which critiques a various piece of technology. His column is also available online, along with a video and daily blog posts. His videos, known for their humorous nature, appear each week on CNBC.
But Pogue hasn't always been the "techie." He graduated summa cum laude from Yale in 1985 with a distinction in music. Afterward, he spent 10 years conducting and arranging Broadway musicals. Then, a cutting-edge computer program was released: Finale. This music notation software eliminated the need to put pen to paper for writing music. Pogue took to the program and was approached by famous composers and pop artists; they wanted him to teach them how to use the software.
In 2000, The New York Times asked him if he wanted to take over the personal technology column. After seven months and 10 interviews, Pogue joined The Times.
"I have no background in journalism," he said. "I have found my way by delivering things entertainingly."
Pogue started blogging on his own and creating a weekly video, which he wrote, filmed and edited himself. After three years of videos, Pogue received an offer from CNBC. They would do the filming and editing and feature his videos once a week.
As a critic, Pogue admits he gets feedback from readers who disagree with him. However, he says the lowlights in his career, marked by "evil obnoxious bloggers," are small compared to he highlights.
Pogue answered questions from the audience, covering topics such as Google's new call button, the latest Kindle and the effects of living a "digital life."
"Every single generation is terrified of the invisible technology of the next generation," he said. "Every time there is a new technology, there is fear surrounded by myths."
He also explained the correlation between his arts background and his journalism career. Pogue said he was faced with the first "B" of his life while studying at Yale. When he approached his professor, he received the best advice of his life.
"My professor told me every piece of writing is fundamentally intended to be persuasive," he said. "As a critic, I'm on a mission to convince you that I'm right. Theatre is also trying to sell you."
Pogue ended his discussion at the piano, playing melodies of Britney Spears' "Oops, I did it Again," but adding his own lyrics , "Apps, I did it Again," referring to purchasing iPhone applications. He also covered Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe," transforming it into "I Got YouTube."
"It's been fun and none of it did I plan," he said. "I was supposed to be a Broadway guy."
The event was sponsored by the CMDA Performing Arts Series Fee and the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs.
Holly A. Phillips | Editor
| Office of Communications & University Relations
August 2010
