THP 30: Walter Ratliff

Program: Graduate Liberal Studies
Current Position: Content Manager, Religion Beat Editor, Associated Press
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
LinkedIn: Walter Ratliff

Describe an interesting trend you see emerging in your profession and how you think it will affect the field:

Digital news is undergoing a revolution. Traditional ways of telling stories, engaging audiences, and distributing content are being challenged with new technologies and new ways of creating content. This is certainly a challenge for the old business models. However, it's an exciting time for journalists who are discovering ways to tell compelling and informative stories through multiple media outlets and a close connection to the audience.

What has been your most unique learning experience and why?

Last September, I traveled to Egypt to conduct field research for my DLS thesis. A big part of my doctoral project is demonstrating how religious civil society organizations define their values and mobilize their constituencies. During this research trip, I conducted a focus group with working children in a very poor Cairo neighborhood. We discussed the challenges they face in pursuing a stable future. Their circumstances made the prospect of a good education very difficult, and they often fall through the cracks of a broken government bureaucracy. I learned how civil society organizations can step in and help make a profound difference in the lives of the vulnerable. The nuts and bolts of how this works will be an integral part of my DLS thesis.