Craig Pittman speaks at journalism symposium

The annual journalism symposium held at Troy University will showcase keynote speaker Craig Pittman, author of four books and an investigative reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, on Monday, Feb. 19.

The free event will start at 10 a.m. in the Trojan Center Ballrooms, focusing on the topic “How to Be the Most Destructive Force on Campus: The Truth May Set You Free, but Don’t Expect Everyone to Like It. ”

During his time as a student at Troy University, Pittman worked for the Tropolitan, where he published stories, earning himself the title of “muckraker” and angering a dean, who called him “the most destructive force on campus.”

Pittman was brought on by the Tampa Bay Times in 1998 after covering newspaper beats and natural disasters. In his tenure with the Times, Pittman has covered primarily environmental issues.

Pittman has won the Waldo Proffitt Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism on four separate occasions.

In the summer of 2016, the New York Times described Pittman’s book “Oh Florida!” as “compulsively readable.” Steve Stewart, an assistant professor of multimedia journalism, helped coordinate the event on behalf of the Hall School of Journalism and Communication.

“In this case, Craig Pittman has been a successful student journalist right here at Troy University,” Stewart said.  “So, I think it is an opportunity (for students) to hear what he has to say and also ask him some questions.”

Following the event, a Q&A session with Pittman will take place in Wallace Hall room 336C at 1 p.m.