Thomas Barstow

Adjunct Instructor

English

Contact

Email

tbarstow@gettysburg.edu

Phone

(717) 337 - 8905

Box

Campus Box 0397

Address

Breidenbaugh Hall
Room 411
300 North Washington St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325-1400

Education

MS Towson University
BS University of Maryland, College Park

Academic Focus

writing and editing

In addition to teaching at Gettysburg, I am a writer and editor who has been a professional journalist since 1985. I am a senior editor with The YGS Group, a magazine publisher based in York, Pennsylvania, and that specializes in producing trade publications for organizations based in the Washington, D.C., area. I also am a frequent contributor to several business publications, including the Central Penn Business Journal in Harrisburg where I once was the top editor. I have been a writer, editor or reporter at news organizations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and New York. I am a former president of the Associated Press Media Editors in Pennsylvania and a former president of the Pennsylvania Society of News Editors. My undergraduate degree is from the University of Maryland, College Park. My master's degree is from Towson University.

Courses Taught

This seminar looks at journalism through some of the great movies about the craft, such as "All the President's Men," "Spotlight," "Salvador," and "Truth." But it also explores some of the anti-heroes through movies, such as "Shattered Glass" and "Absence of Malice." The goal will be to show students how journalism is a noble craft that can change society but also can be misused and cause unnecessary pain. The course will be interwoven with a look at current events and how lessons learned from the movies could be applied to the news of the day. The seminars will focus on class discussion and participation, as well as papers and essays on the movies and current events. The ultimate goal will be to foster critical thinking about the press so the students can be better-informed citizens who can ask the right questions about important issues of the day.