OUR PEOPLE
Johnson Is an ‘Advocate of the Students’ By Brandon Ross
Aric Johnson is the Cronkite School’s Arizona Republic editorin-residence. Photo by Jeffrey Lowman.
He’s a great resource to have because he’s not someone who’s going to give you praise if you don’t deserve it.” Maria Polletta, Cronkite alumna
“He’s always positive. People who work at newspapers now can get kind of grumpy about all the changes and cutbacks, and how ‘the industry is not what it used to be.’ You never hear Aric say things like that.” Kristin Gilger, Cronkite associate dean
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The Cronkite Journal
Few journalists expect to find themselves watching streets roll and houses split in two on their first day of work. But that’s exactly what happened to Aric Johnson — and after the initial shock, the first thing to come to mind was going to work. Johnson, the Cronkite School’s Arizona Republic editor-in-residence, took an atypical path to journalism. After graduating from high school in his hometown of San Francisco, he worked at a movie theater until he enrolled at City College of San Francisco. The enrollment counselor was skeptical about how well he would fare because of his very low high school GPA, but Johnson worked hard to do well his first semester, earning the counselor’s respect. Johnson later transferred to the University of Southern California, where he took the first steps toward his journalism career. His girlfriend at the time worked at USC’s school newspaper, and Johnson decided to join her. “There’s no really awesome story about how I switched to journalism,” he said. Johnson earned his journalism degree from USC in 1993 and went on to intern at the Sacramento Bee and the Pasadena Star-News. His first day at the Star-News was Jan. 17, 1994, the day a massive earthquake hit Northridge, Calif., killing 60 people and injuring thousands. Johnson was in a house he shared with some USC graduate students when the quake hit. “It made noises that no house should make,” he said. “It shook in a way that is really not describable. You couldn’t stand (because) it was shaking so violently. “I thought I was going to die.” But he kept his wits about him and made it to his first day of work. After a year and a half at the Star-News, he became a night police reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal. There he wrote a story about how the lack of a traffic light on a busy street was a safety hazard to people living in the neighborhood. Because of Johnson’s story, a traffic light was installed on the street. A few months after the story was written, one of the neighborhood residents called to thank Johnson, saying the residents had been trying to 2012-2013
get a light there “forever.” “I’ve done some cool stories, but that one probably means the most,” Johnson said. After spending two years at the Gazette-Journal, Johnson moved to The Fresno Bee, where he worked as an assistant metro editor, the paper’s bureau chief in Visalia, Calif., and the business editor. He then joined The Arizona Republic, where he has worked for about eight years. As Cronkite’s Arizona Republic editor-inresidence, Johnson oversees the school’s multimedia reporting course in which students cover breaking news for azcentral.com, Republic Media’s online presence. He treats his students like professional reporters, offering them encouragement and critique. “He has high expectations,” said Maria Polletta, one of Johnson’s former students who is now a reporter for the Republic. “He will ask you to pull up a chair with him sometimes as he edits. He’s a great resource to have because he’s not someone who’s going to give you praise if you don’t deserve it.” Polletta said that Johnson continued to give her guidance and support even after she finished the class, helping her get hired at the Republic. “He always backed me 100 percent,” she said. “He does a good job of navigating that role of being your supervisor, being your boss, but also being a friendly influence.” Cronkite Associate Dean Kristin Gilger said Johnson “is there for them if they need help or advice or support. From day one he’s been an advocate of the students.” “He’s always positive,” Gilger added. “People who work at newspapers now can get kind of grumpy about all the changes and cutbacks, and how ‘the industry is not what it used to be.’ You never hear Aric say things like that. He understands the changes in the industry and embraces them.” Johnson said that while the unpredictability of covering breaking news “can take some years off your life,” he enjoys leading the multimedia reporting program. “This is the best journalism job I’ve ever had,” he said. o