Photo Courtesy / Alice Yee

Professor Jeffrey Dvorkin of UTSC’s journalism department has the ability to ignite a passion for storytelling in his students.

Dvorkin is as actively involved in writing as he is in teaching writing.

Before assuming his role here at UTSC, Dvorkin was the former Ombudsman for the Canadian National Public Radio.

The professor appears frequently on CBC Radio and other media outlets as a media analyst. He encourages students to hone their skills for the real world through his teaching.

“The greatest reward of teaching is seeing how students are connecting,” said Dvorkin. “I see this when their eyes go up, I can see them and I can hear them.”

Dvorkin’s articles, which also appear on his blog, often explore media issues, such as ethics, bias and the changing role of media.

The well-respected journalist advocates for the importance of media in the modern world. He credits the rising role of social media for creating awareness about recent political events, such as the extensive coverage of one of the year’s most memorable political events: the Arab Spring.

“Social media has transformed politics in the Middle East,” he said.

But Dvorkin is cautious about the future.

“Western media has grown entirely too romantic about these political changes and I worry that we’re being a little romantic about [the] recent Arab Springs,” Dvorkin said.

How does he think media can deal with the situation?

“We have to encourage [the people of these countries], but we also have to be appropriately skeptical so that the values of a free press and an open society are what become part of their revolution as well,” he said.

Dvorkin stresses the value of political freedom.

“We have to do it their way. We can’t tell them how to do it,” said Dvorkin.

Outside the world of journalism and media analysis, Dvorkin leads a dynamic personal life. His long list of hobbies includes watching HBO series, playing tennis, and most importantly, spending time with his family and friends.

The professor also admits that he has “been known to burst [into] song [at] the slightest provocation.”

So what does Dvorkin hope his students will learn from his classes?

“Read and [then] write, because you can’t write unless you read,” advised Dvorkin.

“You have to be a ferocious reader of everything …because the best writers are the writers who hear voices in their heads,” he said. “[These writers are] mixing their voices in with the voices of the people they’ve read.”

You can visit Professor Dvorkin’s blog here.