Passion Is Everything: What I Learned From David Carr

As I write this I have tears in my eyes. I was shocked to find out that David Carr, New York Times journalist and inspiration to all, died last night.

There is no way to wrap up David’s life in such a short amount of space. Although I have never met the man, he leaves me with so much knowledge about not only being a journalist, but also an honest and passionate person.

This man took journalism further than anyone could imagine. He lived and breathed the craft. David told us all the truth, kept us informed in the most honest way and never seemed to miss a beat.

As a media columnist for the New York Times, his talents did not stop there. He was able to connect with his readers and give us the trust we needed. He was a hero to a younger generation of journalists. We knew we could trust his words and his passions.

I can remember sitting in my first journalism class four years ago. David Carr was one of the first journalists we talked about. We were encouraged to read the New York Times every day, not just for the weekly quizzes, but for the writing.

The professor spoke to Carr’s passion and the way he stayed on top of and passionate about everything he reported. The class quickly followed him on Twitter, began reading his work and saw for themselves the power of Carr.

He was a liaison between generations; he transformed his writing into something interesting for every person reading it.

A week later, Brian Stelter, a New York Times reporter and good friend to David Carr, came in to talk to us about writing. Carr was one of the first subjects he introduced.

With the class being about the way media was changing, he reassured us as long as there were writers around like David, we would never have to worry about newspapers or journalism being obsolete.

So, now that David has gone, it is up to us to carry parts of him in all the things we write. From fashion to breaking news, there is always a way to carry his legacy on: Be honest and passionate about everything you do. I'm sure David would have wanted that.

If you don’t believe me, just take to Twitter to see all the people who David touched. Many of them never knew the man, myself included, but we had such an attachment to how and what the man lived for, we can’t help but feel a black cloud over this day.

He died doing what he loved in a place he loved. He gave his all until the very end; just hours before his death, he moderated a panel discussion about the film, “Citizenfour.”

Not only did Carr’s journalism career inspire all of us, but his personal story did, as well. He battled cancer and drugs, but came out on top.

He showed us passion wins every time. Hold on to your passion, and you will have the world.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with David Carr, I encourage you, if nothing more, to hop on Twitter and see how the man influenced the industry, future writers and readers. His words and influence will live on.

David Carr will be greatly missed by many. From the people who got to surround themselves with this great man’s talent daily to the people who got to read his work, it’s safe to say there will never be anyone who compares to David Carr.