Dylan Goforth: Writing Between the Lines

By Skylar Fuser

Investigative journalism may be the future of news writing, as Dylan Goforth from The Frontier says. Stories that continue to make waves in mass media are those that go behind the scenes and explore deeper than the surface.

            Being a young and influential writer, the way Goforth came into writing is surprising. “I just kind of fell into it,” Goforth said. While Goforth showed interest in news writing as a child, it wasn’t until a teacher encouraged him to be a writer that Goforth began to get serious about reporting.

Getting to this point in his career, Goforth said, has included many instances of “Trial by fire.” Becoming a great reporter requires courage, dedication, and curiosity. Goforth currently works for The Frontier, which has a non-profit model of business. This allows him and his fellow writers the freedom to write without hard deadlines. This also allows more time for investigation and deeper exploration into why stories happen.

When The Frontier was just beginning to take off, there were some discouraging moments. Stories would be explored, written, and revised for days, and then receive very little attention. This new form of news outlet in Tulsa, Oklahoma was just taking off, and very few people had it on their radar. At this point, Goforth had to remind himself to stay motivated. “You can’t judge what is an important story by how many people read it,” Goforth said.

Many news writers get caught up with pleasing readers. They write stories based on what they think people will want to read, and forget about what is important: the story. “If you write something that’s good, that’s important, people will read it,” Goforth said.

Goforth gave important advice to those wanting to go into journalism. “Never assume that someone won’t tell you what you want to know,” Goforth said. Being a reporter can be terrifying. Incriminating questions must be asked to find important answers. While this can stop some reporters in their tracks, Goforth has learned that before giving up, be brave.

            When writing hard-hitting stories, Goforth asks himself, “What’s the story behind the story?” This question has opened doors for investigative writers including Goforth, who has been featured on multiple news segments for stories exposing corruption.

            Investigative journalism is becoming more important to people as internal corruption within government systems is being exposed more frequently. To writers like Goforth who believe in giving people the truth, this is very exciting. “If they don’t write about it, then nobody knows about the corruption,” Goforth said.

            Goforth’s drive for writing is inspirational, as he continues to push the limits of investigation to bring people the truth. “Nobody is going to find out unless I do it,” Goforth said. This mind set is what makes news real and meaningful. Writers that have found their passion in reporting on topics that bring clarity to society and bring healing to communities are what will strengthen the field of journalism and its future.