Journalism may be the ultimate test of a liberal arts education: Step into a chaotic situation, ask tough questions, evaluate the politics, psychology, science, economics, or philosophy driving it, and then put it all into words so that millions will pay attention and understand its significance.
Few do the job as well as TIME magazine Miami Bureau Chief Tim Padgett ’84. Witness the work, the awards, and, most recently, his coverage of Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s fall from power in the magazine’s March 8 edition.
But working as Padgett’s colleague in Haiti was an up-and-comer with journalistic gifts of his own—former Rhodes Scholar finalist and, since October, Associated Press Dominican Republic correspondent Peter Prengaman ’98.
While filing his own stories on the Haitian power grab for AP and newspapers around the world, Prengaman also kept Padgett informed about events in Haiti after Tim had to return to Miami. It was the first professional collaboration between Prengaman and his mentor.
“Since I met him at Wabash in early 1998, Tim has taught me so much,” Prengaman says, recalling one of Padgett’s visits to campus to work with The Bachelor staff and other writers. “The first time I met him, I had my head shaved for a big swim meet. I was naïve and very excited to be meeting this accomplished journalist who took an interest in me. Much of what I’ve accomplished I owe to Tim, both for his letters of recommendation and his solid advice. When the AP position in Santa Domingo was offered to me, the first person I called for advice was Tim. And he told me what I expected: ‘Why are you asking about this? It seems to me you’ve been looking for this opportunity for a few years.’”
That opportunity might have seemed more than Peter bargained for in Haiti.
“The country was especially tense right after Aristide’s departure,” Prengaman says. “I had a guy try to force me into a car at gunpoint to be his get-away driver. Luckily, he didn’t shoot me. When he turned around to face the people who were shooting at him, I ran like I never had before, and he was shot and killed.
“There were some crazy times in Haiti, but it’s still been my favorite assignment in the Caribbean. The country is a disaster, but the people have a very special feel.”
“Peter has one hell of a future as a foreign correspondent,” Padgett says. “I envy the tools he possesses, not the least of which is his obvious ability to navigate and assimilate the most unfamiliar situations in a composed enough manner to make sense of it for people back home.”
“It’s been cool to consult and work with Tim on stories,” Prengaman says. “He’s a tremendous journalist, very respected in the field. Many I’ve worked with this past year know his work and speak very highly of him; that means a lot in a profession where compliments are few and egomaniacs are many.”