Table Of ContentDyslexia
and the Journalist
Also by Tony Silvia
and from McFarland
Robert Pierpoint: A Life at CBS News (2014)
Fathers and Sons in Baseball Broadcasting:
The Carays, Brennamans, Bucks and Kalases (2009)
Baseball Over the Air: The National Pastime
on the Radio and in the Imagination (2007)
Dyslexia
and the Journalist
Battling a Silent Disability
Tony Silvia and
Suzanne Arena
Foreword by Kate Griggs
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
All photographs without a source credited are
from the personal collections of the authors.
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Names: Silvia, Tony, author. | Arena, Suzanne, author.
Title: Dyslexia and the journalist : battling a silent disability / Tony Silvia
and Suzanne Arena ; foreword by Kate Griggs.
Description: Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers,
2021 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
♾
Identifiers: LCCN 2021032472 | ISBN 9781476682402 (paperback : acid free paper)
ISBN 9781476642918 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Dyslexia—Psychological aspects. | People with disabilities. |
Journalism. | BISAC: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Journalism |
SOCIAL SCIENCE / People with Disabilities
Classification: LCC RC394.W6 S55 2021 | DDC 616.85/53—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021032472
British Library cataloguing data are available
ISBN (print) 978-1-4766-8240-2
ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4766-4291-8
© 2021 Tony Silvia and Suzanne Arena. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Front cover image © 2021 Shutterstock
Printed in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
Table of Contents
Foreword by Kate Griggs 1
Preface by Tony Silvia 3
Introduction by Suzanne Arena 7
1. What Is Dyslexia? 17
2. Images of Dyslexia in Media 29
3. Fred W. Friendly 42
4. Anderson Cooper 57
5. Byron Pitts 64
6. Robyn Curnow 79
7. Gabrielle Emanuel 95
8. Jill Wellington 109
9. Richard Engel 114
10. The Journalist’s Role as Change Agent 126
11. Resources for Journalists Covering
Dyslexia and Disability 141
Appendices
A. “Millions Have Dyslexia, Few Under-
stand It” by Gabrielle Emanuel 151
B. “Raising a Child with Dyslexia: 3 Things
Parents Can Do” by Gabrielle Emanuel 155
C. “Dyslexia: The Learning Disability That
Must Not Be Named” by Gabrielle
Emanuel 158
D. Recognizing If Your Child Is Dyslexic 161
v
Table of Contents
E. Fun Facts About Dyslexia 163
F. Famous Dyslexics in History 165
G. “5 Reasons Why Dyslexics Make Great
Communicators” by Kate Griggs 167
H. Helpful Links and Resources on Reading 170
Chapter Notes 173
Select Bibliography 183
Index 185
vi
Foreword
Kate Griggs
Right now, humanity is facing some of its greatest challenges—
from a global pandemic to an escalating climate crisis. In this increas-
ingly uncertain and unpredictable world, we need people who can make
sense of the chaos. People who can look at the big picture and connect
the dots. People who can pursue stories and causes with passion. Peo-
ple who can simplify a situation, or assess the facts and present an angle.
In this book, you’ll find inspiring dyslexic journalists who do just
that.
Take Byron Pitts, for example, whose grit and determination saw
him overcome challenges at school to succeed on the world stage, win-
ning Emmys for his coverage of events like 9/11 on CBS News. And
Richard Engel, whose dyslexic strengths led him to connect the dots
and explain the events of the Iraq War with insight and clarity, winning
every award and accolade in his field—all after overcoming his own bat-
tles at school.
Many people may wonder why dyslexics excel in the field of jour-
nalism. But the answer is simple: the dyslexic brain is wired differently.
We are highly skilled at communicating (71 percent of us are above aver-
age at it). This means we are able to connect stories and see patterns in
narratives where others may not. Our dyslexic ability to simplify means
we create clear and compelling messages. We’re also able to use our high
levels of empathy and emotional intelligence to connect deeply with the
people whose stories we’re telling. Many of us are also driven by a desire
to create a better, fairer society.
That’s certainly true at Made By Dyslexia. I’ve spent many years
researching dyslexic strengths and made it my mission to help the world
understand these strengths, through reports like Spelling It Out. I’ve
collaborated with the global business consultancy firm EY to look at the
1
Foreword by Kate Griggs
game-changing power of dyslexia in the workplace. Together we pro-
duced the Value of Dyslexia reports, which pointed out that dyslexics
have exactly the skills needed for the future world of work, as identified
by the World Economic Forum. I’ve used my dyslexic strengths to create
powerful and clear messages that drive change.
At Made By Dyslexia, our message couldn’t be simpler: the world
needs dyslexic thinking now. And we’re making it our mission to
empower dyslexic thinking in the future by training every teacher, and
helping every workplace, to spot, support, and empower all dyslexics.
If communication is your dyslexic skill, or you’re passionate about
helping the world see dyslexia differently, I hope this book inspires you
to share your story and make your voice heard.
This book is vital reading for anyone who wants to understand the
bigger picture of dyslexia, journalists and readers alike, because in it,
you’ll meet bold, inspirational, and determined people who succeeded
not in spite of their dyslexia, but because of it.
Kate Griggs is the founder and force behind Made By Dyslexia, a global charity
led by successful dyslexics whose purpose is to help the world understand, value,
and support dyslexia. Dyslexic herself, Griggs’s “Creative Brilliance of Dyslexia”
TED Talk led to the charity’s groundbreaking Value of Dyslexia reports in asso-
ciation with EY, which demonstrate that, now more than ever, the future needs
dyslexic thinking skills.
2
Preface
Tony Silvia
“Did you know there’s a famous, legendary Rhode Island journalist
who was dyslexic?”
That was my first question to Suzanne Arena in June 2019 on social
media. I was struck by the fact that she founded an advocacy group
called Decoding Dyslexia, RI, what I would later learn is a grassroots
movement among parents, educators, and some enlightened legisla-
tors. Branches of Decoding Dyslexia are in all fifty states, four Canadian
provinces, and, most recently, the continent of Africa.
All share a common mission: the fight for equal education for all
children, through early testing and remediation of the most common
learning disability in America, dyslexia.
Once we met and as I came to know Suzanne, I learned so much
about her: her own undiagnosed dyslexia, her son Cole’s learning dif-
ficulties related to dyslexia, and, most of all, her passion, commitment,
and constantly evolving care and kindness for parents and children who
have nowhere else to turn.
I’ve learned in our time together, Suzanne’s and mine, that dyslexic
children (and adults) constantly and consistently come out on the short
end of the stick when it comes to public education. As you will read in
the pages ahead, support for dyslexics is a catch-22. By that I mean in
some states mandatory early testing exists, but forcing educators to do
the right (and often legal) thing is still a battle.
Suzanne and her “warrior moms” (and some dads) have made enor-
mous progress. As I came to be inspired by her mission (I won’t call it
a cause, because it really is a mission), I wanted to know more, to learn
more about dyslexia.
Like most Americans, I thought dyslexia was a “thing” that
some, though probably few, had. I thought it must be debilitating and
3
