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Dr. Les Sillars and his Political Journalism class had quite the field trip when they got to meet journalist and author Sharyl Attkisson in her home on March 15.

You may have seen Attkisson as a correspondent or substitute anchor on CBS news programs, or as host of her weekly public affairs television show, Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.

Here's what junior Meg McEwen had to say about hearing from Attkisson in the broadcaster's Virginia home:

"Today my political journalism class ate lunch at the home of one of my all-time favorite journalists, Sharyl Attkisson. We read her her bestselling exposé, The Smear, for class. It was incredible to hear the first-hand account of how she systematically identified, categorized, and exposed corruption in the journalism industry. This book completely re-wired my perspective on news. The practice of trading ethics for access is extremely prevalent, and you see it in the constant flow of political agenda and subtle marketing traps in our news. It was so neat to listen to stories about how she kept her own career intact after surviving a political smear herself. Also, you know that someone must be pretty awesome when they have five Emmys on the mantle."

What field trip should Dr. Sillars take journalism students on next?