Those who love their work produce the best writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mike Vitez told about 40 College of Communication students Monday afternoon.

Vitez discussed his awards, accomplishments and career, while relaying advice to the aspiring journalists.

Since 1985, he has worked as a columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he met Boston University journalism professor Lou Ureneck. Vitez spoke to Ureneck’s ‘Columns and Editorials’ writing class and another journalism class from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Vitez gave the students advice and said the key to writing articles whether news stories or opinion pieces is having passion as both a writer and reporter. He said writers who take their work seriously and develop a love for it produce the best work.

‘If you don’t love what you write, how do you expect the viewer to love what you write?’ Vitez said.

Though only about one-third of students in the classes had read his work, students seemed quite interested in what he had to say. COM sophomore Claire Skiles said the advice Vitez gave was applicable to both journalists and others.

‘He was helpful, but not only for reporters,’ Skiles said. ‘He gave a recipe for success that could be used by anyone. Anybody could have walked into the assembly and found it helpful.’

COM sophomore Matthew Perlmutter said he was amazed at how seriously Vitez took his profession.

‘He was interesting and passionate about his work,’ he said. ‘It caught my attention because a lot of people in the work force are driven by other factors, but he was driven by his own passion to bring light to normal people and their lives.’

Vitez is known for covering events such as the 10th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death in Graceland and Princess Diana’s death and funeral.

Some of the journalist’s recent work focusing on families dealing with deaths earned him a Pulitzer Prize in journalism in 1997.

In ‘Final Choices: Seeking the Good Death,’ his collection of articles that won the award, Vitez interviewed and became very close to five families, each of whom were facing death in one form or another.

Stories in his book included those of a woman whose husband was clinging to life in the intensive care unit, a man taking care of his two chronically ill parents at home and a 100-year-old woman debating the move to an assisted living environment, Vitez said.

Vitez related to the students, reassuring them that he, too, was once in their place looking for a job in the journalism world.

‘[Vitez] is an unusual columnist … he has a special eye and special sensibility,’ Ureneck said in his introduction.

Vietz’s columns appear every Tuesday and Sunday in the Inquirer.