Planning, flexibility, dedication and hard work. Young journalists must develop these traits when it comes to internships.
When I arrived at Eastern Illinois University all of my planning went toward becoming a sportswriter. I wrote down what I thought it would take to get there. I figured a gig as sports editor was imperative. I also wanted to be editor-in-chief at some point and achieved that goal.
I worked hard for a long time. I built my resume to the point where I received two job offers and two internship offers before I graduated in December. This while the the industry is in a rough spot.
But the point of this blog is not what I have done, it's how I have done it. As part of my oft-revised and sometimes overly fluid plan, I knew internships were a big deal to employers. They want to know that you know how to act in a professional newsroom. And many newspapers don't feel that, once you graduate, it's their responsibility to teach you about the workings of a newsroom. And they're right.
It's really your responsibility to do everything you can during college to make yourself a viable candidate in today's journalism environment. After three years, I did three internships. Because of this, I am now on my fourth internship, this one with the Associated Press in Des Moines, Iowa.
Resources and opportunities are out there, but you have to truly want to be a journalist to find them. You cannot continuously claim that "I have no time" or "I have no chance." In my last blog, I mentioned that you just don't know what will happen if you don't go for it. I interviewed a few times for the AP through the years. Every time I was rejected, I felt horrible. But I knew it was part of the field: You must be humble enough to accept rejection while keeping confident and dedicated enough to keep on trying.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Make the best of it and never hold yourself back!
So a comment on one of my previous posts made me feel that I should get back into blogging.
It has been a while but because this blog has a readership of one - if I include myself - I thought I could jump on in here and get back into the flow of things without disrupting anybody's life.
During this final semester at Eastern, I've run the arts and entertainment section. This wasn't my first choice but as I've done it longer, I've grown fond of it and think it might have been the best position for me this semester.This brings me to the topics of this blog. You are not always going to be asked to do exactly what you want to do in journalism. It's imperative, however, that you make the best of it. In this case, I have a young staff and have done my best to teach them whatever it is that I know. I acknowledge that my experience is nothing compared to professional journalists. But three internships, seven semesters and five editor positions later, I think I can speak from a pretty decent level when compared to my staffers. That being said, I feel it's an obligation to teach as much as I can before I leave. Not everybody feels that way but the Daily Eastern News is the reason I have any hope of moving on to a career in journalism. And that means a lot to me.
Also, only an editor can tell you what you can't do. In the meantime, you have to continue to push forward with ideas until they run into the proverbial brick wall. At the beginning of the semester, I thought of an idea to begin a Battle of the Bands competition with the section. To be honest, I love live music and thought it'd be cool to put on a live show. Well, 15 bands entered and more than 1,300 votes were cast. On Nov. 7, a packed house watched five bands perform.
It. Was. Awesome.
But the thing is this: I had no idea what to expect but we kept going and pushing through each step. From announcing it and soliciting bands to enter, to asking readers to vote, to announcing the winners, it was a task but it was worth it.
So bottom line: Life/journalism doesn't always give you what you want and some ideas you may think are too far out there. But you have to be able to think positive about any situation and always go after your Battle of the Bands. Some of the greatest journalism in U.S. history has come about because reporters kept pushing. Who's stopping you from being the next producer of that great journalism? Only you are.
It has been a while but because this blog has a readership of one - if I include myself - I thought I could jump on in here and get back into the flow of things without disrupting anybody's life.
During this final semester at Eastern, I've run the arts and entertainment section. This wasn't my first choice but as I've done it longer, I've grown fond of it and think it might have been the best position for me this semester.This brings me to the topics of this blog. You are not always going to be asked to do exactly what you want to do in journalism. It's imperative, however, that you make the best of it. In this case, I have a young staff and have done my best to teach them whatever it is that I know. I acknowledge that my experience is nothing compared to professional journalists. But three internships, seven semesters and five editor positions later, I think I can speak from a pretty decent level when compared to my staffers. That being said, I feel it's an obligation to teach as much as I can before I leave. Not everybody feels that way but the Daily Eastern News is the reason I have any hope of moving on to a career in journalism. And that means a lot to me.
Also, only an editor can tell you what you can't do. In the meantime, you have to continue to push forward with ideas until they run into the proverbial brick wall. At the beginning of the semester, I thought of an idea to begin a Battle of the Bands competition with the section. To be honest, I love live music and thought it'd be cool to put on a live show. Well, 15 bands entered and more than 1,300 votes were cast. On Nov. 7, a packed house watched five bands perform.
It. Was. Awesome.
But the thing is this: I had no idea what to expect but we kept going and pushing through each step. From announcing it and soliciting bands to enter, to asking readers to vote, to announcing the winners, it was a task but it was worth it.
So bottom line: Life/journalism doesn't always give you what you want and some ideas you may think are too far out there. But you have to be able to think positive about any situation and always go after your Battle of the Bands. Some of the greatest journalism in U.S. history has come about because reporters kept pushing. Who's stopping you from being the next producer of that great journalism? Only you are.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Conventions make a reporter marketable
Studying journalism presents several opportunities that a journalist might never have. During the summer at The Daily Herald, I rode in a bi-plane with a group of aerial acrobats. I spoke to a World War II veteran, which I did again during the school year. And, of course, I covered several city council meetings. But as a student-journalist, an added benefit is the chance to go to national and regional conferences.
No. 1: Seminars
While practical application is always the best way to learn things in journalism and other fields, they have to be introduced to the ideas somehow. At seminars in regional conventions, professionals talk about what it takes to be a journalist. Whether it be a copy-editing seminar at the Mid-America Press Institute convention in St. Louis, or seminars on covering tragedies at the College Media Advisers national convention in Washington, D.C., the seminars give something to take back to your respective school newsroom and try. Also, if you don't try it, it gives a new perspective that can contribute to a student-journalist's overall development.
No. 2: Contacts
Connections in journalism can be very important. At conferences, a student-journalist can come home with several business cards of fellow journalists who have made the trip. These all won't lead to jobs. Nor will they all lead to internships. But this does give a student-journalist a quick reference whenever you have any questions about journalism. If you show an interest in journalism as a student, working journalists will respect that and help because they have been in the same situation.
No. 3: Experience
Because of Eastern's journalism department, I have been to St. Louis several times, Memphis and Washington, D.C. While this might have happened eventually anyway, it might not have happened with the groups of people that went along. The trips are definite bonding experiences and it is sometimes amazing who you end up getting close to at the trips. Beale Street in Memphis was definitely as advertised and even a small blues club in St. Louis made the trip worthwhile. And the history of Washington, D.C. is incredible.
These are just three of the several benefits involved in attending conventions in college. While these opportunities will be available for a select few to go from professional newspapers, in college, the knowledge can enhance a student-journalist's value to a prospective employer. It shows the reporter has a deep interest in the field, especially if the skills and lessons learned are applied in their work and in the clips sent out with resumes. In short, attend conventions.
No. 1: Seminars
While practical application is always the best way to learn things in journalism and other fields, they have to be introduced to the ideas somehow. At seminars in regional conventions, professionals talk about what it takes to be a journalist. Whether it be a copy-editing seminar at the Mid-America Press Institute convention in St. Louis, or seminars on covering tragedies at the College Media Advisers national convention in Washington, D.C., the seminars give something to take back to your respective school newsroom and try. Also, if you don't try it, it gives a new perspective that can contribute to a student-journalist's overall development.
No. 2: Contacts
Connections in journalism can be very important. At conferences, a student-journalist can come home with several business cards of fellow journalists who have made the trip. These all won't lead to jobs. Nor will they all lead to internships. But this does give a student-journalist a quick reference whenever you have any questions about journalism. If you show an interest in journalism as a student, working journalists will respect that and help because they have been in the same situation.
No. 3: Experience
Because of Eastern's journalism department, I have been to St. Louis several times, Memphis and Washington, D.C. While this might have happened eventually anyway, it might not have happened with the groups of people that went along. The trips are definite bonding experiences and it is sometimes amazing who you end up getting close to at the trips. Beale Street in Memphis was definitely as advertised and even a small blues club in St. Louis made the trip worthwhile. And the history of Washington, D.C. is incredible.
These are just three of the several benefits involved in attending conventions in college. While these opportunities will be available for a select few to go from professional newspapers, in college, the knowledge can enhance a student-journalist's value to a prospective employer. It shows the reporter has a deep interest in the field, especially if the skills and lessons learned are applied in their work and in the clips sent out with resumes. In short, attend conventions.
Monday, July 16, 2007
The daily grind
In-depth stories are fun to do. When an editor assigns you or accepts a long-term assignment from you, and gives you time to make it exactly what you want, you take ownership. You get the photos set up. You suggest fact boxes so the presentation really stands out. But if newspapers relied on in-depth stories to fill their pages, they wouldn't get very far. That is where daily stories come in.
Whether the story tells of their village board's efforts to help the community become more environment-friendly or the village's plans to convert its wells to soft-water wells, the daily story helps readers keep up with the events that affect them personally and directly.
When the internship began, an adjustment period helped me get acquainted with the beat. Past stories on the beat tell what issues are important. A lot of times, those will give the daily stories. They are considered stories that move a particular issue along. At times, the editor brought stories that were months old and said, in no uncertain terms, "find out what's going on with this today."
Another place to find daily stories is village board and committee meetings. Although you'll need a follow to the meeting to let readers know the important events, other agenda items can turn into a story for the next day. It mimics a sidebar in sports. When a game finishes, a reporter writes the story called a gamer. As expected, the gamer describes what happened in the game. The second story focuses on a more specific aspect of the game. Reporters can use this same strategy for meetings. The meeting follow - or the gamer - is due the night of the meeting. The other story taken out of the meeting - the sidebar - can then be worked on and refined the next day.
This was something I almost learned the hard way. When I was at my first meeting, I thought "OK, just do the meeting follow and I'm done." That was until the next day when my editor asked what I was working on. I told him I had found a story idea from the meeting. This was true but I wasn't sure if he wanted me to work on it. I pitched it and got the OK.
A third way reporters fill their daily quota is frequent conversations with local officials. This part is a little intimidating until you remember it's part of the job. A phone call or three a week accomplishes two things: it keeps your name in the official's head so he feels comfortable with you when the news starts getting heavier. It also gives daily story ideas. Officials will talk to you at length about upcoming programs.
Finally, a fourth place to get daily story ideas is the community at large. Unfortunately, interns don't get business cards. But the more you throw your name out there, the more you keep your name in the forefront. People like to know they have a connection at a newspaper and will use it - and at times, try to exploit it - as often as they can.
Not all of these methods of getting stories are simple. In fact, a couple of them are still difficult even after working a couple of months on the same beat. Maybe some day it will be second nature to me the way it is to some of the reporters I work with. But I have time.
If these four things are followed, within a couple of months, the schedule will fill with daily stories. Put enough beat reporters together with enough daily stories, and a newspaper fills up quickly. Then add to that in-depth pieces and the newspaper is complete. Simple, right?
Whether the story tells of their village board's efforts to help the community become more environment-friendly or the village's plans to convert its wells to soft-water wells, the daily story helps readers keep up with the events that affect them personally and directly.
When the internship began, an adjustment period helped me get acquainted with the beat. Past stories on the beat tell what issues are important. A lot of times, those will give the daily stories. They are considered stories that move a particular issue along. At times, the editor brought stories that were months old and said, in no uncertain terms, "find out what's going on with this today."
Another place to find daily stories is village board and committee meetings. Although you'll need a follow to the meeting to let readers know the important events, other agenda items can turn into a story for the next day. It mimics a sidebar in sports. When a game finishes, a reporter writes the story called a gamer. As expected, the gamer describes what happened in the game. The second story focuses on a more specific aspect of the game. Reporters can use this same strategy for meetings. The meeting follow - or the gamer - is due the night of the meeting. The other story taken out of the meeting - the sidebar - can then be worked on and refined the next day.
This was something I almost learned the hard way. When I was at my first meeting, I thought "OK, just do the meeting follow and I'm done." That was until the next day when my editor asked what I was working on. I told him I had found a story idea from the meeting. This was true but I wasn't sure if he wanted me to work on it. I pitched it and got the OK.
A third way reporters fill their daily quota is frequent conversations with local officials. This part is a little intimidating until you remember it's part of the job. A phone call or three a week accomplishes two things: it keeps your name in the official's head so he feels comfortable with you when the news starts getting heavier. It also gives daily story ideas. Officials will talk to you at length about upcoming programs.
Finally, a fourth place to get daily story ideas is the community at large. Unfortunately, interns don't get business cards. But the more you throw your name out there, the more you keep your name in the forefront. People like to know they have a connection at a newspaper and will use it - and at times, try to exploit it - as often as they can.
Not all of these methods of getting stories are simple. In fact, a couple of them are still difficult even after working a couple of months on the same beat. Maybe some day it will be second nature to me the way it is to some of the reporters I work with. But I have time.
If these four things are followed, within a couple of months, the schedule will fill with daily stories. Put enough beat reporters together with enough daily stories, and a newspaper fills up quickly. Then add to that in-depth pieces and the newspaper is complete. Simple, right?
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Wonderful world of village meetings
Board meetings. Committee meetings. Special meetings.
Covering a city beat means a lot of meetings. They seem daunting at first. After all, most meetings will have along with it a deadline story in which the reporter has to summarize a meeting that lasts as long as 2 hours in nine inches - or about 290 words. Not to mention sometimes the reporter must do it in about 20 minutes.
As with any story, preparation is important. But with deadline stories, it is necessary. All villages and cities are required to make their agendas available for the public. Most times, the city posts the agenda on its Web site. Merely reading the agenda, however, doesn't end your preparation.
For Monday's meeting in West Dundee, Ill., the agenda had a very long consent agenda. Villages and cities are allowed to package several items in one line item - the consent agenda - and pass them in one overall vote. This helps move the meeting along. Of course, sometimes they abuse this. But this post is about meetings.
After the consent agenda, an item I've been following through the summer was listed. I had known quite a bit about it. As you proceed in your internship or job as a beat reporter, there will be several issues that you learn a lot about. Because it's your job to follow them. Before I began the internship, I didn't know anything about TIF districts. Now, I could teach you - and some village officials - a few things about them.
The first step after determining, with the help of my editor, that this agenda item was the subject of tonight's story was to look up past stories about the issue. A brief refresher always helps. I took note of anything about TIF districts - whether I wrote them or somebody else wrote them - to help in prewriting.
My editor encourages - and rightfully so - prewriting. When you arrive at a meeting, the only things you should look for are quotes pertaining to the main point of your story. A lot of background should be complete. After looking up past stories, you should call a village official - village clerks and village presidents often work - and get some quotes dealing with the topic.
Here's the secret: Most boards and committees get all information before the meeting. So by the time you begin your prewriting, a few hours before the meeting, they already know what is going to happen. Not to mention, they all receive meeting packets. The packets help a reporter follow along and most villages will have them available for the reporter. They are, for the most part, public documents. In this case, everybody knew that the village's development coordinator was going to request a public hearing on the TIF. They also knew the date. So the story already had the date of the hearing, what a TIF district is and a quick update on the events leading up to the meeting for those readers who haven't been following along.
Finally, your prewritten story is complete. The next thing to do is know how long it takes to get from the meeting locale to your office and give yourself 15-20 minutes to finish up the story and give it some polish. I can't recall how many times I looked at the clock and calculated in my head how long I would have to write when I returned to the office.
When I got to the office, a quick call to my night editor let her know I was about to begin the story and would be calling in 15-20 minutes with the final version. Seventeen minutes later, just two minutes after my 9:15 deadline, the story was sent. All that was left were phone calls to the area police departments to find out about any late-breaking cop calls.
Again, just another night as a city beat reporter.
Covering a city beat means a lot of meetings. They seem daunting at first. After all, most meetings will have along with it a deadline story in which the reporter has to summarize a meeting that lasts as long as 2 hours in nine inches - or about 290 words. Not to mention sometimes the reporter must do it in about 20 minutes.
As with any story, preparation is important. But with deadline stories, it is necessary. All villages and cities are required to make their agendas available for the public. Most times, the city posts the agenda on its Web site. Merely reading the agenda, however, doesn't end your preparation.
For Monday's meeting in West Dundee, Ill., the agenda had a very long consent agenda. Villages and cities are allowed to package several items in one line item - the consent agenda - and pass them in one overall vote. This helps move the meeting along. Of course, sometimes they abuse this. But this post is about meetings.
After the consent agenda, an item I've been following through the summer was listed. I had known quite a bit about it. As you proceed in your internship or job as a beat reporter, there will be several issues that you learn a lot about. Because it's your job to follow them. Before I began the internship, I didn't know anything about TIF districts. Now, I could teach you - and some village officials - a few things about them.
The first step after determining, with the help of my editor, that this agenda item was the subject of tonight's story was to look up past stories about the issue. A brief refresher always helps. I took note of anything about TIF districts - whether I wrote them or somebody else wrote them - to help in prewriting.
My editor encourages - and rightfully so - prewriting. When you arrive at a meeting, the only things you should look for are quotes pertaining to the main point of your story. A lot of background should be complete. After looking up past stories, you should call a village official - village clerks and village presidents often work - and get some quotes dealing with the topic.
Here's the secret: Most boards and committees get all information before the meeting. So by the time you begin your prewriting, a few hours before the meeting, they already know what is going to happen. Not to mention, they all receive meeting packets. The packets help a reporter follow along and most villages will have them available for the reporter. They are, for the most part, public documents. In this case, everybody knew that the village's development coordinator was going to request a public hearing on the TIF. They also knew the date. So the story already had the date of the hearing, what a TIF district is and a quick update on the events leading up to the meeting for those readers who haven't been following along.
Finally, your prewritten story is complete. The next thing to do is know how long it takes to get from the meeting locale to your office and give yourself 15-20 minutes to finish up the story and give it some polish. I can't recall how many times I looked at the clock and calculated in my head how long I would have to write when I returned to the office.
When I got to the office, a quick call to my night editor let her know I was about to begin the story and would be calling in 15-20 minutes with the final version. Seventeen minutes later, just two minutes after my 9:15 deadline, the story was sent. All that was left were phone calls to the area police departments to find out about any late-breaking cop calls.
Again, just another night as a city beat reporter.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
My day in court ... reporting
"What's the difference between bail and bond?"
That was the question the newspaper's cops and court reporter asked me. I'll admit. It caught me off guard. But he unexpectedly asked the question because I was going with him to court. He does this every day. But for me, a new reporting challenge.
What is court reporting? Tedious. Hours of listening to a judge make very similar rulings and hoping that a small nugget can be turned into an actual story. Sometimes, it's long hours with the only reward being three to four uncredited briefs.
Unfortunately, that happened today.
The court had a closed-circuit television feed that went from the jail to the courtroom. We sat in the courtroom and watched as suspects had their day in court. We took notes on every person who came in front of the camera. You almost feel voyeuristic. But again, it's a part of the job. Ultimately, the reporter gave me two briefs to work on.
After all of the day's cases went in front of the judge, we walked behind the scenes. The court's clerk gave us the police reports to select cases and we went into a side room to take down the details. It is a daily routine. The clerk, police officers, judge, custodians and just about anybody else in the building knew the reporter. The thing to keep in mind is that, whether you're intimidated or not, whether you're an intern or reporter, you represent your newspaper. These city employees have dealt with reporters for years. For the most part, they know what information you want and they give it to you. I can only speak for this town, however, as some smaller villages might not be as forthcoming. But as in every other area of journalism, it never hurts to ask anything.
The major part of court reporting is making sure you make just one trip. The details from the police report must be complete. After I took my notes from the police reports, the reporter gave me a pop quiz to make sure I had done it right. Of course, I didn't get everything. Oh, I did just fine - if a story/brief didn't depend on it. But the story/brief did in this case.
What details did were needed? Age, gender, suspect's hometown and address, where and when the arrest happened, the charges - which often determine whether a story is a story or brief. Basically, anything on a police report should be written down so when you return to the newsroom, you can cut down the pages of notes into a four-sentence brief. Much like a normal story, you have to trim the fat and probably use about 10 percent of what you know.
The reporter told me that cop briefs almost follow a formula. General statement lead to bring in a reader. More specifics on identity and charges the suspect faces. Then at the end, some details that give the reader more information like possible punishment, where they are being held (you find this out after returning to the newsroom and making a quick phone call to the jailer), when their court date is scheduled, etc.
What'd I learn today? The thrill of the cops and court beat. No two days are the same. Some days, you work hours for little reward. Other times, you can end up with three or four stories in one day. The phone calls with police departments are also different. Sometimes a phone call is a 5-second thing that doesn't yield anything. Other times, it's just follow ups to find out where someone is being held. Still others can be follow ups to something heard over the scanner. And occasionally, they can yield several story ideas. But it must be done.
Next week, our regular cops reporter will take a couple of days off. They might ask me to fill in for him. If they do, maybe I'll be able to report on a story.
Oh, and what is the difference between bail and bond? Simply put, bail is the bigger number while bond is usually 10 percent of bail. If a suspect posts bond, he is released. Which number you use in a story usually depends on the size of the number. At least I got that one right.
That was the question the newspaper's cops and court reporter asked me. I'll admit. It caught me off guard. But he unexpectedly asked the question because I was going with him to court. He does this every day. But for me, a new reporting challenge.
What is court reporting? Tedious. Hours of listening to a judge make very similar rulings and hoping that a small nugget can be turned into an actual story. Sometimes, it's long hours with the only reward being three to four uncredited briefs.
Unfortunately, that happened today.
The court had a closed-circuit television feed that went from the jail to the courtroom. We sat in the courtroom and watched as suspects had their day in court. We took notes on every person who came in front of the camera. You almost feel voyeuristic. But again, it's a part of the job. Ultimately, the reporter gave me two briefs to work on.
After all of the day's cases went in front of the judge, we walked behind the scenes. The court's clerk gave us the police reports to select cases and we went into a side room to take down the details. It is a daily routine. The clerk, police officers, judge, custodians and just about anybody else in the building knew the reporter. The thing to keep in mind is that, whether you're intimidated or not, whether you're an intern or reporter, you represent your newspaper. These city employees have dealt with reporters for years. For the most part, they know what information you want and they give it to you. I can only speak for this town, however, as some smaller villages might not be as forthcoming. But as in every other area of journalism, it never hurts to ask anything.
The major part of court reporting is making sure you make just one trip. The details from the police report must be complete. After I took my notes from the police reports, the reporter gave me a pop quiz to make sure I had done it right. Of course, I didn't get everything. Oh, I did just fine - if a story/brief didn't depend on it. But the story/brief did in this case.
What details did were needed? Age, gender, suspect's hometown and address, where and when the arrest happened, the charges - which often determine whether a story is a story or brief. Basically, anything on a police report should be written down so when you return to the newsroom, you can cut down the pages of notes into a four-sentence brief. Much like a normal story, you have to trim the fat and probably use about 10 percent of what you know.
The reporter told me that cop briefs almost follow a formula. General statement lead to bring in a reader. More specifics on identity and charges the suspect faces. Then at the end, some details that give the reader more information like possible punishment, where they are being held (you find this out after returning to the newsroom and making a quick phone call to the jailer), when their court date is scheduled, etc.
What'd I learn today? The thrill of the cops and court beat. No two days are the same. Some days, you work hours for little reward. Other times, you can end up with three or four stories in one day. The phone calls with police departments are also different. Sometimes a phone call is a 5-second thing that doesn't yield anything. Other times, it's just follow ups to find out where someone is being held. Still others can be follow ups to something heard over the scanner. And occasionally, they can yield several story ideas. But it must be done.
Next week, our regular cops reporter will take a couple of days off. They might ask me to fill in for him. If they do, maybe I'll be able to report on a story.
Oh, and what is the difference between bail and bond? Simply put, bail is the bigger number while bond is usually 10 percent of bail. If a suspect posts bond, he is released. Which number you use in a story usually depends on the size of the number. At least I got that one right.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Change of direction
Journalism is unpredictable.
I got to the newsroom with a plan today. But my agenda, which included an interview with a village official and a trip to a small bookstore for a feature story, completely changed.
A former village president in the region died Sunday and I had to write the story. The editor said the length should be 10, 12, 15 inches. To me, that meant whatever I can get. For the record, it ended up being a 20-inch story. The change in plan is something that happens at least once a week. When breaking news happens, somebody has to write it. Being an intern does not exclude you from the rotation. But that's why the internship has to be taken seriously. When you stop interning and begin reporting on a full-time basis, these days happen.
I went out to the small town where he was president and beat the street. Because he taught for 20+ years, ran a business 20+ years and was president for 20 years in the same village, finding people who knew him was not difficult.
The story began with an interview with the village clerk. She had worked with the former mayor for about 4 years before his retirement. She was prepared, too. She had a box of tissues sitting there just in case. Fortunately, the water works never happened. A crying interviewee can change an interview. But that's a topic for another day.
We finished the interview and she gave me a picture of the man. Unfortunately, the newspaper will not use it. But at least I returned to the office with an option. That's what visual presentation is all about. You have to give the newspaper options.
Through different twists and turns, I found myself on the phone with a man who had been the former president's friend for more than 26 years. Early in the interview, I had to determine what kind of interview it would be. You are talking with a man who knew somebody for 26 years and the guy has just died. I don't have a lot of experience with that but from what I've been told, usually people want to speak about their friends. But i proceeded cautiously anyway. Fortunately, the man wanted to talk. He said he and his friend had coffee at least once a week at a local restaurant.
Again, another place to try and find a source. It worked as the owner of the place and his son remembered the man. In fact, the owner took a cup of coffee to the man before he died. He said he never drank it but they all knew he smelled it. That kind of memory makes the job interesting and fulfilling.
So it does not seem as if everything went perfectly, on my way back to the newsroom, I thought I'd stop at the police station to talk to somebody about the man. Nobody was in the office.
The lesson I got from today and days like today is that you never know what a day in the newsroom will bring you. My meeting with the village official and my trip to the bookstore had to be postponed until tomorrow. The way the system is set up, you give a constant update of what you will work on every day during the week. That update is now a day behind. But I guess that's just part of the gig and, like the paper, I'll have to adjust tomorrow.
I got to the newsroom with a plan today. But my agenda, which included an interview with a village official and a trip to a small bookstore for a feature story, completely changed.
A former village president in the region died Sunday and I had to write the story. The editor said the length should be 10, 12, 15 inches. To me, that meant whatever I can get. For the record, it ended up being a 20-inch story. The change in plan is something that happens at least once a week. When breaking news happens, somebody has to write it. Being an intern does not exclude you from the rotation. But that's why the internship has to be taken seriously. When you stop interning and begin reporting on a full-time basis, these days happen.
I went out to the small town where he was president and beat the street. Because he taught for 20+ years, ran a business 20+ years and was president for 20 years in the same village, finding people who knew him was not difficult.
The story began with an interview with the village clerk. She had worked with the former mayor for about 4 years before his retirement. She was prepared, too. She had a box of tissues sitting there just in case. Fortunately, the water works never happened. A crying interviewee can change an interview. But that's a topic for another day.
We finished the interview and she gave me a picture of the man. Unfortunately, the newspaper will not use it. But at least I returned to the office with an option. That's what visual presentation is all about. You have to give the newspaper options.
Through different twists and turns, I found myself on the phone with a man who had been the former president's friend for more than 26 years. Early in the interview, I had to determine what kind of interview it would be. You are talking with a man who knew somebody for 26 years and the guy has just died. I don't have a lot of experience with that but from what I've been told, usually people want to speak about their friends. But i proceeded cautiously anyway. Fortunately, the man wanted to talk. He said he and his friend had coffee at least once a week at a local restaurant.
Again, another place to try and find a source. It worked as the owner of the place and his son remembered the man. In fact, the owner took a cup of coffee to the man before he died. He said he never drank it but they all knew he smelled it. That kind of memory makes the job interesting and fulfilling.
So it does not seem as if everything went perfectly, on my way back to the newsroom, I thought I'd stop at the police station to talk to somebody about the man. Nobody was in the office.
The lesson I got from today and days like today is that you never know what a day in the newsroom will bring you. My meeting with the village official and my trip to the bookstore had to be postponed until tomorrow. The way the system is set up, you give a constant update of what you will work on every day during the week. That update is now a day behind. But I guess that's just part of the gig and, like the paper, I'll have to adjust tomorrow.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Real World - Journalism
One of the most difficult things in developing a blog is determining a focus. Blogs that cover everything in the world, as the first few posts of The Journey tried to do and as Ramblin' On will continue to do, don't have a specific enough interest.
This means only people who want your opinion will read the blog.
After a few posts, I know what my advantage is: I learn every day at work and am on a career path.
Taking this one step further, journalism students don't really know what is out there as they progress in their careers. Neither do I.
But I am going to give a glimpse into the learning process. The learning curve. This blog will cover a lot of things. I won't get into technical aspects of covering a meeting. These things, of course, are learned from people much smarter than myself.
But I hope to talk about the background of the way things work at a meeting and the first time somebody told me about meeting packets.
The content of off-the-record conversations, naturally, will be left off the record.
But the topic of off-the-record conversations and how different they are can be discussed at length.
Again, basically, it's not a "how to" as much as it is a "what to expect."
For example, I didn't go point-by-point and tell how to interview in my Cambodian post. I just told what effect the interview had on me.
This means only people who want your opinion will read the blog.
After a few posts, I know what my advantage is: I learn every day at work and am on a career path.
Taking this one step further, journalism students don't really know what is out there as they progress in their careers. Neither do I.
But I am going to give a glimpse into the learning process. The learning curve. This blog will cover a lot of things. I won't get into technical aspects of covering a meeting. These things, of course, are learned from people much smarter than myself.
But I hope to talk about the background of the way things work at a meeting and the first time somebody told me about meeting packets.
The content of off-the-record conversations, naturally, will be left off the record.
But the topic of off-the-record conversations and how different they are can be discussed at length.
Again, basically, it's not a "how to" as much as it is a "what to expect."
For example, I didn't go point-by-point and tell how to interview in my Cambodian post. I just told what effect the interview had on me.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Cambodian hero
Something great about being a journalist-in-training is I get to meet some interesting people, much like I will when the career begins.
In the last two weeks, while also trying to keep up with some village news on my beats, I interviewed a World War II veteran for the first time and a man who had just returned from Cambodia, where he tested his invention, a reworked 1947 Farmall tractor that now is perfect for destroying land mines.
Although the WW II veteran was a great interview on a personal level - I have a history minor only because of my interest in the war - the guy from Crystal Lake, Ill., who went to Cambodia had me thinking about a lot of things.
Gary Christ went to Cambodia to help with sewer and septic systems about 6 years ago. When he returned, however, the inventor set to work on something that could help ease the problems of Cambodia.
Past wars have made the country a virtual bed of land mines. The ratio of amputees to residents is staggering with 2003 estimates at 1 in every 290 people.
But what got me thinking is, here's a guy who does not have to do this. He did not invent the machine to become rich. He did it because he wanted to help.
What stops me from helping others in the same manner? Sure, right now, I'm not going to take a trip to Cambodia and solve the land mine problem.
But at least I can take comfort knowing that some day I will have the chance to help, even if it is just on a local level.
And had I not taken my path toward journalism, I probably would never have met this man.
In the last two weeks, while also trying to keep up with some village news on my beats, I interviewed a World War II veteran for the first time and a man who had just returned from Cambodia, where he tested his invention, a reworked 1947 Farmall tractor that now is perfect for destroying land mines.
Although the WW II veteran was a great interview on a personal level - I have a history minor only because of my interest in the war - the guy from Crystal Lake, Ill., who went to Cambodia had me thinking about a lot of things.
Gary Christ went to Cambodia to help with sewer and septic systems about 6 years ago. When he returned, however, the inventor set to work on something that could help ease the problems of Cambodia.
Past wars have made the country a virtual bed of land mines. The ratio of amputees to residents is staggering with 2003 estimates at 1 in every 290 people.
But what got me thinking is, here's a guy who does not have to do this. He did not invent the machine to become rich. He did it because he wanted to help.
What stops me from helping others in the same manner? Sure, right now, I'm not going to take a trip to Cambodia and solve the land mine problem.
But at least I can take comfort knowing that some day I will have the chance to help, even if it is just on a local level.
And had I not taken my path toward journalism, I probably would never have met this man.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Hello ... is this thing on?
This is my blog.
What is going to happen in my blog?
I will at times talk about fun things (Sports, TV, Paris Hilton's latest sob session).
I will at times talk about things that make me wonder about society and where it's going (wars, politics, reality TV).
Sometimes, I will talk about things going on in my little necks of the woods (West Dundee, Ill., during the summer and Charleston, Ill., when school's in session).
Should you care what I think about these things? Absolutely not. But I'm hoping you comment on my blog ... even if it's just to tell me I think way too highly of myself.
A little bit about myself: I'm a 30-year-old college senior studying journalism at Eastern Illinois University. I took several years off after I graduated high school in 1995 to pursue other things ... namely, working at a dead-end job. I went back to school in August of 2003 at a community college and transferred to EIU in August of 2005. I'm active on the school's newspaper, The Daily Eastern News, and will be editor-in-chief in the fall. I am working on my second internship. This one at The Daily Herald, a paper in Chicago and the suburbs.
That's a little bit about myself. I have more, but will save it for another time. I hope at least one person out there reads this. But if not, hey, it's all for me.
What is going to happen in my blog?
I will at times talk about fun things (Sports, TV, Paris Hilton's latest sob session).
I will at times talk about things that make me wonder about society and where it's going (wars, politics, reality TV).
Sometimes, I will talk about things going on in my little necks of the woods (West Dundee, Ill., during the summer and Charleston, Ill., when school's in session).
Should you care what I think about these things? Absolutely not. But I'm hoping you comment on my blog ... even if it's just to tell me I think way too highly of myself.
A little bit about myself: I'm a 30-year-old college senior studying journalism at Eastern Illinois University. I took several years off after I graduated high school in 1995 to pursue other things ... namely, working at a dead-end job. I went back to school in August of 2003 at a community college and transferred to EIU in August of 2005. I'm active on the school's newspaper, The Daily Eastern News, and will be editor-in-chief in the fall. I am working on my second internship. This one at The Daily Herald, a paper in Chicago and the suburbs.
That's a little bit about myself. I have more, but will save it for another time. I hope at least one person out there reads this. But if not, hey, it's all for me.
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