Welcome CQS Spring 2008 Class!
May 22, 2008
Hello Scholars! This is our place to discuss — with each other and with me – reporting, writing, editing, photography, storytelling, navigating newsrooms and other general principles that arise during your internships. Participating at least once a week (and hopefully more) in this space is required during your Chips Quinn internship, as we discussed at orientation.
Please respond to this welcome post no later than the Thursday of the week in which your internship starts — and feel free to jump in sooner. First topic: What skill(s) will you start working on immediately and why?
Deadline: Thursday of your first week
Thanks — safe travels to your internships and great good luck on Day 1!
So today I started my internship at the Austin American-Statesman. I wrote a story on about an exotic pet store in North Austin that was burglarized (not robbed, which my editor corrected my copy on). I even got to shoot some video footage to go along with my story (the store had an albino python, which is the coolest looking creature alive!)
My goal for this week is to improve my writing speed, which is something I have always struggled with. I want to be able to finish writing my stories at least an hour before deadline so that I will have time to proofread what I wrote and self-edit before turning it in.
Today was my first day at the Providence Journal (the projo!). I didn’t really have a story assignment for today but I met a lot of people who were all very friendly and very excited to see “a new face” in the newsroom. One of the editors (not my immediate supervisor) took me out for lunch and we discussed my goals and plans for the summer. It was really encouraging to see that she is taking a keen interest in what I’ll be doing and what I get out of this internship.
My immediate goal is to master the software that they use to write and file stories. Apparently many reporters struggle with it and I definitely don’t want to be one of them! I also want to work on my speed and begin expanding my list of story ideas.
I feel hopeful about my careeer in newspapers. Especially after the
Chips Quinn Scholars program I am excited that I have so much to learn
and so much that I passionately want to contribute.
I want to improve my reporting and writing skills, meet people in the
community, build relationships at my newspaper, start a blog, learn
how to make videos, help transform newspapers in the multimedia age,
read relevant books and study relevant websites.
But I worry that it is too much. How do I do it all that without
feeling overwhelmed and defeated–not to mention without being forced
to cut off communication with friends and family?
I don’t exactly know how to transfer my ideas, dreams and goals into
practical steps. How do I pace myself? How do I manage my daily time
in order to meet my monthly and yearly goals? How do pursue my
enterprise story ideas while still “feeding the beast,” as we say, or
in other words, reporting on weekly, daily news happenings.
I can’t believe I’ve already been at The Kansas City Star almost five
months. I feel the time has flown by and somewhere between pumping out
the daily stories, my primary goals to learn multimedia and produce
more enterprise stories (I have done them, but have many more I’d like
to do) are yet to be fully met.
Hey Scholars — as I said in my e-mail earlier today, it was great hearing about your first impressions on the job, what skills you’d like to work on first and your advice and support to each other.
Kudos to:
— Nandini and Kelly for using the opportunity during lunch with editors to discuss their goals and expectations for the summer;
— Elida for getting into her community and trolling for story ideas (and the fact that the Statesman had already published two means your news instincts are (psychically) spot-on, Elida!);
— Sharahn and Mimi for Page 1 stories, and to Sally for her first story in print and for a story slated for A-1 Monday;
— Regina for shooting a video about a pet-store burglary (an albino snake!);
— David for finding a potential gem of a story in a boring document;
— Aaron for getting the only mistake he’s going to make this summer out of the way during his first week.
Meredith and Chloe — your observations and questions in your e-mails are thoughtful and important, and will come into play in our very next and subsequent posts.
These are the skills you all (so far) said you’d like to work on: writing (working) quickly, efficiently, accurately; coming up with and pitching story ideas; improving breaking-news skills; improving writing clarity; turning in well-rounded stories that are also concise; gaining confidence with readers; managing your time/the job so as to be able to meet goals and lead a balanced life.
We’ll address all of them during the summer — starting with, in the very next post….speed!
Today was my second day, but my first day at my official bureau. Everyone was really friendly and helpful–though I suppose it never hurts to actually know one of the reporters previously. She worked at the student newspaper at my school, so I’ve known her for a couple of years.
What do I want to work on? I want to be open-minded to all types of story ideas, and really work on making each one something that I’m proud of and finding a unique angle. Also, though I think I have pretty good organizational skills when writing stories, I’d like to develop these skills at a much faster rate.
Today is my third day at The News-Leader and all of today I spent learning how to use the Avid editing program for videos. I’m used to using Final Cut so today was a bit frustrating and challenging for me but now I feel better because I will be able to edit videos with two programs! It’s like working with different brands of cameras a Nikon vs. Canon knowing your way around all the buttons is half the battle.
So I am working on my editing skills with a new program and also getting to know the rest of the news staff. I have gotten to speak personally with all of the multimedia staff and tomorrow I’m inching my way to the reporters and editors.
Yesterday I got a tour of the newsroom and saw the step by step process of the press! I suggest that everyone ask an editor or staff member to take you on a tour of their press because it’s super fun, and exciting in a nerdy journalism way.
I have gotten to shoot some video, mainly to work on the editing program but will get a solid story to shoot tomorrow of the opening of a power plant where I will be working on creating my video images as still images.
Multi-media, I guess. Admittedly, I am not that jazzed about the idea, but I realize it’s the “way of the future” or whatever. Fortunately, the Eagle-Gazette has informed me that I will be doing plenty of multi-media—slideshows, video and audio. AND SOON! I get my first multi-media assignment next week.. I can hardly myself. It will be fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.
Welcome Chloe, Princella and Brian. Sounds like you’re all off to great starts.
Princella, excellent idea for everyone to ask to see the presses, esp. when they’re rolling. (If you’re like me, you’ll have to fight the urge to yell, “Stop the presses!” ) For those whose papers are printed offsite, a little scheduling may be necessary.
We’ll add a few more skills to our list for the summer — rapidifying (OK, rapidly marshalling) organizational skills; finding unique angles to stories; swimming in the multimedia waters. Anything else, anybody?