14 Comments

1. Josie Kerk
   06.17.10

   I was amazed by the student voices I found on campus to talk about the Vermillion mayor. I was expecting to find summer researchers, but instead talked to recent graduates. One had lived in Vermillion for her entire life so had a combined community member and student perspective. Another had a kindergartner and was able to talk about the school system and the future she sees for her son in the community, as well as how the town impacted her as a student. These were voices I probably wouldn’t have run across during the typical school terms.

2. Josie Kerk
   06.17.10

   Calling city government officials in the summer caught them off guard and led to some interesting conversations about The Volante. I felt like I was doing more fresh coverage because I was working in the middle of summer break instead of my student work.

3. Sherri Keaton
   06.17.10

   On Wednesday, I ventured out on the University of South Dakota’s campus and I loved what I encountered. Unfamiliar faces with a welcoming, warm smile. Sometimes reporting in a new town can be unnerving, but it seems that the random assortment of strangers I interviewed weren’t so strange at all. Just people with a story like me, to tell.

   The process that I went through after the initial interviewee search was to look for my secondary source and focus of my story. I had so much information to take down that I didn’t know really where to start, but at least I got past point A.

   What surprised me however, was how nice and open the people I interviewed were. I loved their hospitable nature and open ways that allowed me to break down the walls of social rules. To them, I was a complete stranger with a goal in mind that they didn’t have to agree to do; but many of them cooperated and helped me out. And for that I am happy.

4. Jomay Steen
   06.17.10

   I was happy with the response and interview from the university services woman, who wasn’t the head of the housing department, but had the guts to talk to me. I’m not sure if this would have happened back in the newsroom.
   This is the difference between USD and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology: we have to talk to marketing folks at Mines before we talk to real people.
   Jack handed out Iphones like they were Christmas candy. I cannot believe the way this program is able to hand out such incredible machines that list at $4,800 without tax. I’m so happy.
   But hey, I was thrilled with the 2010 AP Style book.
   What a great, great day. I’m so glad that I signed up to take part in this.

5. Andi Murphy
   06.17.10

   So I am going to intern at the Forum at Fargo, N.D. I’m excited to see what the city is all about and excited to start reporting again. Like I said in the last blog, I haven’t been doing much journalism for a long time and it’s really refreshing to start back up again, especially with all these new tools I leaned about.

   Everyone got new Android phones today, courtesy of AIJI (of course we’ll have to give them back). I stood in the hallway outside of Jack’s office –where the phones were being distributed– and I saw everyone’s noses to their new phone screens, thumbs quickly poking the screen and small keyboards. They walked very slowly, like they had just been lobotomized, fascinated by these new palm-size gadgets.

6. Shondiin Silversmith
   06.17.10

   For some reason i do feel like an amateur reporter, and i really am. I’ve only been in the actual field of reporting since January. this just makes me feel uneasy toward my actual writing skills while i search for a story as well as write my story.

   i don’t know what to expect while writing this piece because it’s for a place I’ve never been for a school I’ve never attended. while i include the views of staff members and students that I’ve never worked with or around. i think after processing everything that I’ve done today as well as what I’m writing right now toward how i feel about my reporting experience is the surprise, because I’m a little scared at what to expect from my writing.

   I’ll guess I’ll be able to find out when i actually write my piece and see what type of criticism goes toward my writing. all i know is that I’ll be able to improve i mean no body is born perfect and all skills are learned.

7. Andrea Cornelius
   06.17.10

   Finding a story was the hardest part of yesterday but once the idea is solid then I can begin my search and the rest begins to fall into place.

   There was no surprising part of the process for me since but finding the right sources that give you the gems of your story, the pieces of information that bring it all together and give the story its life, are the hardest to find. There will be many people who will lead you astray or that state the same information as a previous source. This is a challenging process.

   However, it is a fun one. I always talk with and meet interesting people and go to places I would have never known about on my own.

   The reporting is the foundation of a good story. Therefore it is the most important part. I enjoy the whole process with all its ups and downs because of all that i get exposed to. It is one of the reasons that I love journalism.

8. Jessica Tso
   06.17.10

   News is about what is happening in the community. Basically, the people behind the news are reporting to the community about their own community. So what better way than to go out to the locals and find what they have heard or seen then report on it. The community actually know more than reporters, not as a whole, but one individual could come across something before a reporter. The story is initially from the people but a reporter angles it in a professional manner that is more interesting than someone saying “Do you know what I saw yesterday?”
   After seeking a topic from the community, interviews would have to be accomplished because the words of a reporter aren’t factual enough. The inverted pyramid is commonly used, but the part of reporting that I didn’t know was the impact and the context of a story. Those are important factors when relating to the community because the point of reporting is to reach out to the community and find a way to make them care. Afterward, ideas from that story could start spewing which could create more issues to be raised and possibly resolved.

9. Vanessa Parker
   06.17.10

   Today, I am tired. I think the combination of my long drive and night-owl tendencies are catching up to me. Ha ha ha…!

   I promise to get more sleep tonight, as tomorrow I will need to be more physically active. How embarrassing would it be if they had to call the ambulance to come scrape me up for falling asleep in the middle of West Cherry Street! But I digress.

   I am naturally an outgoing, chatty person. However, I am nervous about going out tomorrow to obtain quotes for my story. I am inexperienced in that way, having only written a few articles for school.

   I think that what is hardest for me, is that I am much better at natural conversation. I can go up to people and chat with them, most of the time. However, this is going outside my comfort zone.

   I will continue to reassure myself that I am not the only one who has ever experienced this apprehension. Hopefully that will help me tomorrow!

   Good luck with your stories!

10. Elyse Watkins
    06.17.10

    Warning/Disclaimer/Caution: You’re about to be hit with a cliche (or a really over-used simile. But, it’s true).

    Reporting a news story is like a puzzle.

    Each document, interview and tip is a piece of the puzzle. Some of the stories are like those 3D Eiffel tower puzzles with 5,000 piece that seem like they’ll never be made whole. You know those, the ones your nerdy cousins were always working on when you visited them over summer vacation in Florida.

    Now, allow me to bring these abstract statements into some real life difficulties that my story is giving me.

    It seems that in South Dakota, police aren’t obligated by public records laws to hand over police reports after they’re filed. It’s kind of shocking how much public records laws vary from state to state…yay federalism?

    But there’s also been some good parts to reporting the story I’m working on. A few times today I’ve gotten that nice little rush that a reporter gets when a source gives them a good quote or the cell phone number of another great source. I had a few of those moments today.

    9 pieces put together….4991 to go before deadline.

11. Nancy Kelsey
    06.17.10

    I’m not sure what exactly is surprising about the process of finding and reporting stories. I need to think on this more.

    I know something must still surprise me but it has been a really long, minimal-breaks-and-lots-o-lectures kind of day. Don’t get me wrong, I am so indescribably happy to be here, but I am so tired!

    Still, all things journalism are a learning process. I have been here three times and I still feel like I’m learning a lot of new things.

12. Ramona Marozas
    06.17.10

    Many things surprised me while reporting. In particular, not every story idea you have is going to work out. Even though it sounds like a good idea in your head, does not mean it is considered news.

    What is the impact? When looking for a story one should keep detail in mind. Is there enough relevant context to work with? Involve human interest; remember to engage the reader. Be sure to summarize your story and elaborate on its importance/meaning.

    I learned a lot more thinking goes into reporting than I thought. I used to go into interviews with a blank slate. I would never do that again. Planning interview questions allows for a reporter to be in control.

    “I take readers to places they can not normally get to,” Joe Grimm said.

    Planning and time goes into the process of finding and reporting a story. All the hard work pays off when the public experiences creative journalism.

13. Jacob
    06.17.10

    “Surprising” was certainly hanging out of the backside of today. It first surprised me to find out what the ADA actually said about compliance, and that in some cases, out-of-code status is okay. That automatically refracted the angle of my story from what I had wanted it to be. I am always surprised how quickly sources can become fluffy the minute they see you start to write something down. I’d love to be able to write legibly without ever looking down. Driving, walking, talking. Never losing that stream of focus on what you’re writing about, getting distracted with each word’s individual meaning as it is scrawled out in the jet stream, or the malformed shapes—letters?—that come tersely from the pen. Sometimes they’re like infants in a maternity ward—without a sense of meaning, helpless alone, waiting to see what, who gets put beside them by some spasm of the body. And let’s hope they’re never confused.

    My story dissolved for a while, and at one point I was considering and pursuing three different stories. They all rose up in great promise and joyous unison, clamoring together like an ocean wave, like the held hands of a Jewish wedding dance. No surprise that some of those have collapsed and dissipated. But no one can say it isn’t exciting.

14. Jomay Steen
    06.24.10

    I am so HAPPY right now at this moment. I am so totally in the moment. All of my recording, audio and editing has finished. We included our lower thirds as well as proofing our spelling of names–they were perfect.
    My feet hurt. My head aches. I’m exhausted. But I’m so happy.
    Andi Murphy is a total rock star of this sort of medium.
    As are Shondiin Silversmith, Josie Kerk and Ramona Marozas, who were exceptionally tech savvy and patient with me.