Please list a question you have about the practice or field of journalism. Explain why this question, or the answer to this question, is important to you.
- Chips Quinn Scholars program Co-founder John C. Quinn welcomes the Spring 2010 class.
- Scholar Ashley Marchand recites the First Amendment, as Vice President/Diversity Programs Jack Marsh listens.
- Chips Quinn Scholars Program Director Karen Catone.
- Getahn Ward (1994 and 1995), health-care business and commercial real estate reporter for <i>The Tennessean</i> in Nashville, welcomes the new class of Scholars.
- CQS program Co-founder John C. Quinn with the only sibling-pair in the program: (left) Dawn Majors (1999 and 2000), photojournalist for the <i>St. Louis Post-Dispatch</i> and LaVondia Majors (Fall 2002), program coordinator, Diversity Institute.
- Val Hoeppner, Diversity Institute manager/multimedia education, explains the multimedia component of the training.
- Jack Marsh, vice president/diversity programs, provides background of the exhibits and the layout of the John Seigenthaler Center building.
Photos by Diane S. W. Lee (Spring 2010)
Kiah Haslett
01.21.10
I always ask reporters or editors I admire two questions, because they’re the two greatest hurdles I come across as a reporter. They’re big. Get ready for them:
1. Where do you get your story ideas?
2. Where do you find your sources?
I don’t have the answers to these questions yet. Sometimes, I have some insight into them and the temporal answers make for really great stories, but I haven’t found my end-all-be-all solution.
What I have heard is: Being a reporter is all about being in a relationship with your readers. The better your relationship is, and the more your readers trust you, the more tips you’ll get and the easier it is to find sources.
The importance of the answers is obvious. They are the focal points and the driving factors and the storytellers of every article. The idea and the sources are what make a good story a great story — a story readers care about and respond to. Without a story idea and key sources, I’m just a transcriber, or a PR person, or anything except a journalist.
Elvia Malagon
01.21.10
I’ve always been curious about learning how to have people from a different culture than mine, or who speak a different language, open up during an interview. Reporting in these situations sometimes has been difficult for me. This is especially true when it’s a group that has not been well-reported on by the media.
It’s important to know how to approach situations where we might not speak the same language as the person we’re interviewing because those stories are probably the ones that have not yet been told.
As we continue in our journalism careers, it’s more likely that we will be faced with this situation and it’s important to know how to properly handle it in order to write accurate and fair stories.
Alejandra Matos
01.21.10
Ethan Hernandez is a four-year-old boy. He can brighten anyone’s day with his laugh, and he loves Disney’s Cars. I met Ethan about three months ago, after writing an article about Candlelighters. Ethan has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and he changed my life as a journalist. I have always believed that journalists have the power to create change, but I’ve wondered whether my articles really can change someone’s life.
After interviewing the children and parents affected by such a horrible disease, I sat in my room, heartbroken and crying because I felt powerless and unable to help them. But then it dawned on me: I did have the power to help — through the article that I was writing.
My words, which are really the words of these families, had the power to bring help and change to these families. The article prompted the El Paso community to buy Christmas cards that would help raise money for the foundation that aids families who have children with cancer by paying health care expenses and providing support.
Although I don’t know for a fact that someone decided to help Candlelighters because of my article, I know my family and I began sponsoring a child, Ethan. We watched him smile for hours as he opened the many Christmas gifts we got him and that he may not have otherwise received if I had not written that article.
Ethan is a four-year-old boy whose life was affected because of my article, but more importantly, Ethan is a four-year-old boy who influenced my life and changed it forever.
Ashley Marchand
01.21.10
Some like their eggs sunny-side up, some like them fried, and some just like them hard-boiled. At the end of the day, no matter how you cook it, an egg is still an egg.
Many media outlets are reconsidering how they package their eggs — or… news, that is. Amid claims that newspapers are dying (whether or not they actually are), people are still craving what the media cooks up. The question facing many news organizations is whether or not there’s a best way to present the news and if the old way of presenting stories– via newspapers– is becoming too antiquated for today’s media-savvy crowd.
Are there certain media tools that are more effective in conveying news than other tools? In other words, is a picture really worth a thousand words, or is society losing its imagination in both conveying stories through the written word and in digesting those print stories?
This question is significant for members of the media as convergence remains a newsroom buzzword and as editorial staffs scramble to train journalists in the art of multimedia. May the cooking class begin. The customers will always be hungry.
Nicole Norfleet
01.22.10
Fads come and go.
The newsboy hat. The afro. The MC Hammer pants (well, hopefully those stay gone). Fashion isn’t the only industry struck by fads. For the last three years, the buzzword making its way through journalism circles was “convergence.” Hearing of shrinking newsrooms and fearing that their graduates will be consequently asked to shoulder more responsibilities, colleges pushed for converged curriculums. Students were exposed to a plethora of courses to learn all methods of information gathering and publishing. News editorial students had to take broadcast classes. Photo students had to learn introductory Flash or Final Cut. But was this new method helpful?
During my past internships, I was rarely called on to write stories and produce multimedia for the Web site. Normally, the publications have kept their Web desks separate from their print desks. I want to know if I need to make a choice between one specialty or the other in order to be marketable. Is it better to just hone your skills at one element of the reporting craft or should you become a jack of all trades who can do everything marginally well?
Veronica Cruz
01.22.10
With newsrooms downsizing, and bloggers and citizen journalists taking the responsibility of gathering and disseminating information, I’m curious about whether the tenets of good journalism are threatened by the need to deliver news instantaneously through the Web, and by bypassing legitimate news sources altogether through citizen journalism.
The rise of blogging and citizen journalism, and to some extent the impact social networking sites have had on traditional journalism, have been trends of interest to me. Like any journalist I strive to practice the fundamentals outlined in the SPJ Code of Ethics and believe in those values. If others aren’t bound by those same ideals what’s to happen to news coverage?
Luis C. Lopez
01.22.10
While NBC “Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams was getting ready to interview with “Cronkite News” reporter Toby Phillips last November, Williams told Phillips: “It’s so easy to wake up and find a somebody who agrees with you.” With that in mind, I echo the questions that have plagued the industry in recent years. And though economic survival plays an integral part, greatest concern is focused on preserving the importance of journalism as a public service.
With shrinking newsrooms and the constant need for more and more immediacy, when and how is journalism going to rid itself of the old advertising model that focuses strictly on profit and not content? How can papers and publications stay relevant when newsrooms are pulling stories from the wires and ignoring the unique aspect of every community? When are media companies going to understand that cutting staff is a short-sighted solution and a long-term problem? How can a blurring of editorials, blogs and commentary hold key players accountable? How will new media uphold the key values of journalism–integrity, fairness, and accuracy?
For it is not the economic uncertainty that affects me the most. It is the reality that instant media truly does cater to everyone’s preconceived notions, with little or no effort to show the other side of an issue. I’m not going to start dropping names, but many popular anchors are not true journalists. They are biased talking-heads. This is why I believe parody shows like “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show” are successful. Though they mock media, they reflect what, in my opinion is, a frightening reality. News — journalism — is losing balance. That is reflected in slimmer newspapers, one-sided agendas and talking heads who ignore looking at the other side of the issue.
Lisa Song
01.22.10
What’s the best way of making a video story if you’re reporting solo?
With the media in “crisis” and many cheap videocameras on the market, a lot of publications feel pressured to make videos, and the results aren’t always great. I think it’s significantly easier to film a story if you’re not reporting alone.
I worked with a fellow intern on a recent reporting trip; it was her job to write a print story while I filmed. When we got to our first interview, it was all I could do to keep the interviewee in focus while following her wildly gesticulating hands and aiming the camera at whatever poster she pointed to. My colleague ended up asking most of the questions. Our next interviewee drove us around town, and once again I focused all my attention on filming her and the scenery, while my colleague kept the conversation going. At the time, I even wished for a third reporter to handle the sound and record a separate audio track.
I was lucky to get help from another reporter on this story, but with budget cuts and the drive for more multimedia I’m sure I’ll get sent on a solo video reporting trip someday. What’s the best way to record good video and audio, while writing down all the intangibles–impressions, thoughts, follow-up questions that come to you during the interview? I suppose one “solution” would be to record everything, no matter how insignificant it seems. That, however, seems like a waste of camera battery/memory and would generate hours of useless tape logging.
Richard White
01.22.10
“What about journalism makes it so addicting that I choose to stay with it?”
Over the past few years, the field of journalism has gone through some serious changes. As overall readership reaches an all-time high, subscriptions and advertisements are decreasing. Media outlets across the country have let go of staff members, cut out sections and reduced the number of pages, and some newspapers have stopped running.
With all the signs pointing down a long, dark road, what is it about journalism that refuses to let me give up on it?
This question is important to me because I’ve been told to “try a different route” plenty of times. Some routes I’ve been told to try are public relations, the corporate world and sports
information.
All those are fine, but there’s nothing like the adrenaline rush before a deadline, the feeling of accomplishment when beating a deadline, writing a great story and meeting wonderful people along the way. Yes, you have the downs of people not calling you back, writer’s block or being underappreciated. Even with all those downs, I’ll take journalism any day of the week.
I’ve tried going with the multimedia trend, but even sometimes that’s not enough to get hired or even keep a job. For a person who has goals and dreams, I sometimes wonder if this is the road I’m supposed to be on, then I remind myself that even though there are no roadblocks, everything happens for a reason.
So this addicted feeling that journalism gives me is nothing that rehab can change. Ultimately, it’s in my hands to stay or go, and I choose to stay.
Kristy Chu
01.22.10
I grew up when computers were being used in kindergarten classrooms—by students. When I’m awake, I spend the majority of my day on a computer or ingesting information in the palm of my hand via my ever-handy smart phone. I didn’t have textbooks for many of my college journalism classes as they would have been outdated by the semester’s end. “New” technology never stays new for too long, and if life has taught me anything, it’s that the only thing constant in life is change.
There is no question that journalism is evolving, and is doing so at a rate that is seemingly impossible to keep up with. There are continual advances in technology, and those advances are paving the way for almost anyone in society to become either a purveyor or consumer of information. As multimedia becomes integral in what were once print-only newsrooms, how are “traditional journalists” adjusting to the constant shifts in an industry so volatile?
The answer to this question is especially important to me after attending a school with a journalism program that preached the importance of flexibility within the industry. It is, of course, important to adjust your skills to be appropriately aligned with the advances in technology that facilitate the delivery of information. However, is it not equally important to respect and uphold the foundations of traditional journalism that have paved the way for us as future journalists?
It seems as though they only way the “old world” of journalism can adapt to the “new world” of journalism is if they respect one another. Traditional journalists must have the flexibility and open-mindedness that the “modern” journalist has been taught, while the “modern” journalist must also respect some of the traditions of journalism so as not to lose the integrity and meaning of the industry.
Tasnim Shamma
01.22.10
At dinner today, John C. Quinn, co-founder of the Chips Quinn Scholars Program, told us a story about his time as an editor at USA Today when he worked with John Seigenthaler, founder of the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center. Many decades ago, the business department requested budget reports from each of the departments in the newsroom. Siegenthaler was never very mindful of the business side of the news operations and submitted a report from several decades ago, adding several zeros to the end of the old figures. I imagine that would not be possible today.
As budgets tighten, layoffs continue and single employees do jobs previously held by three or four people, it will be interesting to see how it will affect the future of the news business. At my own college newspaper, The Daily Princetonian, the Board of Trustees debriefed the editors at our first meeting on how we would need to actively work to create products for the business department to sell. At our college newspaper and of course other papers like USA Today, the business department was previously asked to sell ads and make money. But with the news and business department working together to save the newspaper business, are we crossing any ethical boundaries to make money and stay afloat?
For example, Andrew Romano, a senior writer at Newsweek, which will be my host magazine during my internship this summer, told my journalism class about an idea for a new blog that he had pitched to the business department. But he said that department shot down the idea because advertising said it would be too difficult to sell ads for and wouldn’t even try.
Diane S.W. Lee
01.22.10
“Journalism is dying. Why are you still pursuing a career in it?”
I get that question all the time. From strangers, friends and yes, even my parents.
My parents wanted me to pursue a more “stable” field like law, medicine, math or sciences. Unfortunately, my personality and skills were not a perfect match.
But journalism was. And it still is, despite the doom and gloom people are predicting for the news industry.
I have to admit: I never imagined pursuing a career in journalism. While reporting for my community college newsweekly, I met a former alcohol and drug addict. He turned his life around by counseling other addicts as a substance abuse counselor. After I told his story in print, I discovered my calling for journalism. It was both an honor and a privilege to tell his story respectfully and share it with others. Since then, I’ve worked hard to give a voice to the voiceless.
I can’t imagine pursuing another field outside of journalism. Although I’ve held down jobs as a cashier, taxi dispatcher and tutor, journalism remains my true passion.
While looking for full-time work, I waited tables at a restaurant. Customers I talked to, mostly strangers, recommended I look elsewhere. Read: Outside of journalism, some believed journalists are liars; journalism is dying.
I believe that journalism isn’t dying, but evolving. I believe there will always be a need for journalists to collect reliable news and information and share it with audiences through print, online, broadcast or even social media. We must work hard to be accurate and fair no matter what medium we use for storytelling.
At The Freedom Forum, we are learning to use different tools and techniques for storytelling. I’ve only spent a few days with my fellow spring class of Chipsters and I’m very optimistic that journalism will not only survive, but thrive.
Although my parents still nag me to find a more stable job, I’ve decided to stick with journalism. It is a calling I can’t ignore.
After all, young folks like me are taking a risk and investing our careers in a shaky field because we believe we’re going to be the ones to save the journalism industry.