JRN 300: Rules To Remember

I'm always looking for a way to simplify our principles to an easily-understood and effortlessly-followed list. Sometimes I come up with such a formula; other times, I find something that's good to go.

Below is an example of the latter: a list of 22 rules for journalists. It does a nice job of reminding us of some basic precepts that can easily be forgotten amid the daily hubbub: keep it simple, do the right thing, it's about people, ect.

Give it a quick read and think about how these rules can apply to your day-to-day routines now and beyond this semester.

By Robert Mann

Whenever I hear about some press secretary cursing a young reporter, I think, “That’s a press secretary who was never a young reporter.”

That’s one reason some politicians have such poor press relations: the people they hire to manage their press relations know nothing about the daily life of a journalist. They think it’s about intimidation and manipulation when it’s mostly about mutual respect and creating and nurturing trusting relationships.

I discussed this in considerable detail earlier this week in this post about politicians and their spokespeople.

That post prompted a few friends to offer some additional rules.

It also prompted my friend and former LSU Manship School colleague Jay Perkins (a longtime Washington, D.C., Associated Press reporter) to offer some rules for journalists that he’s compiled over the years.

Jay is quick to note that most of these aren’t original to him. But it’s a great collection of wisdom that he once shared with all his students — and that I now share with you:

EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT REPORTING (And most of it I stole)

By Jay Perkins

1. Journalism is an attempt to discern the truth from liars. Don’t expect anyone to tell you the truth. They won’t. It’s up to you to find it. Look for contradictions in what people say. Three words to live by: compare and contrast.

2. Most lies are those of omission. Most people aren’t going to lie totally. They’re just going to tell you the version of the truth that makes them look good.

3. There’s a big difference between repeating and reporting. Repeating what someone said is easy. It doesn’t require much judgment or intelligence. Reporting is a search for the best version of the truth. It requires intelligence, skepticism, hard work and lots of digging. Strive to be a reporter.

4. The last reporter to get the truth from one source was a guy named Moses. Unless your source is God, you’re not going to get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth from one interview. And if you’re getting interviews with God, you’re in the wrong business.

5. Reporting requires common sense – all five of them. It’s not enough to just listen to what someone says. God gave humans – even reporters – five senses. Sometimes how someone looks is just as important as what he or she says. Sometimes the way their voice wavers can tell you a lot. Use your senses.

6. Too many journalists try to climb a mountain from the top down. If you go right to the top and interview the big guy first, you’re dependent on what he wants to tell you. If you interview the little people first, you’ll know what to ask when you get to the big guy. Take it one step at a time. Start at the bottom. Hit the library and find out everything you can about the subject. Interview the little people second. You’ll get to the top quick enough – and you’ll know what to do when you get there.

7. Most business stories are not news stories. But most news stories are business stories. If you don’t understand business, you can’t understand news. Look to see how the news affects business – and why.

8. What someone knows is important. But the real question is how do they know it. Ask them. Beware the person who knows everything – college professors are a good example. They may just be good at talking about nothing.

WRITING

9. Good writing will take you further than good reporting. The reason? Most editors can recognize good writing. But few of them can recognize good reporting. Be a good reporter. But also be a good writer.

10. Writing is like making love – it’s a lot more fun with a partner. Unfortunately, too many journalists think they’re writing for themselves. They’re so interested in satisfying their own ego that they forget about satisfying the reader. Keep your focus on your readers. Tell them the story. They’ll think better of you in the morning.

11. Good writing starts with a KISS. That’s a maxim political consultants live by – Keep It Simple, Stupid. Leave the big words and the complex sentences in your English classes. Your job is not to impress the reader with your vocabulary or your ability to say nothing in 4,000 words. It’s to eloquently elucidate a communique – uh, communicate a message.

12. People are more important than statistics. You tell your reader that 500,000 people went broke in America last year, he’ll yawn. You tell him the personal story of one person who went broke, he’ll listen. Statistics are important and they have to go into the story. But your focus is on people.

THE NATURE OF NEWS

13. News is never new. It is simply recycled for a new audience. The only journalists who think they’ve found something new are those who are too dumb to read and too lazy to research. Read what other reporters in other towns are doing. Read what other reporters have done. Here’s betting the story they covered could be covered in your community. Do it. And then everybody will think you’ve found something new.

14. Anyone can cover an event. But only the good reporter can put it into perspective. Most reporters have an institutional memory of one day. The good ones can relate what happened on any one day to the historical trends that created the event and the ripple event the event will have across society. Don’t be satisfied with covering an event. Stretch the envelope.

15. Reporting and writing are tools that a journalist uses. But what he or she really is selling is knowledge. If you think the Mujahadeen sell ice cream in Beijing, that Khadaffi is the French word for coffee, that Mekong is what a big gorilla once said, you’ve got a problem. Three words to live by: Read. Read. Read.

LAW AND ETHICS

16. Ethics are elastic. It’s easy to be ethical when the story is small. It’s a lot harder when the story is huge. Develop an ethical code that you can live by. And live by it. The rule one reporter lives by: he never does anything to get a story that he would be ashamed to have printed alongside his story.

17. More libel suits are caused by bad manners than by bad reporting. You write something. Somebody gets mad. They call you up to complain. You listen to them, they feel better. You act like an arrogant jerk, they sue. Be nice. It will save you numerous libel suits.

RESPONSIBILITIES

18. Journalists can’t tell people what to think. But they certainly tell people what to think about. What you decide to cover and the way you organize your story all impact on what the reader is going to think about. That’s an awesome responsibility. Think about it.

19. The journalism profession doesn’t need any more bad reporters. It’s got plenty of those already. If you’re going to be a journalist, be a good one. If you’re not going to be a good one, find another field of work.

20. There’s no such thing as objectivity. But there’s something called fairness. If you don’t think your preconceptions influence the questions you ask and the story you write, you’re dreaming. Don’t worry about being objective. But try to be fair. Let everyone tell their side of the story.

21. So now you’ve been fair and allowed everyone to tell their side. Don’t let fairness cause you to miss the target. What’s the point of all this work you’re doing? Finding the truth. And the truth is never fair and it’s never balanced and it’s never objective.

CONSISTENCY

22. And finally, remember: most people will remember you not for your best story but for your worst.

JRN 300: What Journalism Is

A while back, a student asked me to review her personal statement as part of her MSU College of Law admission. And at the heart of her statement was what she learned being a journalist,  which I want you to consider for two reasons: first, it gets to what being a journalist is really about; it's not writing, it's about a responsibility to truth and community and getting out of your own comfort zone to do your job. Second, it's a literal example of how performing journalism can be used to demonstrate skills that apply to things that have nothing to do with journalism, and help you become anything but a journalist. Here we go:

My pen trembled in my hand as it hovered over the notebook and a list of questions.  I had been nervous for days — going over my notes and asking colleagues for tips —

as I prepared to conduct one of the toughest interviews I faced as a journalist. It was for a story about the B.R.A.D. Foundation, which sends out cards promoting safe drinking to young adults a few days before their 21^st birthday. The program was set up by the parents of Bradley McCue, who died on his 21^st birthday from ethanol poisoning. This interview would test all of the technical and interpersonal skills I had gained over the years from work and school.

            I had come a long way since one of my first interviews as a paid staff member of Michigan State University’s The State News. On those occasions, I simply read all my questions and failed to ask any follow-ups, resulting in me missing pertinent information. This taught me the importance of asking questions that build on the others. I had also learned a lot since my first story on a controversial political issue, affirmative action, a topic that I failed to thoroughly research prior to interviewing my main source. This taught me how research is critical before an interview. I made it a practice to come up with multiple ideas – more than I was required to have – every week at work. As a result, I quickly became someone other reporters could rely on for a story idea. The more I researched, interviewed, and wrote, the more I honed by ability to talk to others and be a skillful reporter overall.

             Looking back, I have to say that the interview process was initially the most challenging aspect of journalism for me because it is difficult talking to people who do not want to answer your questions. But, without a human source, the story or article never feels complete. So, I learned to relate to an interviewee, ask the right questions, and began enjoying the interview process. After four years of preparation, I had become ready to take on the toughest interview of my journalism career.

Mrs. McCue answered on the second ring. “Hello?” she said, in a cheery voice that lifted my spirits just a little. “Hi, this is Isabella from The State News. Is now a good time to talk?” I asked, knowing full well there is never a good time to talk about your deceased son. “Yes,” she said. I let out a deep breath, sounding shakier than I had expected.

My pen moved quickly as I went through the simple questions first to ease her into the interview and feel ready to open up, eventually leading up to “What do you think Bradley would make of this program if he were alive today?” Even after 14 years, his mother had a difficult time choking out the answers to these questions. I used a soft tone of voice to convey compassion for Mrs. McCue and make her feel comfortable enough to open up about her son. I paused between questions to give her time to respond and collect her thoughts. I also let her know how impressed I was with the program and all she had done to put her at ease and ensure that she was ready to discuss how the Foundation benefits young adults.

            About two weeks later, the story was published and I received positive feedback from both parents who wanted to send the B.R.A.D cards to their children and fellow students who were touched by Bradley’s story. In October 2013, I received a B.R.A.D. card of my own, which I keep on my bulletin board as a reminder of not only Bradley’s story, but also the accomplishment I felt in writing about him.

The article I wrote about the B.R.A.D. Foundation was symbolic of my personal development. I was first drawn to journalism in high school because of my love for writing, but I was unaware of how the journalistic goal of getting to the truth of a matter could have so much meaning until I started college. Being a journalist was my way of helping others, something I am passionate about. I loved receiving an email or phone call from someone I interviewed or who read my story and was impacted by it. 

            I am now drawn to an education and a career in the field of law in part because, as an attorney, I will be able to use the very skills that enabled me to excel in journalism — engaging in critical thinking, painstaking research and challenging interviews — to help clients with their issues. At Michigan State University (MSU), I would benefit from opportunities to educate myself in a variety of legal fields. One area that I am interested in is animal law, given my lifelong passion for animals, and writing for the Journal of Animal & Natural Resource Law would be an amazing opportunity and a boost to my future legal career. I am also interested in MSU’s unique Indigenous Law Certificate Program, which would enable me to work with and help Native American tribes right here in Michigan. In addition, I plan to join MSU’s Moot Court and Trial Advocacy Board. I shadowed a defense attorney this past summer, and her work inspired me and made me feel more confident in my choice to pursue a law degree. I enjoyed being in the courtroom, and I want to learn and practice courtroom skills in Moot Court. Finally, I have attended MSU for almost four years, and I call East Lansing my home. There is no other school where I’d rather continue my education.

            It has been about a year and a half since I did my interview about the B.R.A.D. Foundation, and I’m now looking ahead to the challenges that I’ll face in my legal career. Five years from now I hope to be prepping for another type of interview — one where I am sitting across the room from a client in need of my legal services. I look forward to researching and sharing information and knowledge as a lawyer.

Getting An Internship: Effective Resumes

By JOE GRIMM

When it comes to selling yourself on paper, you will find that media managers are tough customers. After all, they put information on paper every day. There are no bonus points for correct spelling, punctuation or grammar. Those are givens. A single error can consign your resume to the circular file. Edit your work, proofread the final copy and then double-check everything. Twice. Have someone else go over it. Make sure the editor is notthe first person to see the finished product. Understand the purpose of a resume. It is not intended to get you a job. It is meant to tell prospective employers enough about you so that they’ll look at your work sample or call you in for an interview. Use the interview, tests, tryouts and other steps to land the job. The resume is the earliest of preliminaries. It is Square One.

In a business where word economy is valued, one-page resumes have traditionally been the norm. This is changing, though not with all editors. Even editors with 20 years and several papers behind them limit their resumes to one page. You’re certainly free to exceed that, but it won’t work with everyone, especially when your experience — compare to the editor’s — is modest.

What comes after name, address, phone number and e-mail?

Stating your career objective can help, but only if it matches the opening. An incompatible career objective can eliminate you in a New York minute. It’s OK to omit this.

Put education or experience next, depending on which is more relevant to the job you’re trying to get. If all your work has been outside of journalism, but you have a degree in it, lead with the degree and details about your coursework. If you’re completing a non-journalism degree and have two media internships, list the internships first. The categories’ chronological order is less important than relevance. However, follow chronological order withincategories, most recent to oldest.

Go beyond simple job titles
Describe your jobs. Don’t say you were a reporter. Say you were a reporter who covered a school district, two police departments and the local court and that you wrote a Sunday column. Mention the more complicated, difficult or humorous accomplishments you had in those jobs. These accomplishments distinguish your resume from others, tell the newsroom manager something about your interests and abilities and could open the door to an interview.

Use a clean and simple design
Be bold if you can, but not flashy. I have seen cartoon résumés, résumés with little basketballs on them and resumes made to look like front pages. Tricked-up resumes suggest you lack experience or sophistication and do not give you any advantage over other applicants. As more and more companies scan resumes for databases, consider how to make a resume that scans clearly.

Do I include non-journalism jobs?
If you have a short employment history, you certainly may include jobs that are not journalism-related. These help demonstrate that you have worked for others, know how to toil for a living, show up on time and generally are responsible. Emphasize skills that are most similar to journalism: writing, handling information, working with the public, juggling tasks.

What else should I include?Second languages (but you better have more than the obligatory school minimum), awards, scholarships, extracurricular activities that highlight leadership and personal achievements — if they demonstrate relevant qualities such as resourcefulness, tenacity or responsibility. In one case, I was impressed that a student was a full-time care-giver while carrying a full load of classes.

What about references?Before you list anyone as a reference, make sure it’s OK with them. Ask whether they can give you a good word. Once, I called a reference, and the person said, “He listed me? That was a mistake.” The candidate’s chances stopped there.

Don’t assume people will be your references; ask them. But don’t stop there, as most will be polite and say yes. Ask them, “If I were to list you as a reference, what could you say about me?” If you like what you hear about yourself, then ask them to be references.

If your resume is getting crowded for one page, you can use a second sheet just for references. I don’t think there’s any need to say “References available upon request.” We assume so.

Omit personal informationIt is not relevant whether you are married or single, old or young, a smoker — or a non-smoker. Don’t include those facts. They can say you don’t know what’s relevant and what isn’t.

My curiosity is piqued when someone’s resume carries a list of places visited or lived in. Hobbies can intrigue me, too, but they turn others off. Generally, the more relevant it is to the job, the safer you are using it. Being accomplished at a musical instrument, for example, implies precision, discipline and practice. Saying that you have a passion for coffees or that you bake bread may leave some recruiters cold.

Getting An Internship: A Resume Example

Getting An Internship: Cover Letters Are Important!

By JOE GRIMM

Why is it so hard to write a cover letter?

We can figure out which clips, images, links or videos to send, and we can get the resume down, but cover letters are darn difficult. Part of the reason is that there are so many options. This article, and the ones it links to, should help you sharpen your focus and you choose a direction.

Cover letters typically go out with resumes and clips and should be seen as complements, as part of a package.

For journalists, a good cover letter is just one page long, dated, and it has all your particulars — name, address, phone number, e-mail address — in case it gets separated from the resume.

The cover letter should be addressed to a particular person and should have that person’s title. It’s always smart to make a phone call to make sure you have those correct.

You want your letter to stand out from the rest, but you don’t want to go over the edge — of someone’s desk.

So, be specific, write well and tease the editor into your clips or back to the resume.

Here’s one approach: “I’ll eat anything for a good story.” The cover letter goes on to talk about a feature story on edible insects, ethnic cooking and a taste test of a fast-food franchise’s latest venture.

Here’s another: “They said it couldn’t be done, but I did it.” The cover letter describes a story written under extreme deadline pressure when phones and computers went out.

Another approach is to say, in an unexpected way, why you think you’d be perfect for the position. Example: One police reporter wrote that she wanted to come to a major city’s metro because it sounded like “hell with the lid off” — the perfect place for covering crime.

The secret to a good cover letter is to seize on the most interesting work you’ve done, experiences you’ve had or qualities you us and to tell about them in a brief but compelling way. Give your cover letter a strong lead. Remember to use nouns that people can see and verbs that they can feel. Show some passion.

Customize your letter by showing that you know a little something about the company you’re applying to, perhaps by mentioning it in the body of the letter, but spend most of the space talking about your accomplishments, not about everything you’ve learned about the employer.

Finally, the cover letter must be letter-perfect, of course, right down to observing media style.

Looking for a few good cover letters? You won’t find them here. The JobsPage is into strategies, not shortcuts, and we wouldn’t insult you with generic copy. If you want to download free cover letters, go to another site or get one of the jillion cover letter books at the library or bookstore.

A great cover letter is authentic and authenticity starts with originality.

This article is about some bad and great cover letter opening lines. Use them to get your creative juices going, then go write your own cover letter. In truth, we aren’t spilling the very best opening lines we’ve seen out of respect and awe for their creators.

As you look at these lines, also think of combining two into a layered approach. Hedge your bets by opening with a straightforward line that tells editors what position you’re applying for, and following with a second line that shows flair. Here’s an example:

I am very interested in your business reporting job. My clips will show you that I’m made to handle it.

OK, here are some that caught our eye. Some are here because they’re simple and straight-ahead, others are here for being different. No guarantees. The letters that push the envelope and land you an interview with one media manager will land you in another’s recycle bin.

Short, sweet, no nonsense

In response to your ad, please find my resume and clips.

Please accept my application for a photo opening at the Free Press.

I am interested in the mobile journalist position you have open. My resume, clips and references are enclosed.

Please consider my application for your Web producer’s position.

Leading with your experience

I have 20 years experience writing and editing sports.

I am an award-winning reporter …

Arson, murder, rape, torture. These are …

My most valuable lesson in four years at the …

I have covered small-town politics in Texas, crime in Atlanta and environmental issues in New Jersey. I am ready for my next challenge.

Autobiographical

Persistence and patience are two things a reporter needs.

I love my job.

I am a small-town girl with my eyes set on the world.

Every valuable lesson I ever learned about reporting I learned in a taxi — from the front seat.

In my newsroom, they call me the grammar czar. I want to be your next editor.

They said it couldn’t be done, but I …

Sympathetic

It’s a pain in the neck, going through that stack of resumes.

You: Busy editor working late and staring at a growing mountain of job applications. Me: …

No fancy cover letter here. No custom-bound clips or professionally designed resume. Just good, solid …

Let me save you some trouble …

I’m sure the ad for a (job) at the (paper) unleashed a torrent of applications …

So many candidates, so little time. Let me help you cut through the clutter.

Confident

I would be an asset to your staff because …

I meet every one of the requirements in your job posting. (Bullet points follow.)

I saw your advertisements for both a features writer and an assignment editor. If the positions have yet to be filled, please consider the brief resume which accompanies this letter.

Brimming with Confidence

If you haven’t filled the sports writing position, look no further …

Look no further …

Let me save you some trouble …

Confidence gone crazy

You would be crazy not to hire me.

Punchy

You’d have to be crazy to hire me.

The competition hates me.

People watch what I do.

Anecdotal

You never know what you might learn when …

I have been yelled at, lied to, kicked out of meetings and threatened — all in the pursuit of journalism. What a great business.

Non-starters

Pursuant to our conversation … (English, please.)

I read with enthusiasm your classified advertisement ion JournalismJobs that that solicits applicants for community reporting positions. (Ditto.)

I am applying for an entry-level, general assignment reporter position. The reason I’m interested in working for your paper is I would like to move back to the area. (Better approach: Tell me how your knowledge of the area can benefit the newspaper. We hire people to make the newspaper better, not out of kindness. And don’t be that wordy.)

I recently spoke with a former professor of mine who sent me a list of various newspapers that are looking now, or in the future, to fill reporter positions. (Will your stories beat around the bush this way? Get to the point.)

I am John Doe and I writing to inquire about the sports reporter’s position which focuses on the coverage of State University athletics at the Sidewalk Scribe. (Ditto. It is not necessary to state the name of the paper you’re writing to — or your own — in your first sentence. These have been pretty much covered on the outside of the envelope.)

I am currently searching for a chance to enhance my skills as a reporter with another television station, and I am hoping that Action News can provide me with that opportunity. (Tell not what the company can do for you; tell what you can do for the company.)

I am a recent graduate … (Congratulations on your diploma, but weren’t you just sitting in a whole fieldhouse full of people who can say the same thing? What distinguishes you?)

With four years of reporting experience under my belt, … (Cliche alert!)

As a writer for a small daily who’s more than ready to move on to an unqualified metropolitan daily, I’m responding to your ad for reporters. (Yes, someone really wrote that.)

Getting An Internship: Cover Letter Examples

Ms. Kathy Best

Editor

The Seattle Times 

1000 Denny Way

Seattle, Washington, 98109

Dear Ms. Best:

In 10^th grade, I got an offer to work for a New Jersey-based radio station as a political correspondent in Puerto Rico. Every Saturday for three years, I would go on-air for 20 minutes and report on current issues affecting the island. I was 16 years old at the time, learning by doing and trusting my gut 100 percent. That’s when I realized I wanted to be a journalist. 

The radio station was more than a job — it was a school. I was assigned to follow the student-organized protests at the University of Puerto Rico. I covered and witnessed college students get arrested, maced with pepper spray and hit by the Puerto Rico State Police. This helped me understand the social role I would have in the world by being a journalist. Covering the protests taught me to become a better storyteller and to understand that no matter where I was, I needed to be ready to file or to call the station and go on-air immediately. No excuses. 

I learned about the importance of understanding the community I was covering and the significance of developing strong relationships with sources who would come to me right away with news. The latter one was the hardest because of my age at the time, but I ended up gaining the respect of my colleagues and sources. 

I am currently working toward a degree in journalism at Michigan State University, with a concentration in international reporting and a minor in environmental and sustainability studies. Now I am an editor for “Sustainable Stories,” a student-run blog from MSU’s Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment. I co-founded the International Journalism Association at MSU, and I also am a member of the Environmental Journalism Association. 

While holding various positions at The State News, MSU’s student-run newspaper, I’ve covered a range of topics from President Barack Obama’s visit to Ann Arbor, Mich., to the decriminalization of the marijuana to the DeBoer v. Snyder trial — the trial that pushed for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Michigan and one of the cases presented in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. This work involved filing on-deadline content, creating videos, posting to social media and submitting updates for the newspaper’s website. 

With my diverse background in radio, newspaper, and online blogs, I see The Seattle Times internship as the next step in pushing me to become a better journalist. I am ready. 

*************

Company applying for

Address line one

Address line two  

Dear name of recruiter or company if name is unavailable,

During the summer of 2014, I pictured myself reporting for Michigan State University’s premier college newspaper, The State News. But when I did not get the job, I wound up instead spending my summer driving a forklift at Lowe’s Home Improvement store.

But I did not give up. After working incredibly hard in my classes and achieving a 4.0 GPA, I once again applied was hired as a general assignment reporter the next summer. 

Since then, I have worked my way up and have become one of the top reporters at The State News, being promoted twice during my five months as a reporter. I am now the East Lansing city reporter as well as the state capitol reporter. This has given me the opportunity to cover a range of stories.

While other newspapers in the Lansing area wrote about new and improved recycling practices in East Lansing, I found more than 12,000 residents without access to on-site recycling due to city ordinances. I have reported on the health of the Red Cedar River, a landmark at MSU. I sat down with MSU’s President Lou Anna K Simon and explored the plight of sexual assault victims as the university mishandled a number of cases over the past few years. I covered city council meetings, debates and this year’s election. I even rode around East Lansing in the back of an infamous monkey-covered van during my time as a reporter for The State News.

I would love to bring my passion for journalism to your organization. I have valuable experience in the field and believe I would be a great fit at the (name of company). Thank you for your time and attention to my application. I look forward to scheduling an interview with you to discuss the position, as well as my qualifications. Your organization is one I have always dreamed of working at and I believe I have the experience necessary to do so confidently.

Job Shadows: What You Saw, Part 7

Here's a sampling of some of the various job shadows done by you all (this will be updated as job shadow reports are turned in, so please check back frequently). Take a look and see what you can learn from everyone's visits. There's a lot of good stuff here to help you decide what you want to do with your lives; what you need to be doing to get there; and what to expect when you do get there.

Please give each one of these a quick read as they come in, will you?

*****

For my job shadow I decided I wanted to do something different, I wanted to be out of my comfort zone. I’ve done radio and print journalism so the only thing I haven’t experimented yet was broadcast journalism. After a couple of calls, I landed a job shadow opportunity with Joy Wang of WILX Channel 10 News in Lansing.

Wang gave me a tour of the facilities and we went through a normal day of a reporter at Channel 10. First of all, many of their ‘reporter are not just reporters — they are called video journalists. Their job is basically a one-man-band: Joy shoots, reports and edits, all of that before her deadline. So she not only reports, but she also has to carry the camera around and record. She told me there have been several times that she has had to go on air without a cameraman giving her signal that she is on air.

Wang explained that, when pitching a story to the producers and editors, every story pitched by reporters needs to have at least one of the following elements: tracking, protecting, alerting, preparing. If the story doesn’t have at least one of the elements, then there is no story in that idea. Channel 10 audience is model by a concept called Ann Proctor — Ann Proctor is a woman, middle age, with a family and not too educated. In other words, the stories that are pitched need to be of interest to people like Ann Proctor. Wang said that was one of the hardest parts, to fins stories that their audience will be interested even if she was not.

Wang graduated from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. After doing some internship with the local affiliates of NBC in Los Angeles she landed a job at Channel 10 News. She moved a couple of months after she graduated without knowing anyone — she signed her lease for her apartment online, without knowing if the apartment was alright or if the neighborhood was safe. Her main advice: work hard, say yes to everything, do your best and network.

******* 

For my job shadow report I went to City Pulse Magazine in downtown Lansing and shadowed Ty Forquer who is the arts and culture editor for the magazine. I emailed Ty on Monday of last week and we set up a time for me to come into the office and discuss what it is that he does and what the jobs of some of his colleagues may entail. 

City Pulse is a magazine that distributes once a week to the Lansing/East Lansing community. Every Wednesday you can find a new issue of the magazine on your stands. The magazine is run out of what seems to have once been a house but now is an office space. Their individual offices are in the ‘living room’, ‘dining room’ and various ‘bedrooms’. The magazine seems fairly small with an elite team of people working over it. There are a lot of pieces that run weekly in the magazine that have the same writer for each week. For example, there’s a food piece that runs every week with new food items and options that is almost always written by Steve Green with occasional free-lancers.

Ty being the arts and culture editor oversees any content that goes into that section of the magazine. He also will look over other pieces to give added insight. They do offer an unpaid internship position during spring and fall semesters that I am interested in and will be contacting him about in the coming days. They currently have 2 interns who do not only work on stats and copyedits but will also get the chance to occasionally write a piece for the online issue and even for the print issue as well. The internship is 15 hours a week with flexibility but the reward for the work being done is worth every minute. 

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For my job shadow, I followed Jason Colthorp through his morning news routine. After a 2:30 a.m. wakeup call, I was ready to hunt down some news. I arrived at the WDIV 4 local Detroit station around 3:30. 

Jason, his camera man, and I quickly drove out to a crime scene. Unfortunately, job shadows have to drive themselves, but I did get to hangout in the stakeout van for a lot of the time at the crime scene. When we arrived on the scene, the paramedics and police had blocked off the majority of the street. To get as close as we could to the police tape, we had to go the wrong way on a one-way. 

Jason tried to get as much information as he could from the police, as well as the other news stations that had arrived after us. He discovered that a 17-year-old boy had shot his uncle several times in the leg with an AK-47 after the uncle had attempted to steal his nephews car and pulled a hand gun out on him. 

At 5 a.m., Jason appeared live on the scene and reported what he knew to the fellow audience. After his first appearance, the three of us waited in the van hoping for some more information, or if anything were to happen. Every half an hour Jason had to report if there were any updates. Around 6/6:30 we got to watch the nephew get put into handcuffs and taken to the station, which was good for the news because we hadn't seen much go on. After sitting around, repeating the news for about 3 hours, we decided we needed a little pick-me-up. A few espresso shots later we were back on the scene. 

Due to the fact there wasn't much going on around the crime scene anymore, Jason shot a “like live” shoot that was planned on to go on at noon. He made it seem as if we were live, speaking back to the anchors in the studio, but really it was shot a few hours before. 

Overall, it was a great experience for me. I was getting a little bored at times (and tired) but it was exciting to be out on the field getting the news first hand. It was investigative journalism to the fullest. I think it helped me learn what it is like doing different jobs within the field, and showed me how important it is to have your facts straight.

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For my job shadow, I tagged along with James Edwards of the Lansing State Journal for the Grand Ledge vs. Portland girls’ basketball game. He arrived to the games early and immediately made sure that he had game sheets with rosters and talked to people before games so that he knew what to look out for. He said for sports like high school girls basketball, there’s not always that much prep you can do. The majority of his knowledge on the subject came from the preseason preview that they do for all sports.

            During the game, James sat in the stand and jots down every scorer whenever a point is recorded. He likes having a chronological score report for whoever scores so he can track runs and recall turning points in the game for his article. He also tweeted the action, sending out a score and leading scorer update at the end of every quarter or whenever something significant happens. James had a photographer accompany him for the game, and they exchanged a lot of information to make sure they were on the same point. After the game, he used the stats provided by the scoreboard keeper for rebounds and assists.

            As soon as the game is over, James went to wait for the coaches to give interviews. He asked the coaches for specific players, as well. James said he thought of questions throughout the game but didn’t write any down, because he likes a naturally flowing conversation. He said that interviews were a goldmine for storylines, and actually discovered the ones he wanted to use by talking to the playoffs. The best advice I received from James is to always look for a storyline when covering an event. “Portland Tops Grand Ledge” is simply a score summary while “Freshman Emerges As Star As Portland Tops Grand Ledge” adds a little more to the story. Without that, he said, a story will just fade into the background.

            After the game, James’ deadline was at 11:00 p.m. and he finished with interviews around 9:45. Usually, he said, he enjoys writing in his car to remove himself from the commotion of gyms or press boxes. He said his report varies in length based on the content of the game, when the game concluded, its significance, the storyline he picks up, the quality of the quotes, and etc. The minimum was 400 for him, though. One thing that struck me again was the importance of deadline. It was set at 11:00 p.m., and even if something had happened to force the game to finish an hour later, he would have had to have in a report by that time. Of course, we learned this in class, but seeing its effect in person solidified its place of importance in my mind.

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For my job shadow I shadowed Berl Schwartz of owner, editor, and publisher at the Lansing City Pulse, which he founded in 2001.

The busiest days of the week for Schwartz are Mondays and Tuesdays, because the paper goes to the printer on Tuesday nights, so he does all the proofreading of content. He sometimes does the first round of editing on stories, and generally specialized in word editing. Schwartz praised the importance of having different types of editors on stories, citing help from other editors to edit content, so he can focus on the style and word editing.

Additionally, he is the ad director at the paper, and told me about how he manages the space in the paper for companies asking to advertise. Advertising being its main source of income, he said they rarely turn away an ad, and said it’s a balance in trying to figure out how he’s going to include them all.

When asking about advice he wish he would have known when younger, he explained that he wish he had spent more time in Washington D.C. because it is one of the main hotbeds for news. Along with that, modern day media requires you to be knowledgeable about every facet and not just one small focus, so to take every experience as a learning one. An interesting perspective he gave me was revealing he was gay, but failed to reveal that for a while because it was generally not accepted in journalism. On the outside this seems sort of strange, but he went on to explain how much better he felt and the success that followed when he was happy and comfortable being himself. This advice reminds me that, for me to be successful I need to make sure I am happy in what I am doing myself.

Finally, he told me about some unique experiences like getting to interview John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Overall, I had a unique shadow experience with someone at the head of the paper rather than just a journalist working for them. It let me get a better understanding for how papers are run at the top, and the preparation and other factors that impact a paper, aside from just the story writing. His advice was useful and he was reassuring that hard work and passion in the industry can still lead to success. 


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For this project I did my job shadow with Berl Schwartz, Owner and Publisher of the Lansing City Pulse.  It was a valuable learning experience, because I not only learned about the responsibilities of his position, but how he built his career and lessons he learned along the way.

On a weekly basis, Schwartz explained to me how Monday and Tuesday were the busiest days in terms of production, i.e., producing stories for the physical publication. Asides from being publisher, Schwartz is also an editor as he does “all the proofreading.”

Schwartz assists in copy editing as well, which is not strictly fixing grammar and spelling, but involves more or less improving the formatting and style of the story.

Schwartz will volunteer himself to do the first edit on stories his particularly interested in and always does the first edit for the Arts & Entertainment section. Schwartz also took it upon himself to employ a writer from the Lansing State Journal, who works with him to ensure all the editing gets done in time for publication.

Schwartz has a media presence that expands beyond the City Pulse, conducting interviews for both radio and television—including his own show on Impact 89FM. When I met with him, he was preparing for an interview with the new Mayor of East Lansing, Mark Meadows.

Schwartz had a long career in journalism before starting the City Pulse in 2001. Schwartz started off as a Politic Science major at the University of Pennsylvania, but left before finishing his degree to begin his career as a reporter. Many years later he was a Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Oklahoma. Schwartz eventually finished his degree and after years of working for different publications, started his own—Lansing’s City Pulse.

While Schwartz taught me what a publisher does, the most important thing he taught me was to take every opportunity I can and turn it into a learning experience. As an older man with vast personal experience in this field, Schwartz told me it was valuable to make the most out of everything available to you and to never turn down an opportunity to learn more about yourself and/or the field of journalism. Schwartz himself did this by diversifying his work as not only a reporter, but someone skilled enough in the business side of things to start his own publication and keep it going for over a decade.


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I did my job shadow at ABC12 WJRT in Flint, Michigan with Greg Molzon. I was fortunate enough to meet Molzon over the summer at a graduation party where he gave me his card. This was incredibly helpful considering last year for JRN 200 I had to do my job shadow back home in Ohio because I didn’t have any contacts up at school.

            Molzon is the sports director/anchor at WJRT. His job has him producing a little bit of print media but for the most part he anchors the local and notable sports pieces for WJRT. When I shadowed him he showed me around the station, which was pretty similar to Local 12 WKRC in Cincinnati. Regardless, It was still very impressive and a tad intimidating. Molzon focused his tour more on the broadcast area and it was interesting to get his perspective. Kevin Barnett, my last job shadow, worked behind the scenes so I enjoyed asking him what it was like to be on the other side of the camera.

            Molzon demonstrated for me what it was like to read text off a monitor and how you had to speed up or slow down during a broadcast. Which was something Barnett had told me about but it was really different watching it live. Molzon, like Barnett, also stressed how important time was in this business. Everything has to happen in a timely manner for the entire broadcast or segment to run how it’s supposed to. Molzon also showed me the football specials that he had been working on for the impending end of the regular college football season, which was pretty cool to see.

            Overall, I had a good time and I learned a lot. I’ve never wanted to be in front of a camera and this job shadow definitely reaffirmed this sentiment. I don’t think I could ever sit confidently in front of a camera reading off of the screen like Molzon did. It was nice to go and see that though, instead of just thinking that I wouldn't like it. Molzon was really nice and the entire experience just helped me figure out where I eventually want to end up and also gave me a new contact.

Greg Molzon

Phone: 810.257.2810

Fax: 810.257.2812

greg.c.molzon@abc12.com

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For my job shadow I spent the evening with Robert “Scoop” Jackson, a writer for ESPN The Magazine. He roomed with my dad for a couple semesters in college back in the day at Xavier of Louisiana, and they remained pretty close over the years. He now lives in Chicago and I was there over Thanksgiving break, so he was able to squeeze a couple hours in with him while he worked on a Derrick Rose piece. I was not able to accompany him to the interview because it took place earlier in the month, even though I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to be there anyway.

He showed me all his notes from not only the interview, but also the notes he had taken in preparation prior to meeting with Rose. The stack was huge. I asked him why he felt the need to prepare so much to interview a guy he had already spent a lot of time with, and a on a sport he had been covering for over 25 years. Even I know a good amount about Rose. But he said it’s important to always be prepared with questions and as much knowledge about the person you are interviewing as possible, especially people that give an allotted amount of time for an interview like Rose did.

Looking back I should have asked more about the process of writing for a magazine and all that goes into it, but I kind of had my mind set on asking the cliché questions about “how to make it big”. But he said there is no real formula. Once you get out of college, everyone is working hard and competing for the same jobs, and there are a lot of talented people out there that don’t ever “make it” in the sense that I was talking about. I laughed at this statement because it’s so true, but he joked that there are probably 1000 times more people that are trying to work for big companies like ESPN, or FOX than actually work there. If you only focus on that, then whatever job you have won’t be as enjoyable, even if you’re doing good work.

Even though I wasn’t able to accompany him on the interview, I learned a lot from the conversation. He never came off as a big shot, just a normal hard working guy with a little luck.