I like to pretend/channel T.J. Holmes sometimes.
Latest Entries »
You’ve got to be aggressive and just go for it.
The day went from great to better when AU alumnus, Rachel Wulff , spoke to the bootcampers about the realities of television journalism. As you will learn, it was not an easy journey for the reporter/anchor. Wulff has had several periods of ups and downs during her career. However, Wulff encouraged the journalists “to be aggressive and just go for it.” Young journalists will not make their mark in this industry if they are not dedicated to their craft and their technique. Wulff instructed the SOC bootcampers to make their own brand. While American University will provide the graduate students with a great start, the students are responsible for making their own name and growing up quickly.
This isn’t an industry for the weak-hearted or the lazy. As Wulff stated in her presentation, journalists should be ready to find the next opportunity should they experience some regression during their career.
American University Graduate Students pay visits to Politico, the Associated Press, and the Newseum.
Just when I thought that J-school Bootcamp couldn’t get any better, today we went on several field trips. I haven’t been on a field trip since grade school. So, naturally, I was pumped.
AU grad students began their day in Arlington, VA at Politico where they had the privilege of meeting and picking the brains of Senior Editor, David Mark, and Life Editor, Pia Catton. Mark spoke to the bootcampers briefly about the inner workings of Politico but Catton truly gave them the ‘low-down’ on what was necessary to remain competitive in such a highly sought after field.
Catton began her journalism career at the Weekly Standard and then the New York Post. Next, Catton spent time working for the Women’s Business Magazine and then as a freelance dance critic and general assignment reporter for the New York Sun. After the New York Sun folded in September of 2008, Catton began working at Politico. She now manages a staff of 4 reporters and characterizes her job as bringing the lighter side of the politics to web. As an individual with an incredible amount of experience in print journalism, Catton imparted onto the AU graduate students advice that will surely prove to be helpful.
Catton expressed that “creative thinkers are highly valued.” When covering politics is the main focus of one’s career, stories tend to become dry and monotonous after a while. Catton told the students that she is interested in the journalist that can think outside of the box. Specifically, she wants to hire the individual that can breathe new life into a (sometimes) mundane topic.
While creativity will go a long way in this business, Catton emphasized (again and again) the importance of execution. Nothing is more impressive than handing a clean copy to an editor on time, every time. Even if what is presented requires certain revisions, having a product to build on is better than having nothing. Catton explained to the bootcampers that a recurring fear of deadlines plagues her everyday. Thus, punctuality is a must!
Finding a journalist who is familiar with the style of the publication. is also extremely critical. Catton said plainly that “people get lax.” Journalists employed by major companies should realize that until they are the Editor-in-Chief, their personal flare should be tailored to style and standards of the publication. Therefore, journalists must know their role and play their part.
Crossing the River: Associate Press
The next stop on the Bootcampers metaphorical trip to the Land of Oz was the Associated Press. The 3,000 of 4000 + employees of AP are serious journalists. The grad students were fortunate enough to have a private tour, lead by Ed Tobias, of the main facilities.
But the tour didn’t end there. The next stop was the radio control room. Literally 2 minutes before a live broadcast (unfortunately we were in another part of the building when the broadcast happened though).
One-on-one reporting with the news anchors of AP was conducted. I love that these anchors really love their job. Take Bob for example:
The Newseum: The Final Destination
The last leg of the excursion was a free trip to the Newseum in downtown Washington, D.C. It was a treat, learning experience, and perfect culmination of the day wrapped into one. The Newseum is a journalists dream. It’s where 6 levels
dedicated to all forms of journalism, from radio to print to television, can be found and admired. Most of the Bootcampers found themselves experiencing 4-D as they went back in time to see how story-telling, investigative reporting, and live broadcasts came to exist in the world.
History captured in the form of photographs, artifacts, and broadcasts made the trip especially exciting. The bootcampers got to relive historical momenst as they visited various exhibits. The Bootcampers had reached their version of Land of Oz, because they definitely were in the Land of Journalism.
Today, SOC graduates were shown how to raise the bar and take their work to the next level. Alumna Lagan Sebert (pictured right)
, a School of Communication superstar, kindly shared words of wisdom to the aspiring multi-media journalists.Sebert truly went above and beyond what was expected of a typical graduate student. When it came to hustling and getting on his grind, he wasn’t playing any games or taking any prisoners. He explained that during his second semester he did whatever it took to get an internship with WAMU 88.5. Sebert, literally, just made himself present. And eventually producers gave him a shot. Sebert secured an internship with WAMU 88.5 during his second semester and eventually received payment for his work. Indeed he epitomizes the phrase: “hard work pays off.”I was struck by his demeanor. For someone who had accomplished so much in a small span of time, he was really down to earth. I really appreciate that.
Lagan Sebert’s documentary thesis, Busco Personas: Faces From Columbia’s War, won the audience award for best short documentary at the 2008 AFI Film Festival. Personally, Lagan Sebert galvanized me into action. I only needed the reassurance that diligence, persistence, and thinking out of the box were the keys to getting what you want.
SOC Adjunct Professor Barbara Wall: Lays Down the Law
The highlight of day was listening and learning while associate general counsel for Gannett Co. Inc., Barbara Wall, explained to AU grad students what they legally can and cannot say publicly. There simply was not enough time for the in-depth discussion that the bootcampers yearned to have. The SOC students were hung up on the latest controversies surrounding JuicyCampus.com. This website, responsible for destroying the career of a Yale Law student, and reputations of several thousand students at colleges across the United States, was persisted unchallenged because of the Communiction Decency Act. This piece of legislation does not hold websites (like JuicyCampus, Twitter, and Face) personally responsible for the responses of third parties. As a matter of fact, if a case were to ever make it to trial, a plaintiff would be unlikely to receive punitive damages from a defendant because college students rarely ever have deep pockets.
Later Wall explained that journalists are be responsible for everything they say and must choose their words judiciously. “Talebearers are as bad as tale-makers,” according to Professor Wall. Although Americans are guaranteed the freedom of the press, there are limitations to this right. People can’t just say what they want “all willy nilly.” Libel and defamation laws require statements to be factual. Only the truth will set you free.
The grad students are definitely looking forward to their next discussion with Professor Wall. A discussion on “Fair Use” definitely did not reach its full potential. But setbacks like this happen when a speaker is so captivating.
Forrest Gump coined the famous phrase that “life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” I never realized that these simple, yet profound words have a lot of truth and accuracy to them. Today, I had the privilege of interviewing Andy Medici – a classmate at American University. We met by chance and were instructed to practice cultivating our interview skills. During this time, I realized that he was someone that I wanted to keep on my contact list. For very good reason, he is confident that he will be the next major force in the newspaper industry. And, I am just inclined to believe him.
Originally a native of Northern Illinois, Medici moved to Fairfax County, Virginia when he was 13. But by this time he had already started his journey as a mini mogul. At age 8, Medici attempted to found his own newspaper. Although he eventually lost touch with this particular goal, we can’t be too angry – he was only 8 years old.
After a brief stint with computer technology, Medici returned to his first love. While in high school he worked for the school newspaper and covered small stories. But it was during his tenure at the University of Pittsburgh where he made a name for himself. He worked as a staff writer as a freshman and sophomore, an assistant editor during his junior year, and achieved the position of news editor by his senior year. At this level, he was responsible for managing 20 staff persons.
The Columbia Press Association recognized Medici with the Gold Circle Award in 2006 when he wrote about the three men who were responsible for clearing the snow from the streets during heavy storms in Pittsburg. Some may consider this piece unworthy of such high praise, but to others it demonstrates a passion for important stories that often go untold.
Since graduation, Andy has managed a community paper in Pittsburgh. But his future career goals and aspirations are what you want to pay attention to. Listen to him explain it in his own words below:
Pro explains that today’s journalists have the burden and advantage of contributing engaging, relevant, and intelligent material to the world.
In 2009, the demands of all journalists, whether in print or broadcast, are much stricter than ever before. Competition in this field has made it increasingly difficult to locate a target audience, decipher their needs, and retain their viewer/readership. Admittedly, it is tough job, but as the Director of the Writing Program and Weekend Interactive Media Program, Professor Amy Eisman explains, it can and will be done. While mapping out the interactive media landscape, Eisman prompted all fledgling journalists to: 1. Rethink their competition; 2, Rethink how one one does their job; 3. Think like an entrepreneur; 4. Form new internal partnerships.
Individuals pursue careers in journalism because they have the desire to inform the world on a particular set of issues. From gossip to sports, to political and social commentary, journalists form a distinct community of individuals that keep the world up-to-date. Thus, it is the duty of the dedicated storyteller to produce material to which individuals from all backgrounds will want to pay attention. Writing a story, in today’s economy and market, just won’t cut it. All journalists are faced with the challenge of rising to the expectations of the public and truly taking ownership of their craft.
Like I said before, Journalism is not an easy industry to enter or navigate. Especially with all of the latest forms of obtaining and spreading information (i.e. Twitter, Blogging, Facebook, Myspace, etc.), journalists have their work cut out for them. However, keeping people informed and engaged is the obligation that journalists have asked to have bestowed upon them. There is no room for complaining. “If you don’t keep up with the times, you’re going to be left behind.” – Eisman
Adjusting to and living with bi-polar disorder.
Today I planned on waking up early, enjoying a wonderful breakfast, and diving into my second day at Journalism Bootcamp. I was pumped. Because while this is a rigorous program – and I felt the effects on the first day – I can see the many benefits associated with graduating from American University next May.
But as the old saying goes, “you make plans and God laughs.” And I never truly understood what this quote meant until last night.
I recently learned that I, in fact, suffer from bi-polar disorder. Don’t be alarmed by this news, however. People hear this and immediately have second thoughts and look at you side-eyed. I did! When my own doctor told me that I might be suffering from the disorder, two days had passed (while I was in the hospital, mind you) before I finally warmed up to the idea. This disorder has a bad stigma that I am prepared to debunk with a little help from my blogging spot.
When an individual has Bi-polar disorder, this simply means that his brain does not adequately control his dopamine levels. Dopamine is the natural chemical that makes people happy. Too much unregulated dopamine can result in extreme highs (called manic attacks). In this state, a person will feel completely uninhibited by all things, have grandiose and unrealistic thoughts. The downside however, is that a person with bi-polar disorder can experience a full range of emotions in less than a minute. When regulated (I use lithium pills a.k.a. a natural salt … It’s on the Periodic Table of elements if you don’t believe me)
Unfortunately, manic highs are immediately followed by terrible, terrible manic lows. If you think being clinically depressed is rough, manic depression is 10x worse. Luckily, I have not been down that road. And I don’t plan to. I’ve had a lot of rough patches in life, but not on a scale comparable to my first attack. My first manic high occurred a week after my 22nd birthday (July 2 – what a birthday present, huh?) and a friend who recognized my symptoms took me to the hospital.
With that being said, I am still learning what things I can and cannot consume. Certain foods and drinks, if taken right before or immediately after I take my medication will make me very ill. Last night, I experienced this first hand. I love Kellog’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch and figured that one small bowl wouldn’t hurt . . . at 9pm.. I definitely thought wrong! I was praying to the Porcelain Goddess of all things flushed, all night. It was an absolute mess. But I’ve learned from my juvenile mistakes and will be more conscientious about the things that I ingest from now on.
I am not ashamed of my condition. That would be silly. Bi-polar disorder is not an STD. I didn’t ask for it; I was born with the condition. It is my responsibility to learn how to live with it. I simply think of my disorder as a minor obstacle to overcome.
My heart pounded uncontrollably and my palms were the sweatiest they had ever been early this morning. I was overwhelmed with nervous energy; I couldn’t even eat breakfast (my favorite meal of the day). Constant thoughts fired about in my head: “am I going to be good enough?” “Who is my competition?” “Do I have what it takes?” “Are classes really from 9 to 5 Monday through Friday?” When I arrived at the Mary Graydon Center a couple minutes after 9a.m., I sat in the corner and watched as my classmates conversed among themselves. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to get to know my future colleagues – I was in the zone and I had my game face on. Sitting back and observing my professors, TAs, and fellow AU graduate students was my only interest. Today is the formal introduction to my career. Today is the only day that a first impression can be made. And I intended to make a good one.
Throughout the day, AU graduate students met with various professors and staff including: Professor Jill Olmsted, Professor David Johnson, and TA Jesseka Kadylak (just to name a few). These individuals will guide us as we learn about the ins and outs of multi-media journalism and what it takes to thrive in this industry.
Creating a this professional web space or blogs, is my first step to achieving Oprahdom. I will use The Center to engage, entertain, and enlighten my audience and eventually launch my career. Thus, I am declaring this post/blog/entry a historical landmark. It is literally where my journey begins.
Stay tuned. You’re not going to want to miss this.
Sincerely,
J.May
