At a Glance
When: November 4, 2009
Why: To observe the news reporting process and ask questions
At least that is what I thought until we visited the Albany Democrat Herald on November 4.
It was so quiet that I was whispering in the lobby, and Martha Wells seemed, well, "reachable".
DH publisher, Martha Wells gave us a lot of information anecdotally and in her answers to our questions.
I was very happy to learn that the DH gives young writers the opportunity to learn the craft of news writing through Young Voices. Every high school student with an interest in journalism should know about it.
Wells underscored our previous learning when she emphasized "get the nut graf higher in the story," reminding us of the inverted pyramid, and the importance of getting right to the point of the news story.
"Don't leave obvious questions in readers' minds," which can happen when important information, located too low in the story, gets chopped.
Associate Editor, Steve Lundeberg, dispelled any notion that may have existed that Rob's "three sources rule" really applied beyond the classroom.
Other than erasing my preconceived notions about newspaper publishing and those involved in the process, I learned two things that were important for my journalism aspirations:
· Telecommuting opportunities do exist for good reporters.
· Job shadowing is available at the Democrat Herald.
My life requires the telecommuting flexibility and job shadowing provides the opportunity to find your niche in a career field that has several scopes of practice.
The trip to the DH was a very enlightening experience.
My comments disappeared that I wrote last week regarding Obama!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of "haters" in this world as the article pointed out. They have "hated' on him since he began his quest for the Presidency and unfortunately they will continue to hate, not because of his policies. Most agree that a change was needed from what we had before and any honest person would have to admit that we are in the situation that we find ourselves in today, because of what has gone on for the past 8 years. We are getting plaudits from the international community for being willing to listen first as opposed to grabbing a gun first and asking questions later. The world is realizing that we are all in this together and that the US cannot be the answer to every other country's prayers.
When his term ends in 2012, folks will have the opportunity to make a different choice, just as they did in 2008. No need to hate until then!
Alan Coleman
Most reporters had best learn to telecommunicate, because the story isn't in the newsroom, it's in the street! It can be very tough to try to run someone down over the phone. being on the scene allows one to SEE the circumstances of the situation and look at things more objectively. There is a tendency among journalists to report what they "know" without really "knowing". One of the HUGE problems with the 3 source rule, is that many times people are afraid to speak "on the record" for fear of repercussions or reprisals. That really hampers a reporters efforts to be thorough fair & balanced (sorry.. that phrase is stuck in my head from somewhere that is neither fair or balanced!
ReplyDeleteAlan Coleman