I knew with the economy and budget cuts, it would be a challenge to find a summer internship this summer. More specifically - a job back home! In fact, two summer internships - the State Journal-Register and the Department of Agriculture, both had budget cuts that forced them to either not hire as many interns or not hire at all. Therefore, I feel very fortunate to have a summer internship that sounds like I will enjoy very much.
I will be working with the Midwest Dairy Association as their summer intern. For those of you not familiar with the MDA, its main purpose is to promote the dairy industry and its products, as well as educate the public on dairy nutrition. As the summer intern, I will have a variety of duties, including: writing press releases, traveling to staff meetings, helping with publications sent out annually, as well as working the entire Illinois State Fair in the Dairy Building! I will be very close with the butter cow this year, so be sure to come and visit me if you visit the fair this summer.
I am so glad to have had these journalism classes prior to taking this internship, as I have learned a lot about writing and being a journalist. Learning how to research more efficiently, using "tighter" wording and learning how to get the main message across quickly will help me with this internship.
All in all, I am very excited about interning with the MDA. I will have the opportunity to communicate with the MDA interns in Minnesota and Iowa as well, so it should be a great summer!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
What I have learned about journalism this semester
Before enrolling in JOUR 420, among a few other journalism classes, this semester, I had the naive idea that journalism is all about being a good writer. And boy, was I wrong. Granted, a journalist must be a good writer, but I have learned there is so much more to journalism than just being a 'good writer.' These days, a journalist must know how to tell a story visually, the difference between online and paper stories, how to make an ethical decision, and yes - how to do math!
I will never forget the day I realized that people really don't read an entire story in a newspaper. All this time in high school, I had this assumption that people read a story thinking about how the writer built the introduction and body, as well as the vocabulary used. But, no. People want the main idea of the story and then move on. They want visuals that help tell the story in a compelling way.
As far as editing goes, an editor must be able to make quick decisions and be ready to defend it. After learning about headlines and cutlines, I realized that headline must be carefully constructed. For example, I had always thought of "Man bites dog" as a headline - simple and easy to write. But there is so much more to take into consideration. It must be short and to the point, but must also tell the story. In addition, online stories must be taken into consideration when writing a headline. The editor must think about what most people would seach for in a search engine to ensure easy access to the story.
Yes, I have learned not only how to be a better writer and how to hone my grammar skills, but I have also learned that journalists must be a 'jack of all trades.' It's a little differernt from what they show in the movies.
I will never forget the day I realized that people really don't read an entire story in a newspaper. All this time in high school, I had this assumption that people read a story thinking about how the writer built the introduction and body, as well as the vocabulary used. But, no. People want the main idea of the story and then move on. They want visuals that help tell the story in a compelling way.
As far as editing goes, an editor must be able to make quick decisions and be ready to defend it. After learning about headlines and cutlines, I realized that headline must be carefully constructed. For example, I had always thought of "Man bites dog" as a headline - simple and easy to write. But there is so much more to take into consideration. It must be short and to the point, but must also tell the story. In addition, online stories must be taken into consideration when writing a headline. The editor must think about what most people would seach for in a search engine to ensure easy access to the story.
Yes, I have learned not only how to be a better writer and how to hone my grammar skills, but I have also learned that journalists must be a 'jack of all trades.' It's a little differernt from what they show in the movies.
Should I be worried?
As a journalism student, many people give me a worried look when I tell them I take several journalism classes here at school. They often ask me, "Isn't journalism a dying industry?" You should see the look they give me when I tell them my actual major is in agricultural communications! Then the jokes begin - "Oh, so you talk to cows?" To which I reply: agricultural communications is basically a degree in communications with a focus in agriculture. These types of conversations no doubt make me think about the major I'm in. However, I have come to love what I do, and I have no hesitations about being in the wrong major. Yes, I think journalism will change - it is inevitable. But I am confident about the area and don't feel the need for panic. Right now, some people may be worried about journalism's role within the Internet, which is understandable. Once its role is determined, however, I believe journalism will be 'back on its feet.' We will always need our news, and to get that reliable news, we need reliable journalists. Maybe I'm being optimistic because I'm in the major, but I do believe journalism has a future. Yes, it may change, but what ever stays the same?
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