Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with journalism

Sketchy journalism & littering

mightshould — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:29:27 -0800

Sleuthing and neighbors have figured out what went on in front of my place the other day and it involves fabricating evidence for a newspaper story. I'd like suggestions on how to proceed. On Thursday, my neighbors saw a truck pulled off on the roadside in front of my place and the driver was unloading what turns out to be a lot of debris and trash into the ditch. They couldn't get the license plate of the truck, but have a decent description. Saturday, they saw two vehicles parked on my property, with one person taking photos (they did get the plate number of that guy.) In the Sunday paper, there's an article with a picture of the scene. The gist of the article is that "boy, there's a lot of trash on the roadways, and something needs to be done."

So, I'm steamed. First of all, I'm going to have to clean up the considerable trash myself unless the perp can be identified. Yeah, that ditch filled with trash - the refuse will be mine to dispose of.... Secondly, the journalism is flawed and just plain faked. I figure a call to the paper's editor is involved, but what else?

This is in rural, eastern NC, USA.

Burn after reading

wolfr — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:48:11 -0800

What are some of the best articles or stories you have read about Burning Man? I went to Burning Man this year and am doing a presentation about it soon. I'm worried about not being able to communicate what Burning Man is. The event is engineered to make you feel awesome for a week, so naturally one leaves with a very positive feeling about it. I know I did.

However, I want to know how to explain Burning Man to a group of people without having them miss the point. If you never went there it's too easy to write it off as a cheerful hippie event. The Burning Man "rules" such as radical self-reliance sound incredibly cheesy until you went there and understood.

So I'm looking for articles and stories like this one from the Huffington Post - or Viva Las Xmas by Larry Harvey.

Journalist tools

Yiba — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:19:54 -0800

What are the best must have tools for a budding Journalist ?

How do I have a "purpose" to do stories as an independent journalist?

ejfox — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:19:31 -0800

I am very interested in making photojournalism and radio documentaries. I'd like to approach these interests the way I usually do- jumping right in. However, I get nervous asking people to share their time and stories with me as I am not accredited to an organization. How do I get past this? Often times already, even when I'm not interacting with people directly, I will get people asking me what organization I'm with when I am taking pictures or walking around with headphones and the field audio recorder.

I'm having trouble answering this in a way that is honest, that won't scare people a mile away. Initially I'd tell people I was a "freelance journalist" and that the material would be "published online", more recently I've been able to jot down the URL of my photoblog on a business card if they ask.

However, I've been interested in doing journalism where I'd need to ask people for their time, and I am curious how I would go about that as someone who can't say "I'm doing a story for ____." I feel like this sometimes leads people to follow a certain conduct of cooperation that I would find to be very useful.

Another issue for me is that I am young (17) and I feel like it would be easy to be seen as another brat taking up time for no good reason.

For example, if I wanted to do a story on a local shop owner, I'd like to approach them and say "Hi, my name is EJ. I want to do a story on you, do you think I could have some of your time to talk." or similar. I feel like the natural question after this is "A story for what? Where is it going to be published?" and the answer to this for me is really unclear because I am still in the elementary stages of knowing what I'm doing. Who knows if I will ever publish the completed project? Or where?

Any advice for how to deal with this situation would be greatly appreciated.

Will a newspaper job inch me closer to a career in public relations?

sureshot — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:46:48 -0800

Job_Offer_Filter: I'm a struggling freelance writer trying to (someday) break into the pr/communications field. I've just been offered a staff writer position at a small local newspaper. Does accepting the job inch me closer to my desired field? Or just burden me with a ton of unmarketable experience? So, my background:

4 years out of college, doing my best to flex my English/Creative Writing degree. Over the past three years, I've established myself as one of the top arts writers in a large, non-Chicago Midwestern city. I have regular columns in the glossy monthly, aimed at young, hip, and moneyed readers. I am a regular contributor to an alternative weekly, and I fill in for the big daily's art critic when she is sick or on vacation. I also get to do occasional speaking engagements, juried art shows, etc.

Problem is, none of this has evolved into full-time work. I've worked random odd jobs since graduation, some vaguely related to media--wrote audio description scripts for a year, wrote back cover copy for paperback books at a small publisher, picked up random corporate copywriting/speech writing/press release writing projects here and there. I've been unemployed and broke a lot. I'm now working 30 hours per week as a paraprofessional at a local public school, while still doing all my writing stuff on the side.

So now I have an actual job offer:

Staff writer/reporter position at a pair of small, neighborhood newspapers. A small local publisher, hanging on by a thread. The staff seems overworked and underpaid. The job calls for 10,000 words per month, writer pitches/plans all stories (in a very broad range of subject areas), deadlines every two weeks. Some nights and weekends. The pay is low. $30,000 (salaried, which means no overtime pay).

I don't see a future in newspapers. And print publication, though a true love of mine, is not my final career goal. I want to sneak my way over to the other side of the media. And I'm not sure that amassing more print clips is the way to do that. But print journalism is much closer, industry-wise, to pr/communications than teaching, so maybe a year or two at a paper would narrow the gap for a career leap. And perhaps I could learn enough new media skills (video and sound, slide shows) to balance out my increasingly-obsolete print portfolio.

The alternative would be to stick at this part-time school job until summer (when I will be laid off) and devote myself to a long-term, strategic job hunt. Get an on-line portfolio up, maybe start a blog. Network like crazy. By summer, I"d be ready to launch a targeted, nation-wide search. And if the fish aren't biting, I just go back to the school in the fall and keep at it.

So. All of this nattering is to simply ask: Will a newspaper job get me closer to where I want to be? Or is it just another detour?

Any recovering journalists out there starting a new life in PR?

What does the Venn intersection of journalists and inventors look like?

runkelfinker — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:55:48 -0800

I've been following the development of the CrunchPad with some interest. It's made me wonder, are there any famous examples in history of journalists also being successful inventors/innovators?

Intellectual periodicals in Spanish

Mummy of a Lady Named Jemutesonekh — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:49:09 -0800

What are the most interesting intellectual periodicals in Spanish? Is there a close equivalent to the London Review of Books? To Dissent? To n+1? What distinguishes the slate of intellectual periodicals available in Spanish from that in English?

There's no way I'm going to J-school: What can I read, instead?

AAAA — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:08:38 -0800

What books can I read that will give me some idea of what it might take for me to make my living as a writer or journalist? Before you ask, yes: I know what's happening with journalism right now. Clearly, this isn't the decade to be thinking about making a living with writing of any kind, but when I think about some of the alternatives, well... none of them are particularly attractive to me at this point in my life. I can write, I can perform research, and, what's more, I like to do both those things. I'd like it even better if those were the only things I ever had to do to make my way in the world.

So I think I should try becoming a journalist.

The trouble is, I don't really know where to start. I've published a few articles in different places over the course of the past year, and I've been paid--so I know I'm capable of writing professional (or near-professional) quality stuff.

But aside from the actual writing, most aspects of the trade are still pretty mysterious to me. I don't understand the business side of things (what's a "query letter" supposed to be like?), and I don't understand how a journalist behaves during the information gathering parts of the process. I've had to contact sources for some of my projects, but when I speak to them I'm never entirely certain that I'm doing it right (assuming, that is, there's even a "right" way).

I know some of you are journalists or journalism students. Can anyone recommend some good reading material that will help me learn some of the non-obvious aspects of the trade? I'd also be interested in personal stories, but I'm mostly looking for things to include on an independent reading curriculum. In other words, if J-school didn't exist, what would you, as a starting writer, choose for your personal textbook?

Stories of local and national shennanigans

reenum — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:07:17 -0800

I want to read investigative reports exposing corruption or scandal on a local or national level. Please provide me with links. Over the past few months, I've become obsessed with investigative and explanatory journalism. I'm currently plowing through the Pulitzer Prize winning stories I can find in each category.

I've read story after story dealing with corruption, shady dealings, abuses of power, etc. and I want more on an ongoing basis. Examples include the FPP post on the Blue I submitted yesterday, the Tampa Tribune's investigation into Scientology, the Seattle Times' look at improper sealing of court records, and the like,

I've been going around to different newspaper websites in an effort to try and build a collection of links to their investigations or special reports sections. Problem is, a lot of these papers have buried these stories deep in the website.

This is where you guys come in. I'd like links to as many magazine and newspaper investigations or special reports you can muster. Ideally, the link will be a repository of such stories (such as this). But, links to individual investigations, blogs that document these sorts of stories, anthologies, books, etc. are also appreciated.

I know we have a few librarians in here, and your expertise would be most appreciated as well.

Thanks to all!

give all your informations to me

Jason and Laszlo — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:54:46 -0800

In this New York Times article about E. coli in processed hamburger meats, the reporter interviewed employees and unearthed documents to get his scoop. How does an investigative journalist accomplish these feats? How does a reporter get people to divulge critical information?

Examples of great science journalism

SouthCNorthNY — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:36:40 -0800

Poor science journalism gets trashed regularly on the blue. What are some sources of good science journalism? Do you have a favorite science writer? Is there one article that you read years ago that stands out in your mind as truly excellent? And if you know of any, examples of shorter articles that are written well.

Improve your writing by imitating the greats.

ekpyrotic — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:10:41 -0800

Improve your writing by imitating the greats. I am a middling writer. I have won college writing awards. I once published two pieces in a national newspaper.

I am eager to learn. At night I often find myself scanning http://delicious.com/search?p=writing. The result is frequently the same, either (i) the articles are old, or (ii) the content is old news, Use the active voice, Delete unnecessary words, or other Shrunkian globules of wisdom.

I have read that there comes a time when you should turn to the masters: Hemingway, Nabokov, Chekov, Kafka. Read them; distill their lessons; imitate them.

How do I do that? Are there specific exercises?

Insert Creative Title Here.

the NATURAL — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:05:10 -0800

You are a subscriber to McSweeney's and/or The Believer. Convince me that [either magazine, or both] is worth the not-insubstantial subscription costs. I've heard great things about both of these periodicals, but living in Hawai'i (not the most literate or quirky of places) finding these to peruse through and form my own judgment will be next to impossible.

And, although there's a special offer ($90/both for a year), that's still a pretty penny for someone like me, fresh out of school with meager wages yet an insatiable need for literary input.

Please convince me to:
- subscribe to one
- to subscribe to both
- to subscribe to neither
based on what you've experienced of McS/TB.

Thanks, MeFi.

Is The Zoom H4n Recorder The Absolute Best?

DumbPoet — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:09:35 -0800

Is there a handheld audio recorder that tops the Zoom H4n in quality, features and price? I will be using the device for news gathering indoors and outside.
I'm willing to pay $350 (the H4n is $320 and includes add-ons).

I have done about 5 hours of research on this today, and this seems to be the bleeding edge of handheld audio recorders in this price range. I realize that for $700 I can get the equipment that NPR uses, but I'm just getting into audio gathering.

Movie producers keep asking about my article

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:04:44 -0800

Screenplay question. OK, so, first of all, I have no illusions about the 1 in a zillion odds of selling a screenplay (especially after reading previous Metafilter threads.) But producers keep sending out feelers to me about a magazine piece I wrote, so I feel like I have to try. I'm not sure how though.

It started with a long article I wrote for about $200. Couple years later, a company that did a Super Bowl ad writes, wants to know if the rights are available. They don't bite, but a few months later, some other Hollywood guy writes. Then someone else...

Like clockwork, these inquiries keep coming. So my friend and I allow our Paul Schrader fantasies to go a little too far. We write (and heavily revise) a screenplay so we can pitch it to the next person who comes calling.

A few producer encounters later, out of nowhere a company representative asks to see the script. After reading it, he likes it enough that he wants to know if we will we be available to meet with his superiors? Once again we get all excited, but then...silence.

My question is: What would you do, real writers? Is there any way to try and parlay this trickle of interest into something? Should I just send a ton of query letters out, and if so, how to get across this situation--that we're not just pitching, like, a Memento ripoff we made up, but a story that seems to hold real interest out there?

Or should we just, as Kool Keith said, give up and "keep your jobs at 7-11?"

How do I make myself & my field audio recorder useful?

ejfox — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:33:59 -0800

I just bought a Zoom H4n and I enjoy making field recordings, how do I make useful recordings? (Or who would care about the recordings I've made?) I was reading the wikipedia page for Field Recordings and I noticed that both Ethnomusicology and Bioacoustics seemed interesting. I am wondering if there are people who would benefit from the recordings that I make in my spare time.

For example, I imagine there might happen to be a university somewhere that would like to hear relatively high-quality recordings of a certain type of forest at a certain time in upstate New York (where I live). Maybe that's crazy though, and the recordings are just interesting recordings (and that is rewarding enough, mind you.)

I've also made recordings of local independent folk / punk / ska bands playing at small venues, would this hold any relevance to someone studying Ethnomusicology?

Suggestions of groups of people who might be interested in the recordings I've already made, or suggestions of better things to record that might be more useful are greatly appreciated.

How to handle inquiries from MSM journalists, who seem to just suck information out and run?

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:29:44 -0800

For better or worse, I am regarded as somewhat of an authority in a particular field (yes I have a blog about it). For this reason, I am getting requests for information about the subject matter from mainstream media journalists and writers. This is a new situation for me and I don't know how best to handle it. Up until now I have usually tried to help them out - in some cases for several days/hours. However, what has ended up happening more times than not is that they will not mention my blog or me at all, but instead feature people that I help them find (some of them are my direct competitors). I admit that I wouldn't mind the exposure, since for better or worse MSM mentions are still considered by many to be authoritative, so this really sticks in my craw. These journalists often never even send a simple email thanking me for my time, which also doesn't sit well either. I suppose this is all part of how a journalist operates due to tight deadlines or whatever other excuse?

My question is, how do I handle these requests? Do I continue to help them? Request that they credit me for the information they get directly from me? Ignore them? (Politely) tell them to f**k off? Any strategies for dealing with these people would be appreciated.

(anonymous to avoid any charge of self linking since my personal site in profiles links to all my other sites.)

Help me research the underemployment reporting divide.

JaiMahodara — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:14:45 -0800

Is work/trade, or any kind of non-monetary exchange of goods and/or services currently under statistical analysis? With new definitions of unemployment flying rampant (un- vs. underemployment, those receiving benefits vs. those who have given up, those still looking for work vs. those who have given up, those who are qualified for higher pay or larger social contributions bc of skills or education, etc etc etc), has anyone found quality research on non-paycheck-based trade?

I'm currently employed part-time in Portland, OR and trade different skills for services, training, knowledge, and goods from four different organizations and co-ops--aka, earning my Masters in Recession. I've earned a ("real") BA and would like more $$ but would also regret giving up this lifestyle to sit in an office from 9-5.

I'd like to cover this story. Fact-finders will be credited, so suggestions on where to submit also encouraged.

The most credible voice in the world

zaebiz — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:07:50 -0800

Who is the guy who does the narration for the PBS Frontline series? I have always thought he has the most interesting and uniquely credible voice in the world. I know he is doing the Dos Equis commercials now, but has he done anything else? Any other presenters with voices I might like? I don't mean to offend, but in general I find American presenter voices to be sort of cartoonishly unreal - it's hard to describe. (I would also put Australian voices in the same category by the way.) But this guy's voice sounds like he takes his "measured consideration" pills for breakfast every day like noone else. Love it.

How do I use data from data.gov?

Blandanomics — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:50:31 -0800

I'm a journalist with not much database programming experience. However I have been fascinated by the government and other agencies making their data available for developers to play with, and I think a newspaper could do wonders with this data. How do I get in on the fun? Transit agencies are making their times available the gov't just released records at data.gov.

What languages should I learn to manipulate these datasets to make some good applications and visualizations? Example I have in mind are the Guardians treatment of PM expenses and EveryBlock.

Should I learn Django, Ruby, Pyton? All? None?

Questions about PR job interview

t0astie — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:23:55 -0800

Oh my! I've been shortlisted for a PR job at a university. AskMe, what might they ask me at the interview, and have you any tips as to how I ought answer? I'm a (newspaper) journalist who's been shortlisted for a job doing PR at a university. Hurrah! I understand from this question how my reporting experience will be valuable to a PR employer. But I'm a bit at sea as to what PR-specific questions might ask me at the interview tomorrow.

I've had a look at areas of research the interview panel members specialise in with a view to tailoring my responses in the interview; am au fait with the university's media and marketing efforts, including social media, and I'm able to provide specific examples of how I can leverage my experience/skills into positive coverage for them.

I'm also OK with general interview stuff – how to answer the ''Where do you see yourself in five years / what's your greatest weakness / why did you leave your last job?'' type questions.

But PR specific questions? And University PR? The only other question I can think of is how might I approach damage control and negative incidents.

i) What else might they ask me?
ii) How could I best answer?
iii) Have I forgotten anything?

Also: I'm in Australia, not the US if that makes any difference.

Thank you AskMe. (And wish me luck!)

journalism

larry_darrell — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:39 -0800

Point me to some good satire/criticism/fiction about contemporary journalism.

What kind of jobs to apply for with a graduate degree in journalism?

Raichle — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:54:16 -0800

What kind of jobs should my friend be applying for with a Master's degree in journalism and alot of "web 2.0" experience? (more inside) I have a friend who is struggling to find a job in the Pittsburgh area. Because he shares custody of his child, moving is not an option. What kind of jobs should he be applying to? I think at this point he would be happy with ANYTHING. He's currently doing some consulting on MBA application essays. Any advice I can share? Thanks!

Women in journalism

regicide is good for you — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:05:09 -0800

Influential or groundbreaking female journalists, past and present - who were/are they? I'm looking especially (but not exclusively) for the iconoclasts: historical or contemporary female figures associated with independent journalism, "New Journalism," gonzo, etc. -- or anyone who has had a lasting impact on how journalism is done or what it covers. They needn't be associated with large outlets, but of course it's fine if they are.

The best of the best in journalism

Nonce — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:28:34 -0800

Please link me to famous and/or great journalism pieces. I read this article from a post on the front page, and it contained this following line:

I grew up reading a New York Times that no longer exists: Tom Wicker reporting from the Attica prison truthfully and in solidarity with the rebelling inmates, Max Frankel ordering expensive investigations into government wrongdoing, the publication of The Pentagon Papers leaked by Daniel Ellsberg, and I’ll never regret following music critic John Rockwell down Bleeker Street to The Bowery and through those graffiti-covered doors into the future that we inhabit today.

I realized that I have never experienced real journalism, am entirely unfamiliar with the above events, and would like to see how journalism is at its best.

Print or video, it makes no difference to me.