Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with writing and journalism

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?

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?

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.

Help me find independent journalists

reenum — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:30:26 -0800

Looking for independent news sites and journalists' blogs I've been reading ProPublica since last year and really love it. I've tried to find similar sites, but no other site seems to have independent journalism without an extreme bias towards the left or right.

Today, I was reading a post on The Inquisitr and it talked about how some journalists who find themselves out of work are relaunching themselves on the Web.

Can anyone point me to independent journalism sites besides ProPublica and sites of journalists who used to write for a paper, but now publish independently on the Web?

Journalists: how do you organize your notes?

NikitaNikita — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:15:48 -0800

Interview and note organization tips for journalists and non-fiction writers? Can any Mefite journalist-types suggest methods for organizing interviews and organizing your thoughts for writing long-ish feature articles or books? Or can you point me to some books/resources that have helped you?

When I write non-fiction news feature-ish pieces with lots of interview sources, I feel like my method of note organization and interview organization is flawed, particularly in terms of optimizing time management and helping me find the best quotes.

For my audio files, sometimes I can find what I need by ear, but other times I feel like I need to transcribe the entire interview. My "system"* often consists of color coding text files, pasting into another word document, etc.

To put it simply, I suppose, I'd like some direction in how to make my writing more of a "process" or a "method", rather than a mental tornado.** I've found a few nice suggestions on prior AskMe posts***, but I'd like suggestions which consider not only text or web resources but also audio and written notes from interviews.

Thanks!

*I use this word loosely -- I'm always switching up my game plan, to see what might work better.

**The tornado has worked thus far, but it is unpredictable (time-wise) and I'm wondering if there's a better way.

***For the sake of posterity:
- a vague question about writing a non-fiction book
- tiddlywiki, etc for random snippets of info and also related
- zotero for wrangling up PDF journal sources
- virtual notecards oneand two

Journalist/Political Blogging from, and about, Turkey. Censorship issues?

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:41:18 -0800

I'm re-locating to Turkey in the upcoming months (due to unrelated circumstances), and whilst there, I intend on starting, and keeping, a regular blog about current events, human rights issues, the EU bid, and such. Photojournalism, where appropriate - and available - will also be included. So, I suppose I have a few questions. (long post, my apologies!) Due to current restrictions on freedom of the press, freedom of speech, Article 301, and others, any attempts at accurate journalism will either be censored, or may result in a less than friendly introduction to the Turkish legal system. However, human rights violations can't simply be ignored. The more they're spoken about, the more they're seen, the more can be done.

So, on to my questions:

1} What level of anonymity, if any, should I attempt? Should I go by a pseudonym? Or just leave out undue personal details and contact info?

2} Internet security. Would something like Hotspot Shield (on my personal laptop) be good, unnecessary, or not enough? Current laptop is running OSX.

3} To circumvent the frequent blocking of blogger.com and wordpress.com domains, I was thinking of using Wordpress, but on my own domain, hosted in either France, or North America. The content may still be blocked on an individual basis, but would my identity be protected?

4} Would it be better to access the internet from my home connection, via laptop, go to an internet cafe and use their connection, and their computer, OR, use my personal laptop in an area with WIFI access, such as a restaurant or hotel? [sidenote: At "home" I will be sharing internet with acquaintances, and will be unable to "reconfigure" anything, or whathave you.]

5} I'm not looking to make money out of this. I will be in the country primarily for other reasons. But I do hope to use this as a chance to gain more exposure, and promote dialogue, on daily Turkish life, whatever that happens to entail. It would be nice, though not entirely necessary, if I was able to add this to my journalistic resume in some way, professionally. Is there a way to do this, while keeping a relatively low profile, and avoiding arrest?

Should I just be submitting articles to small, foreign media outlets instead?

Any advice on how to be an online journo in Turkey, while keeping ones integrity, and still maintaining a minimal level of safety, would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I'm being overly fearful. I hope I am. I realize Turkey isn't China. I would just rather seek out advice in advance, than regret my naivety. Thanks!

________________________________________

I'm certain you're going to be wondering if I have a background in this at all; if I have any idea what I'm doing... I know it certainly doesn't seem like it from re-reading this. Well, I have a background in broadcast media, ENG camera work, docu editing, television script writing, and freelance photography. I have also traveled rather extensively. The general field of work is not new to me. Political/journo human rights blogging, however, is a new endeavor.

*Throwaway email: journoblogger at yahoo.FR*

Good Books About Groups?

toomuchkatherine — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:30:35 -0800

Good books that about a type of person/subculture/etc., which does not necessarily hang out together or think of itself as a group? I'm trying to compile a short list of good books that deal with a social group (people with something in common: e.g. nerds, owners of a certain kind of dog, people with a certain medical condition, etc.), which does not meet physically (like, not a study of Trekkies who go to Trekkie conventions).

Sociological books would be OK, as would books that would be better considered journalism or essays.

I'm just wondering how writers have approached the challenge of writing about groups that don't necessarily gather physically or even virtually.

How do I know how good a writer I am?

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:56:45 -0800

How do I know how good a writer I am? I'm currently attending a community college for financial reasons, and as a holding pattern because I'm in the "career confusion" stage of college life. I've always thought of myself as a fairly good writer, and I get extremely positive feedback from my professors on my papers (including one who dragged me by my collar to the honors office). It's also something I enjoy quite a lot; I don't take a huge interest in literature, but I'm a great enthusiast of factual and opinion writing both as a reader and a writer.

So naturally journalism, or something in that area, has caught my interest as a potential career direction. But it's one of many options, and it's not by any means a field which is guaranteed to put me somewhere fulfilling and interesting unless I reach a substantial level of skill and accomplishment. I'd be little happier reporting on town hall meetings for a small newspaper than as a janitor. So, then, what can I do other than listening to the feedback of my teachers and friends to get a feel for my potential in this field? Just to address one of the more obvious answers in advance, my college's paper is written at a high school level; I doubt I would find much in the way of valuable feedback from getting involved there.

I suspect that a lot of you will want to answer along the lines of, "you should decide on a career based on what stimulates and fulfills you the most, not based on your apparent skill," but I've been torn for years between several things which are just on the cusp of being career-worthy obsessions. Having a good understanding of where my talents lie is definitely an important element of this decision.

Thanks in advance for your inevitably awesome answers. (It's AskMe, after all.)

Good examples of exemplary creative nonfiction?

ageispolis — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:28:55 -0800

What are your favourite pieces of creative nonfiction? I want to be exposed to a wide variety of 'CNF' and am interested in the stories you have come across, whether it be a publication like your friendly local independent weekly or the New Yorker. So if you can recall any of your favourite articles/essays/stories that fit within the broad genre of creative nonfiction, I would like to read them.

Writing For Fun And Profit

Phalene — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:28:29 -0800

Writing Filter: How do I get published, or to be exact, how do I network with editors, so I can do some freelance writing on the side? I was a campus paper staff member, and I got two articles published in a local alternative weekly. Now that I'm relocating to Montreal, I'd like to continue to write little '$25 an article' style jobs with an eye to making a side business to the part time writing thing and building a broader range.

I have a flair for witty how tos, writing about art (ie, gallery show = awesome), and doing bland filler articles on the topic of the editor’s choice. I write for fun, and I adore taking a potentially boring subject and jazzing it up. What would this sort of talent work well with?

People tell me that things like travel magazines and websites will pay for articles, but I haven’t the foggiest idea about going and pitching myself to these people. How do I assemble a portfolio of clippings? How do I track down English language publications who want articles? People looking for web content that actually pay?

What, as a novice freelance journalist, should I keep in mind? I’m sort of attracted to the idea of doing what I love for money. Now how to make editors think I'm awesome?

Help a young journo put herself through news writing bootcamp.

[ixia] — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:33:15 -0800

I need resources to improve my news writing. I'm already working in a newsroom, so this isn't a"halp mee, I wants to be a writter" post. Rather, I want to increase my fluency in the basics so that tight, accurate prose always flows naturally, even under deadline. I'd also like to increase my vocabulary and craft skills as a writer so that when I'm less pressed for time, I can really make the language dance. I'm a program assistant on a high-profile TV news program. I research stories, update the program's website and look after some of the logistics of getting the program to air. I'm working towards a career as a TV or radio news producer, and I've already worked casually on a factual radio show, producing presenter-driven interviews from scratch. I've had good feedback about my work so far.

Here's the rub: I didn't study journalism. I'd like to do a postgrad degree eventually, but at the moment that's not an option. (And frankly, although I'm glad journalism exists as an academic discipline, I don't think every journo needs a degree in it).

Anyway, no-one has complained about my writing, but I want to set aside some time each week to really perfect it as a craft. Journalism students do this through writing drills and constant assessment. Journalists at other organisations receive on-the-job training, but my employer doesn't put a lot of resources into that. So I'd like to do it by putting myself through a sort of ad-hoc writing bootcamp.

I know the mechanics of grammar and style. I'm the newsroom nerd who knows the style guide by heart and I'll quote Strunk and White ferociously if provoked. I can pick the flaws in bad writing and I take joy in beating it into shape. But I still don't feel as though I have fluency in news writing, to the point where it comes naturally under deadline. I want good, tight news writing to become so second-nature that I can do it on two hours sleep, in a crisis, on a subject I know nothing about or in a war zone with bombs raining down all around me.

As well as drilling myself in the basics, I'd like to improve my vocabulary and the 'elegance', for want of a better word, of my prose. Although broadcast writing favours '5 cent' words over obscure ones, I still want to be able to convey the most subtle of nuances when necessary, without reaching for a thesaurus. And yeah, one day I'd like my writing to be as concise, thoughtful and elegant as the New York Times and BBC journalists I admire. Help a young journo get started along that path.

I'm interested in:

- Writing drills for both broadcast and print journalism, from reputable sources. Actual course notes from good J-schools would be awesome.

- 'Five points' style exercises, where the student is given a disorganised list of information points and asked to turn the list into a well-structured story.

- GRE-style vocabulary tests - particularly those which focus on the subtle nuances of descriptive words, rather than archaic words for objects and concepts I'll never need to write about. I'm more interested in the precise difference between succour and sustenance, for example, than I am in learning the correct name for a three-barbed fish hook. The GRE isn't used in Australia, and there are so many of these tests online that I have no idea which ones are reputable.

- Journalism textbooks with a focus on practical writing exercises rather than theory - particularly UK or Australian ones.

- General advice from working journalists. How did you get the fundamentals of good writing under your belt? What was it like for you when good writing became second-nature? Once you're so experienced that you don't need to think abut the basics, how is the writing process different?

All resources are welcome, but those with an Australian/UK English bent would be particularly helpful. Thanks!

What should I do with my life?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:12:06 -0800

20-something INTP, bored to death in his corporate gig, asks: What should I do with my life? I'm in my mid-20's. I studied philosophy at a very good school. I'm now working in a corporate job that would probably be a great job if I didn't completely hate it. It's well-paying, humane, and I'm surrounded by smart people. I think the problem is just me. I find I'm unable to work hard on stuff that I don't find intrinsically interesting. I get bored quickly, and I'm not motivated enough by money or approval to overcome it. Some people are able to profitably rent out their minds; I'm not.

I spend most of my time reading papers on the Internet, dwelling on philosophical, social, and scientific problems, and writing lengthy emails to friends and acquaintances about Big Ideas. I don't purport to claim any of this is productive or valuable. But what's clear is I'm not a good fit for my employers, my employer isn't a good fit for me, and I'm just wasting everyone's time and money. It's been this way in my last two or three jobs as well. The stuff I'm good at -- deep thinking, complicated problem solving, coming up with new ideas and working out their implications -- just doesn't seem to overlap much with the job requirements of most jobs.

The question is what to do instead. I've applied to law school for the fall and have gotten into some great programs. I think I'd be good at law. I'm an analytical thinker and I actually take pleasure in working through dense thickets of language. But I'm afraid if I wind up in law, I'll run into the same problems I face in my current job, only worse: I'll be stuck in an office all day (and all night), working on problems I don't find interesting, wishing I could just write and think and work on interesting problems instead. I don't know though -- if I totally hate the practice of law (I'm pretty sure I'll like law school), I could always practice for a few years, pay off my loans, then get out, with a lot more "options" available to me than I have now.

Alternatively, writing/journalism and academia both seem like decent choices. At least with those, I could write, think, and have a lot more control over my work day and the projects I pursue. But they both have their drawbacks: while I'm not out to get rich, I don't look forward to a life of instability, unease, and relative penury that seem to await many people in those fields. I do value security and comfort.

As you can see, I also tend to talk myself out of things. I'm a thinker and an over-thinker. In the process of trying to figure everything out, I just wind up taking the path of least resistance. Hence my current situation. So, before I plunge $180k into debt, please advise me: what should I do with my life?

I Like To Read Things

turgid dahlia — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:21:50 -0800

What are some of your absolute favourite online essays, articles and other pieces of non-fiction writing? Pursuant to this post and the excellent linked essay, I have found my appetite whetted for some more fine pieces of journalism, reportage, history, criticism, review, everything and anything. I have trawled the online archives of The Atlantic and The New Yorker because I love to have something fresh and interesting to print out and read on my lunch break.

Basically I'm after singular examples of quality online writing (no fiction, thanks, I have more than enough of that), not necessarily for the beauty of the prose or even for the content of the story - I just want one of those (preferably big) articles you can't stop reading, and at the end you want to show it to everybody you know because it's just so amazing, and you wish you had read it sooner.

For reference, one of my favourites is the wonderful B.R. Myer's piece A Reader's Manifesto, from The Atlantic Monthly.

First AskMe, please be gentle.

I want to write for interesting online magazines

0bvious — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:16:42 -0800

I am looking for online magazines to submit art/literature/experimental/fun articles to. I think 'The Believer' magazine is a good example of the type I crave. UK based would be best, but not completely necessary. Any ideas?

How do writers find their ideas?

nitsuj — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:31:52 -0800

I'm looking for book recommendations that deal with (fully or partially) methods writers use to find interesting, fresh subjects and ideas for stories. By stories I mean non-fiction magazine or newspaper-style articles. I'm not interested in the actual writing process, but the various methods that writers use to find unique subjects and topics and angles to write about.

Failing that, articles (instead of books) dealing with this subject would work too.

If even that doesn't exist, could you tell me, dear writer, your own method for finding interesting stories to write about?

Thanks!

Can I work as a writer or medical liaison at a corporation, and pursue freelance journalism, simultaneously? Or would this be a conflict of interest?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:10:34 -0800

Can I work as a writer or medical liaison at a corporation, and pursue freelance journalism, simultaneously? Or would this be a conflict of interest? I recently finished a Ph.D. in biomedical research. I want to move into a career than involves more writing, as this is one of my stronger skills, and I find it more enjoyable than laboratory work. I am looking at corporate work as a medical writer or liason (pharma or medical writing,) versus mass media journalism.

I have already done some freelance journalism, and worked a short stint at a major news outlet, so I have some contacts in this field. However, due to a chronic medical issue which came up during grad school, my doctors have advised me to make sure I get solid group plan coverage. (It's mental health/depression, hence the need for *solid* (complete) coverage)
Thus, I'm hesitant to just become a freelancer now, especially I have little to no savings from being in school for so long.

Medical writing, for instance at a large pharmaceutical or medical devices co., seems to be a good solution in that I can combine writing with the benefit perks... but I also like creativity and investigation, hence the pull towards journalism.

So, can I work at a corporation and pursue freelance journalism, simultaneously, or would this be a conflict of interest?

Additionally, how would it look if I went to a corporate job for a while, then tried to change tracks to journalism? Would I be welcomed back into the fold, or looked upon suspiciously?

Thanks, and direct contact can be made at: anonymousnic@gmail.com

to pitch or be pitched?

arielmeadow — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:36:15 -0800

Is it better publicity to write an article, or to be a quoted expert in someone else's article? I'm often caught between wanting to pitch magazines and newspapers with ideas inspired by projects I'm working on, and finding myself contacted by journalists who've pitched similar ideas want to interview me and write about my projects.

Most current example: I wrote a book about nontraditional weddings. I recently spoke to a journalist who wants to pitch a quirky wedding story to the NY Times, and wants to quote me in the article. "That is, unless YOU want to pitch your own story to them," she said, knowing that I'm a writer myself.

This got me to thinking about what's of better value to me as an author: being published in the NYTimes, or being written about in the NYTimes?

I've pitched stories about my projects in the past, and it's always felt weird to write a piece about some lifestyle trend ... that, um, I'm totally into and feel like I should disclose that I'm totally biased and can't be objective about.

So, fellow authors, journalists, PR folks, entrepreneurs, etc: what's better for business: to pitch or be pitched?

Feeding the beast – on time

t0astie — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 04:00:35 -0800

Journalists of Metafilter – hit me with your tips for fast filing. My job (as a reporter at a daily newspaper) has gone really well and I just got a promotion!!!! Hurrah! But soon I'm going to have to do a lot more work in a lot less time. So I need to file my copy much, much faster. Now: I'm a reporter at a regional daily newspaper. I file 3-6 stories a day of varying length and depth, by 6pm. I meet the deadline, but usually by a panic stricken minute. Maybe one story a day is substantial – the others are usually pretty small. I do most of my interviewing over the phone. If pics are taken, photographers take them. If I go out to a story the photographer drives. I'm find stories through my round and phone calls, or media monitoring of regional and national media – but a fair few are diary-based, or fed to me by my boss.

Soon: I'll be working for the same paper, but out of an office in a nearby town, on my own, filing stories for the parent paper from the region surrounding the town. I'll need to file 4-6 stories a day, at least two of substantial length. I'll be responsible for taking photographs, and driving to and from the jobs as well. I'll also be responsible for finding almost all my own stories and maintaining a diary for the region. And if there's breaking news where I am (car crash, fire and so on) I'll have to drop what I'm doing and head out to cover that. I'll also have to build up new contacts in the region – and that takes a bit of time, in the form of phone calls, and meeting with people for coffee or a drink after work and so on.

This will be great! I hate being stuck in the office all day and the most rewarding part of my job, by a long shot, is when I break a story myself. I also find it much, much easier to write a story if I'm there as it's happening.

But I'm really, really freaked out about delivering essentially twice the work (taking the photographs, writing the copy to go with them) in about half the time (given that I'll be driving to and from jobs) and to a higher standard (longer, more substantial stories) as well as building all the contacts I'll need to break decent stories.

I know this is possible: two other people do the same job in different areas. However, both of them have 5-10 years experience on me. I have exactly one year's experience. And zero photography skills. What's more, I'll be covering a heap of different rounds I've almost no exposure to – court, police, council and politics.

I have about six weeks in my present job before I start the new job. What can I do to prepare myself for the increased workload – and to start filing faster, now?

Who's doing Fear and Loathing 2008 (and doing it well)?

stavrosthewonderchicken — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 21:00:23 -0800

So Hunter S Thompson's dead and I don't really know which writers to turn to, as the American election year gets underway, who can bring the mad skills, the savage wit, and the dedication to cutting through the usual bullshit. Wanna-be gonzo schtick I'm not so excited by; clear, fearless, honest voices for the win! Drug references optional. Your suggestions most welcome. I don't have access to any North American or European print publications, so, for me at least, I'd prefer writers whose work I can get to online.

Thanks!

Writing advice for newbie newsie?

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:12:10 -0800

Tips, tricks and pitfalls for someone writing short news items? I'm about to start a new job, a large part of which will be writing small news items for internal communication purposes. These items will range from timely things like "Bob Jones in accounting has been working here since 1880" to public interest items like "How does the motor pool operate" to informational "How to change your benefits selections" items. Let's say 200 - 400 words. These stories will be produced often and regularly.

The problem is that, although I am a writer, I write fiction. I don't have any background or experience in journalism.

Basically, I am confident that eventually this will all be a breeze, but I'd like to get a head-start. What techniques, tricks, tips or workflows will seem obvious to me in six months, that I don't even know exist now?

How do I contact celebrities for interviews?

PandemicSoul — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:46:50 -0800

Where do I find the contact information for the press people/managers of celebrities (actors and the like) to interview them? I've searched high-and-low, but most actors (as opposed to musicians) seem to be completely incognito when it comes to ways of contacting their managers or press people. I'm needing to contact a few celebrities to schedule interviews about a specific hobby they have for a local niche magazine, but I can't seem to find any way to do so! Lots of musicians seem to be represented by managers or booking companies through which you can contact them. But when it comes to actors and such, I'm having a much harder time. Any ideas? Is there some secret society of press people that only people who are "legitimate" journalists know of, or something?

Aging journalism student worries about debt, future

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:48:29 -0800

I'm a 25 year old journalism major riddled with major debt who has two years of school to go. How should I go about handling my debt situation and finishing school with the ultimate goal of becoming a successful print journalist? Furthermore, am I a fool to enter this field considering my rather unpleasant financial picture? Life advice, please. For the past three years I've attended community college on a part-time basis as part of a journalism degree track. Due to my having spent a couple of years in the workforce after high school, I started college at the relatively late age of 22. In doing so, I've racked up considerable debt in the form of deferred Stafford loans and deferred private bank education loans to the tune of 35K+. On top of that, I have ~25K in credit card debt, (albeit generally on interest-free credit cards) with minimum monthly payments of ~400 total. Beyond making those payments, nearly all of the borrowing has been put toward housing and living expenses, considering that my tuition itself was quite affordable. I took part-time jobs here and there, but I also had an aversion to work and clearly lived beyond my means (though not to the point of any grand extravagance, I would argue). My father is the co-signer on my bank loans (which account for ~25K of above), and although he has offered to eventually help me pay them off, my parents had no college fund set aside for me and are by no means rich - upper-middle class might be a stretch. Thus I'm not sure to what extent I can count on this help as being realistic.

Moving up to the present day, I applied and was accepted as a transfer student at a large and fairly prestigious public university. The school accepted 52 credit hours from my community college, leaving me at least two years away from a bachelor's degree by my calculations, assuming I go full-time. Furthermore, I was not accepted into the journalism program proper, but rather into my second choice as an undeclared liberal arts major. Tuition will be covered by financial aid, leaving me with roughly the same amount of funds for living expenses as I got from the comm. college, but with a higher percentage of it coming from Stafford loans vs. grants. Thus, I sink deeper into the abyss of debt. I plan to trim back on housing costs and certainly get a part-time job, which I'm estimating will bring in $10-12/hr at best.

Beyond any general advice on my situation, some specific questions for your perusal:

1. Should I put bankruptcy on the table as a (terribly unpleasant) option for the credit card debt?
2. Writing is my one true passion - I've won awards for it and I spent two years writing and editing at my community college paper - but at what point should I consider the possibility that I may need to enter a more lucrative field, given my financial situation?
3. Lacking that, should I consider foregoing financial aid, working full-time and taking only one or two classes per semester (thereby dragging my degree plan out even longer)?
4. Or should I forget about writing and college for the time being and find the best paying full-time job I can to get the debt paid ASAP?

I guess the general theme is: to what extent should I be concerned about my level of debt, and how do I balance that concern against my desire to do something I love and the value of immersing myself in the intellectual and social environment of a university campus?

Should I become a magazine / new media journalist? [UK based]

dcbarker — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 04:22:38 -0800

CareerFilter: Should I become a magazine / new media journalist? [UK based] - LONG POST WARNING! Dear AskMeFi,

First let me say hi - this is my first question / post on MeFi (though I have been commenting recently). I'm sorry in advance for the long post but it might help provide a little context.

I'm a 20 year old student in my final semester of my BSc (Hons) Computer Network Management and Design course. I spent much last year in a work placement with a large multinational energy company. I worked in the Information Security and Telecoms departments on a healthy mix of large projects and self-led work. After completing my placement I started to question if this was what I wanted to do every day. I was good at the job and I learned a lot. I impressed the bosses so much that I took charge of a number of smaller projects. However I found myself wondering if I was really enjoying myself.

I've gone through a thousand jobs in my head and can't find anything that I think I would love doing every day. At the same time, on the side, I've been toying with ideas for blogs. Nothing that would make me any money but it would give my a creative outlet I have been desperately seeking. Thinking about it recently I have been drawn to magazine or new media journalism. It would be the creative outlet I need. It would be something I think I'd love doing. It would even let me exercise my tech savvy (it would be in the computing / IT / gadgets domain). My degree and passion for everything IT would not go to waste.

I am not looking to get rich - at the moment I want to pay off my mounting student debt. I do have a lot of drive and can see myself competing for Editor in Chief one day, but for now I just want to make enough money to get by and repay my debt. I am currently looking for a job (probably some flexible retail job while I complete my thesis for the next 3 months) so ideally I'd like to start soon or start slowly, working around my next job. I've bought a few books on writing and plan to hone my skills.

My question is - for anyone who knows anything about journalism - am I suited to this type of job?
If so, how do I get into it? (I'm in the UK). How much money would I expect to make? I have this preconception that creative or journalistic work is somewhat unstable unless you are really accomplished - is this true?

Please, any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated! And again, I'm sorry for such a long post - I wanted to be sure you had enough context to help if you can.

Thanks MeFi!

Dave, UK

Touchy Writing Problem

snsranch — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:07:27 -0800

Writers and journalists please respond: I'm concerned about the anonymity of a subject in my writing. The obvious idea is to change names, however... The subject was a terrorist in the early 1980's. We were pretty close friends and often worked together in Southern Europe.

I don't want to "out" him/her, but I think what I have to write might shed some light on what is now the common perception of terrorism.

Is it OK to just change names?

What obligation do I have to the subject?

There is no way of contacting the subject, I've tried.

Any ideas or personal anecdotes are greatly appreciated.