Q. I'm finishing graduate school soon, where I have learned almost everything I know about journalism. My undergrad was creative writing. I'm confident in my writing and reporting skills, but I was unable to land an internship at any of the big papers in the area I live in, although I did started looking late.
ASK JOE A QUESTION
|
To get your question answered on this page, send it to Joe. Please include your full name in your message. If you prefer that your surname not be published, please indicate that. Sign up to receive Ask the Recruiter by e-mail. (sent Monday-Friday at 8 a.m.) |
|
I ended up settling for interning at a music magazine. It's about two years old and local, but it's going national. There are a couple of good writers there, but often interviews with bands are in Q & A format. I expect to get some opportunity to do original writing, but it's more alternative/creative than serious journalism. Also, I think much of my writing there will be online more than in the print publication.
At the same time I got a part-time reporting job with an international company. This job offers little opportunity for original reporting. My job is to find stories, preferably breaking news, and rewrite them adding context. The company then sells my stories to outlets looking for content.
My question is, with this kind of experience starting out, is it diminishing my chances of getting original reporting jobs in the future? Ideally I'd like to write original news or features for a print publication. Up until now my reporting has been original, serious journalism for the school paper, my graduate project and journalism classes.
Uncertain of Current Journalistic PathA. Congratulations on completing your graduate degree and on landing some opportunities.
While neither of these jobs is the ideal you describe, both can take you there. They could also put you in a position to take advantage of the way news media are evolving. I see global, online, niche and editing elements in what you describe. That's not all bad.
See what you can do, working within the context of these organizations, to nudge your assignments
closer to what you'd like to do, and learn everything you can. Pitch short stories in addition to Q & A items; try to add some reporting when you add context.
Almost no one's first job is their dream job. We adapt, we move to new jobs. Your advantage is that you are doing this at a very fluid time.
Grad school has not delivered you to the door of your dream employer, but schools don't tend to do that. They just help you push off in the direction you chose when you selected your program.
Joe on internships:
"Breaking In: The JobsPage.com Guide to Newspaper Internships."
Coming Thursday: This Web journalist lost a great editor when the owner pressed for more advertising involvement in editorial. She now fears she will be asked to compromise her journalistic values.
