Just A Humble Journalism Student

All journalists are not television reporters

Twice this week when people heard I just graduated with my journalism degree, they said to me, “Oh, maybe I’ll see you on T.V. someday!”

This is a huge pet peeve of mine: People automatically equating “journalist” with “television reporter.”

Photo by flikr user stekelbes

I’ve always wanted to be a writer and in recent years developed an interest in multimedia (including shooting and editing video), but I have never had an interest in doing stand-ups in front of the camera. I’ve always wanted to be a writer or run an editor at a publication. While print and television reporters may employ the same research and interview techniques, there is still a difference in what we do.

I don’t consider it an insult or anything — I’m just not a television reporter; I chose the magazine and multimedia route. I, too, watch the news (in fact, I have CNN Newsroom on right now) and I have great respect for the reporters. Several of friends who took the telecommunications track at UF.

What upsets me the most about the “maybe I’ll see you on TV”-comment is the reasons WHY the public automatically makes this assumption. Is it a sign or symptom of the death of print journalism?

In an age of the 24-hour news cycle, smart phone applications and social media, does the public forget about the journalists whose faces they don’t see on TV? They don’t realize that it is because of a journalist that they are getting news updates sent to their phone. Or that because of a journalist that some of them still get that black and white thing called a newspaper, or that colorful, glossy thing called a magazine.

Dancing with the Journalists

ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews is scheduled to paticipate in the 2010 season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

I think her contract with sibling network ESPN probably made Andrews an easy star to secure for ABC.

Associated Content speculates that the sideline reporter will attract more males to the show and her existing popularity with guys could potentially give her an advantage over other contestants like Kate Gosselin. The article also comments on the peephole video incident (judging by Google hits it’s a memory that is certainly not fading away).

Professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy is partnered with Andrews for the competition which kicks-off March 22.

P.S. Guess where she went to journalism school? Yep, the University of Florida. Go Gators!

Press Box First Timer

Last night was a historic night for Gator sports as the new lacrosse team began its inaugural season and broke in the the Donald R. Dizney Stadium. It was a historic night for me as I sat in the press box for the first time.

The program’s been two years in the making. Lacrosse is not as popular in the south as it is up north. Twenty-four of 29 players are freshman and most are from New York or Maryland. Last night’s game was against another new program, Jacksonville University, and they hadn’t won yet. I thought all of these factors made the game newsworthy so I suggested to my editor that we cover it and offered to do it.

I was excited about covering the game, but nervous. Not a big sports person, I’ve written maybe one sports story in my life and it was a feature on the cheerleading team at my high school (but it won an All-Florida Award from the Florida Scholastic Press Association!). And while in high school talking to coaches and players is easy and no big deal, the University Athletic Association is a bit more guarded.

When I contacted UAA communications about the game, I learned the press meeting with the coach and athletic director had been a week earlier. I was, however, offered a seat in the press box. I took it.

I got to the game 45 minutes but it was already packed and parking was hard to find. I asked someone where the press room was and I was pointed to a door. No one was at the door checking press passes, and people seemed to be coming and going. I took a deep breath and walked in.

No one addressed or even noticed me. The box doubled as headquarters for the film coverage of the game. I moved past the production people and saw the press seats that looked out over the field. And there on the table I saw my name.

(I took the picture with my phone to avoid looking amateurish around the more seasoned press.) I also ran into the INsite photographer and it eased my nerves to see a familar face.

During the game, four other reporters were in the box. There were two who were young/college-aged and then two middle-aged men. I was seated between the latter and took the opportunity to take quick glances at their notes to see how they were doing it. One spent more time on his iPhone looking up college basketball scores.

The communications team provided printed team information before the game and then gave us printed statistics after each half. A few minutes left in the game, we were told where the interviews would take place and asked with whom specifically we’d like to speak.

As we filed over to the interview site, I grew nervous again. How would this part work? What do I ask? What if my questions sound stupid? And why didn’t I think to bring my tape recorder?

Turns out it’s an aggressive free-for-all where everyone (but me) sticks their microphones under the player’s/coach’s chin and the most vocal get to ask their questions. Okay, so this might a bit of a hyperbole because like I said, there were only five of us, but lesson learned: think fast and speak up.

I started to wonder if sports would be a beat that I would like to cover. Answer? No. While I found that I am more capable of covering sports than I had imagined, I also found the other reporters to be so passionate and knowledgeable. I think journalists who genuinely care and naturally have an interest will inherently do a better job. So other than possible profiling athletes, I think I should leave the sports reporting to someone else.

I am, however, proud of my coverage from last night and will post the link once it’s uploaded to the INsite blog.