This week Chapter 11 focuses primarily on the use of press releases in newsrooms. Personally I understand their importance, how they help newsrooms stay on top of what is going on in the community. But the idea of some lazy journalists just reprinting the pieces of propoganda is gross to me.
This past summer I worked for a major union in New York State. I was an intern in their communications department which meant that mostly I put stickers on ancient folders and found numerous new applications to add to my facebook page. I also was given the chance to write three different articles for their monthly magazine, which was cool to get published. My boss told me that this practice of writing for the Union's publication was similar to how press releases are written...yuck.
When writing my articles I was told by many of my bosses to just "make up" quotes from the Union's president. Feeling very uncomfortable with that the President's secretary then made up a paragraph in front of my eyes and told me to write that he said it. In the chapter it discusses the importance of double checking facts. After my experience last summer I can't stress that enough to my fellow peers.
I thought chapter 12 was much more relevant to what we are currently doing in the classroom. After having covered two different town council meetings in the past month I appreciated the advice given. For instance, the importance of preparation for this events is so crucial to writing a good story. In the last meeting I attended I didn't have time to fully research before going and spent most of my time trying to figure out what a moratorium is and how to spell it. I missed a few quotes because I was too busy scratching me head.
After two stories I feel like I'm beginning to develop a style for covering these events. What also helps me is watching the beat reporter for the Ithaca Journal at these events. It's clear that she covers these quite a bit and when I read her articles she does a decent job summing up the most newsworthy topics out of a meeting that seemed overall dull to someone like me. But she manages to weed through all the technicalities and come up with a comprehensive overview of what is most important to her readers. I've gotta give her credit...going to all those meetings and never falling asleep.
I also agreed with the chapter's point on also covering not only what is being said but the reactions of the auidence members. I suppose of journalism students we should consider ourselves very lucky to be studying in a city like Ithaca. It's citizens a full of life and love of democracy. At the meetings I attended there was numerous citizens who came to speak that I found quite colorful and interesting. Some of them actually knew what they were talking about...go figure! I've let a few quotes from these people slip into my stories just to add some life.
The other point that was made that I pondered over was when at a news conference how important it is to listen to other reporters' questions. I was born with my right ear almost being deaf. I live without a hearing aide and have contemplated getting one but my doctors seem to think the cost would be to great. The problem is that I'm on the verge of having good hearing but sometimes not hearing anything. In class when we have mock press conferences I find is difficult to hear what my fellow peers are asking and therefore have to constantly ask them to repeat themselves. I sit in the back of the room because I can the teacher better without sound reverbing behind me. So I worry that press conferences will be difficult for me, unless perhaps my fellow reporters will be louder than my classmates -- which I hope!
www.theithacajournal.com
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