Insights from a reporter’s first year in a newsroom
From the job search process to juggling assignments to welcoming (not scaring away) new journalists
Those first full-time months in a newsroom can be more enlightening than years in a college classroom. But what are some of the realities for new reporters and how can newsrooms not scare them away?
To get an inside look at one journalist’s first year, I caught up with Chasite Banks, a sports reporter for Florida Today, who graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2021 and is marking her first full year in a newsroom this summer. (Full transparency: She is a former student.)
She reflects on what actually helped her land a job interview, the biggest surprises the first year, her advice to the industry, what she heard from recruiters and the sometimes overwhelming — but always exhilarating — job of being a journalist.
The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Describe your job search/interview experience as a recent graduate.
I applied for some places and interviewed and then I didn’t hear back. Funnily enough, a lot of places say they’re looking for someone new/entry-level, but then require a couple of years of experience!
I started to feel around June and July 2021 that I wasn’t going to find a job. I thought, “Great. I went to college for four years and now I can’t find a job.”
Then, I got an interview [at Florida Today]. At the time, of course, the interview was over Zoom. The turnaround was quicker than I expected it to be. I was hired in the middle of August and I had to move at the beginning of September because I had to be [in Florida] for the football season.
My advice to those still in school: Be patient after graduation and about the process. Don’t expect people to be knocking down your door in journalism where jobs [especially specific to your area of expertise] can be hard to find.
What do you think prepared you the most for your job?
I did an internship with the Marietta Daily Journal [a local outlet in Georgia] as a sports intern and that prepared me the most. You get those learning moments in class but really being out there and covering real games, interviewing players and coaches – that really prepared me for my job now.
The internship also taught me how to write stories — quickly. In college, you have something assigned to you and you’d spend time breaking it down, whereas in an internship, it was a quicker turnaround. I think back on college and if I only had a week, I’d complain. Now I wish I had a week! …
Hiring managers and recruiters loved that I had writing samples. That’s one thing my boss told me that separated me from other applicants. I had a lot of published stories he could read — my internship and practical experience helped me land a job. He could see I had experience covering games, writing feature pieces — a large portfolio of samples.
That’s pretty much what people cared about the most. They didn’t care about GPA. If you got straight As, that’s fine, but if you don’t have the real world work to show, grades may not help you in journalism. … I wish I had known that more in my early college career when I was stressing over getting an A in my algebra class!
What’s been the biggest lesson during this first year?
The biggest lesson for me is to not be as shy as I once was. I was nervous going up to people and talking to them, worried about their reaction or if they would want to talk to me in general. More times than not, people are willing to talk to you if you explain what you’re doing and you don’t make them feel like it’s an interview — you make them feel comfortable, make it a conversation. I learned you can’t be shy in this job, you can’t be nervous; you have to get out there and get the interviews and get the stories done.
I’ve definitely grown as an interviewer and it’s gotten easier for me because I’m also not in my own head as much. When I first started my job, I was worried the entire game, “Oh, I have to find this person, find that coach. Will they talk to me? Will they give me a good interview?” I wasn’t focusing on the game. But now, … I don’t get in my own head as much as I used to do about very small things. Well, they seemed big then, but they look very small to me right now!
Before starting full time, what were the biggest worries?
I didn’t want [my employers] to think they had hired someone who didn’t meet expectations. I was worried I’d forget everything I learned including every AP style guideline! I was worried about going completely blank as soon as I got my first story. But that didn’t happen. Once again, it’s me in my own head.
[My manager] lets me know all the time that I’m doing well. That is a great thing about my boss — he does let you know when you’re doing well, and when you’re not, he doesn’t give criticism in a way that makes you feel dumb, ever.
Another worry was landing in a newsroom that wasn’t welcoming or a healthy environment. I had heard horror stories about newsrooms where people have been yelled at in front of everyone.
But it was the complete opposite of that. …. My sports editor is great about giving feedback or if I have questions, I can call him. Our executive editor is the same way as well. Any time you need something or have questions on a story, she’ll sit down and talk with you about it. This is great, especially since I’m still junior and don’t have years of experience.
How did you deal with some of your worries?
I learned to focus on one thing at a time instead of trying to focus on everything at once. Focus on the story ahead. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. It’s very hard to produce a good product when you’re not solely thinking about that story.
That was my problem: I would get an assignment due at the end of the week and that first day, I would try to plan everything to do with it instead of focusing on what was due first and break it down that way.
If you could tell the journalism industry at large one thing, what would it be?
I had a welcoming newsroom and I hope all newsrooms are this welcoming. You don’t want to scare new journalists away! We need journalists.
Be welcoming to different people, different ideas. Not everyone is going to have the same beliefs as you, same background as you, look like you. … It’s good to see it getting more diverse. Continue to diversify!
If you could tell student journalists one thing to get them ready for a full-time job, what would it be?
Take practical journalism classes where you actually write real stories, not classes where you’re looking at PowerPoints. Do an internship to help get you that experience which then turns into work samples you can show potential employers.
Be ready. Be prepared. There will be times when you question if this is what you want to do. It can be challenging and tiring, but it’s rewarding, too.
***
Great insights, Chasite, for people who are new to journalism (or about to be) AND veterans of newsrooms. Thanks for sharing your first-year experiences!
✍️ What do you think? How does your experience compare? What do you wish you could tell yourself that first year in a newsroom? Share in the comments or reply to this email (pressahead@substack.com).
— Amy
Here’s a cat gif for further inspiration and as thanks for reading. And if you want to learn more about finding jobs and navigating newsrooms, sign up to get future posts in your inbox. It’s more fun than a cat with the zoomies.
👇 More good stuff after the cat 🐱👇
Good stuff links!
Afghanistan’s media crisis: One year after the Taliban return to power (Committee to Protect Journalists)
Using new tech to investigate old photos (Bellingcat)
9 watchdog reporters’ lessons learned (Global Investigative Journalism Network)
In case you missed it!
A sampling of previous PRESS AHEAD newsletter editions:
Quick (and free!) ways to explore new skills. Secrets of salary offers. 3 ways to make your portfolio stand out. Q&A: ‘Mildly rebellious, highly curious.’ First/best/worst schedule in a newsroom. See how you compare to U.S. journalists surveyed. How to tell the world you’re looking for a job. 4 questions to ask job candidates (and be prepared to answer if you’re the candidate). Ignore the job description (sometimes). On finding audiences, finding jobs and finding purpose. How do I get experience when I have no experience? What if we approached our career development like a reporter? How did this newsletter begin? Who’s behind it? How can you benefit and WHY SO MANY QUESTIONS?