What journalism school didn’t teach me (but I wish it had)
PRESS AHEAD is a book! Now available in paperback or ebook at Amazon or paperback via Barnes & Noble
If some of the best lessons in life are from failures and mistakes, I’ve had quite the education.
A goal in my university journalism classes is to share real world, practical training. Some of it is basic: the classic inverted pyramid, the power of a headline, links for attribution/transparency.
But some of it is more intangible, based on what I wish someone had told me in school and missteps or mindset changes I had to make along the way.
In the spirit of graduation season, I’ve compiled some of the big (and small) things I wish I’d learned earlier in my career.
What are yours? Please share and I’ll keep adding to the list!
Think beyond “reporter,” “writer” and “editor” jobs. Those are essential *skills* in every journalism job, but other career opportunities in newsrooms exist in areas such as audience development, data journalism, product editor and more.. And the possibilities keep changing.
Have an awareness (not necessarily an expertise) in the business of journalism. How do newsrooms make money? How do you get paid? The basic economics of journalism and the financial trends/challenges (subscriptions, display ads/pre-roll, page views vs. uniques, etc.) can not only help you navigate shifting economic tides, but help you make a case for a job, a story, a project you want.
Keep shoes and snacks handy. Many field reporters keep a go bag, but even for newsroom-bound jobs, keep a change of clothes and comfortable shoes nearby, as well as snacks and extra laptop/phone chargers. I learned the hard way early in my career that heels and a 14-hour day of breaking news do not mesh. And Murphy’s Law dictates that by the time you get a break during a busy news cycle, nearby restaurants will be closed and the free breakroom pizza is long gone. A jar of peanuts and Gummy Bears keep for a long time in a bottom desk drawer.
Learn best practices on pitching stories/projects/ideas, both internally and externally. And know that most of them will not get greenlit for a variety of reasons. And pitch a lot — story ideas, angles, projects the newsroom needs, jobs for yourself. Be strategic. A lot will get turned down, but even a .400 batting average in both baseball and story pitching is Hall of Fame good.
Networking isn’t just cocktails at happy hour. Or cold calling or emailing an editor asking for a job. More about making networking less painful
Develop good editing skills. Too often, “editing” gets relegated to proofreading and correcting grammar right before publishing. While that is needed, the ability to look at story angles, story structure, a story’s place in larger coverage — in whatever medium or platform — is priceless.
Be adaptable. The core skills will always remain, but everything else in the next year and your entire career is gonna change many times.
Don’t expect your manager to lay out a career path. It’s great if you have a manager who can help guide you, but seek out your own training, investigate your own interests, pitch jobs and duties for yourself that don’t even exist in your structure. Yes, you can get valuable help, but even the best-intentioned manager or boss isn’t going to hand it to you or be as invested in you as you are. Career Kit: DIY Career Clinic
Listen. To your newsroom colleagues, to your co-workers in the tech, business and design departments, to your audiences/community, to your mom, to your coffee shop/bar server … News is all around.
✍️ What do you think? What’s something, big or small, that you wish you’d known early in your career or valuable insight you gained later? 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, consider a subscription to the archive and complete Career Kit. Or buy the book! It’s more fun than a cat fighting itself in a mirror.
👇 More good stuff after the cat 🐱👇
What’s next for PRESS AHEAD?
Newsrooms often struggle with knowing when to STOP doing things. I told myself at the 6-month mark of this newsletter, I’d evaluate if I had anything else substantial to share, and I did. At the one-year mark (this spring), I didn’t. So, I’m trying to follow my own advice and know when it’s time to go!
PRESS AHEAD is a book! Now available in paperback or ebook at Amazon or paperback via Barnes & Noble