Jschool Student Blog » Danni

career change

Danni — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 04:34:31 +0000

meanwhile if anyone wants to become a professional roadie with me, just give me a bell

internship

Danni — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 04:29:08 +0000

well here it is, sorry it’s taken me so long. the chronicles of my two weeks begins..now
So on the first day I was nervous as hell. I woke up around 6 and caught the train out to Ipswich, they didn’t want me intill 10 but I was about an hour early so I could figure out how to get there from the train station. Found the place and met my chief-of-staff Kate, who is about eight and a half months pregnant and had to deal with me having no idea what I was doing for the first few days (slash two weeks) but she was an absolute legend and all the people were really nice.
I spoke to Gab, one of the Jschool graduates the weekend before I started and she was really cool and told me not to worry.
So the first day I did the first of many many vox pops and a few briefs. It was really slow, which was probably a good thing cause the computer set-up was a lot harder than I am used to.
The first actual story I did was about a butcher from Ippy who won the Best Bacon prize at the ekka and was in the state finals for his chicken and honey sausages. I went out with a photographer and interviewed him and we got some good photos. The story got a run, which was good and I had a few other things published but with no byline which was a pain in the arse.
I did a few other stories that got a run, one about a program to get kids interested in exporting as a career and another about how water restrictions were impacting on car washing businesses. And vox pop. And vox pop. And vox pop.
It was a pretty friendly newsroom and people just did their own thing. They had a staff meeting every morning where everyone discussed their stories and other people put in ideas etc but I just kept my mouth shut most of the time. Sorry desley.
All in all it was an interesting experience but to tell the truth I was pretty glad when it was over. I was given a bunch of stories to do in the last week, and there was another intern there so I gave her one about pregnant teens who smoke, which got front page the next day. Another intelligent move on my behalf, cause most of the stories I did ended up with no byline. Good times.
On my last day I was having a chat with one of the older guys working there and I asked if he had any advice for me. Answer – don’t do it.
But I did give them a few cd reviews and they let me keep the cd’s so that was probably the highlight of my two weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday and hearing your tales.
Another interesting thing that happened was in the last few days when word got out that the printing press was moving down the sunshine coast, which cause a bit of grief for everyone.
Ok see you Tueday.
ps the butcher didn’t get a placing in the state finals…just in case you were wondering…which i doubt you were.

too much may not be such a good thing

Danni — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:04:07 +0000

I think people over-use the word ‘fundamentally’. any thoughts?

trauma night

Danni — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 02:11:44 +0000

I remember – for awhile at least – the content of the photo or the broadcast, and sympathise for the people who have lost their homes or loved ones in the thousands of disasters, accidents, incidents or battles that go on in the world every day. But to be honest, the majority of the time I never think of the people behind the camera, the ones whose jobs it is to report these things to us. From the tsunami in Asia to the conflict in East Timor to a car accident in Brisbane, journalists, photographers and camera crew are “sometimes the first on the scene”, even before police or ambulances.

It’s hard to imagine how I would react in a situation like that -your job description is the world, and all its extraordinary tales and suffering is your office.

For the journos and photographers who spoke at Thursday’s Trauma Night at the Regatta, while informative for us, it seemed more a way for them to self-medicate through talking of their own experiences, and each others. It’s nice to know that times are changing in this industry, but what about the thousands who never spoke about their traumatic days/weeks/months as they covered stories and who just “got on with the job” from fear of looking weak or not up to it – I feel for them and it’s good to know that things are changing for the better in this case.

It ain’t for the faint hearted, that’s for sure. That and don’t wear heels when you’re trekking around Brisbane…