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Media Awards

On Saturday night our class, including our auspicious leaders John and Delsey, rocked up to the Queensland Media Awards to cause some havoc.

It was a bit of an end of year hurrah as we were to graduate the following Monday.

I have to say it is quite sad to think that we will now all go our own ways.

Half of the class already have jobs and well…… for the rest of us, we’re working on it!

To John and Desley a big thank you for not only all the information you imparted but for the passion in which you wrapped it.

As for fellow class mates I had a ball and will miss all of you. Good luck.

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I have enjoyed a great weekend in the region trying to get acquainted with the locals and the region including going to a local historic racing festival where I interviewed a couple of the drivers.

This office is smaller than during my last intern and with that also friendlier. Surprisingly this time most of the journalists are middle-aged. Apparently many of them have been here for many years.

They have a really antiquated computer system here called Decade; I think it must have been designed at least a decade ago.

The chief of staff reminds me more of a front-row footballer and the editor seems quite approachable.

Here we do have a morning conference where new ideas and upcoming stories are discussed. When they mentioned they could do with another car racing story I piped up with my effort. It probably would have got a run had it not been for a bus crash; still it was good to turn up day one with something already written.

The editor mentions that he wants more people profile stories so I start thinking about some possible ideas.

Everything seems pretty casual and laid-back and not too stressful.

I’m just starting to visualise myself working here when I am passed a memo discussing the previous week’s sackings. Apparently four journalists and six production people were axed. Maybe they won’t be putting on any new staff!!

I get to go out to do a vox pop (I don’t mind these) and also talk to a newsagent owner who has just sold a division one lotto ticket worth 1.83 million which no one has claimed. You wouldn’t believe it – it is in the little village where I am staying and right next to my motel. On the weekend I thought about buying one but that is as far as it got. Looks like I can’t retire just yet.

Did a couple of news briefs, typed up the tide times and that was day number one.

Day Two 19/9

A pretty cruisy day. Get to go out again, back to the newsagency who has found their winner. It’s a kick butt bikey dude, I didn’t bother asking for any handouts from him! Actually he was quite a character so was easy to interview. The young cadet here also went along and I think she wants the story for herself for more publications. I did my own anyway and submitted it. Will be interesting to see which one gets published.

Also finished a story regarding the Australian Walk of Fame which is located down here. I rang the organiser who told me who is about to get inducted. It’s a pretty impressive list which includes Bill Brown (captain of Sir Donald Bradman), Kieran Perkins, David Helfgott, Brian Cadd, the Billabong founder and that Larry guy that does “The Price is Right” (not sure why he is in there?).

This afternoon they haven’t given me anything to do so I have thought up my own person profile. I have found the founder of the Red Hat Society who has started a local branch here a month ago. They are such an interesting bunch. If you have two secs look them up. www.redhatsociety.com. Desley it is soooooo you!

Day Three 20/9

Last night I looked up Hansard knowing that the NSW Parliament had sat the day before. I scoured through the reading to find anything relevant to the region.

I also checked out the local council site to see if anything was cooking there. To my surprise the editor wasn’t interested in any “dry” type stories. The paper, which is struggling with circulation, is trying hard to connect with its clients and therefore localize and personalize its stories. They seem to love people profiles, local sports, pretty much all the soft news stuff. I guess it’s a strategy a lot of the small papers are taking; perhaps it’s not much use trying to take on the big boys.

I wasn’t given much to work with today so I figured I’d come up with my own story. Loved the multiple occupancy ‘hippy’ story I did on the last intern so pursued that one done here. They have around 120 of these communes in the region so it didn’t take too long to find a spokesperson and a few real estate agents. Such interesting stuff.

Day Four 21/9

Today my van blew up just as my friend who dropped me off was leaving. Buggar. Had to get it to a mechanic and muck around a bit so I missed a potential story. Never mind.

Did get to out again and interview a couple of girls who through Rotary are going from ‘beach to bush’ – 1700 km’s in fact to see how they live in the outback and more importantly, see how they conserve their water.

A photographer wasn’t able to come so I had my turn in taking shots. I got them down on the beach and got a couple of good ones.

I asked one of the sub-editors if I could watch what they did for a little while. She was putting together a couple of the pages of the junior sports, dealing with pictures, copy etc. Was quite interesting how quickly the page could be formed.

Still can’t get onto the red hat society woman, shall try again tomorrow.

Day Five 22/9

Last day. This morning I asked the sports writer if I could have a go at a sports article. He ended up giving me a story although it was really more of a person profile than anything much to do with sport. Still it should get a run next week so I am not complaining.

The red hat lady emailed me back. Next week when I am back at college I will interview her over the phone. Need to get as many articles published as possible.

Just starting to feel like I am getting to know some of the staff and that I’m being trusted to go out and do my own stories. Been a great week, but another week here would have been beneficial. Think I will try to come back when the course finishes in a month’s time.

It’s been interesting how many staff have mentioned that while they like their job they are really over the lack of pay, with a couple seriously looking at other options. One person had been a journalist for years but in the end gave it up due to money and now is in the sales department.

I can see that it is possibly something you can’t afford to do for ever but am keen to definitely get a few years of pleasure out of it.

Finally, I able to pin down the editor for an interview. He is an interesting and quite candid with his comments. I didn’t feel intimidated at all. It is a great opportunity, albeit disguised as an assignment, to really find out what an editor thinks and at the same time expose your own interviewing abilities and I guess a sense of yourself.

Day One 7 August 2006

Well I don’t know about the rest of you but I am shattered. I had forgotten what real work was like and indeed remember why I chose to be a student again.

Day one of a new job is daunting and my experience was no different

The newspaper office I’m at is very modern, large, set on a lake, and overall quite nice.

Surprisingly there are only six reporters and yet there seems to be so many staff – production, advertising, photographers etc.

I receive a very brief reccy of the place before being shown my computer and given a quick lesson about how it works

A job awaits me in the computer system, it is about the Girl in a Million quest.

I get onto the organizer, and get some information although nothing too exciting. I then attempt to get hold of one of the entrants but have to wait until 12 before she can speak to me. To keep myself busy I start writing the story with what I have got.

It takes me ages to get anywhere. The office is noisy and I feel very distracted. There are six other reporters within a 2 metre radius all talking on the phone at once (or at least it seems so), the television is raving, and a police radio blares from a distance.

Everyone here is quite friendly though which is a definite bonus.

To show the day wasn’t totally non-productive I send a previous relevant story in the hope it might get published and also think up some new story ideas.

Finally it is time to go home but alas I have lost my keys. I heard about some found keys over the PA system during the day but had figured some other poor bugger had lost them.

I had to ask the Editorial Manager (the guy who hires) to turn off the alarm system so we could scavenge around the reception. This was to no success so rather red faced I bid him farewell and rang my friend to pick me up. 9.00 – 5.00

Day Two 8 August 2006

Today started not a hell of a lot better than yesterday finished. I yanked the bathroom sink tap too hard and it came off. What a disaster, water bubbled out like a fountain going all over the floor and ensuring no one could have a shower before work or leave before the problem was fixed.

When I arrived at work there were two stories in the computer for me. Double work today and the sad thing is it took me all day! I am so slow.

It seems like everything I have learnt has gone out of my head. When the journalist next to me said ditch the inverted pyramid method I feel like I have no idea of what to do.

They seem to take a softer approach to news here. It is all about a catchy novel lead sentence to entice the reader to go further. Apparently it is the new way of papers – even the Sydney Morning Herald is using it?

Supposedly 85% of readers don’t get past the first sentence and it is all about writing for the people not other journalists.

Not sure if I like it. There doesn’t seem to be any rules and not a lot of guidance is given (although the chief-of-staff is very happy to answer any questions).

Basically I have been given a couple of briefs and told to go write. It would be nice if you were given some sort of word count and perhaps an angle or style which is required. I guess that is up to yourself and that gives a sense of autonomy.

To show I am at least trying, I send off my ‘ideas’ email to the chief-of-staff. No response.

Today I get a bit of a grip on the phone system.

I’m so tired, I’ll probably read this some other time and be horrified. 8.30 – 6.00

Day Three 9 August

Probably my biggest disappointment is that none of the journalists (including me) ever seem to get out of the office. One of the main reasons I chose to do journalism was so I could be out and about, interviewing and connecting with people throughout the community. It just doesn’t seem to happen anymore (unless you are Zane at the GCB).

I guess it is all too time consuming and therefore expensive to let you go.

I am happy to cope with long hours for poor pay however being locked inside all day, 10 minutes for lunch and 10 hours in front of a computer, doesn’t appeal so much. I question my choice in careers. Had my whinge.

Learnt about the AAP wire today. If you are ever out of stories you can look up what’s going on elsewhere and try to localize it.

Today when I was looking at the unassigned stories section, I noticed a potential story about the increase of mothers going to universities to get their degrees. As a friend up here is doing exactly that and talks about the high % of mothers in the class, I put my hand up.

As it turns out the editor of the Family Life section, wants a rather big feature. It takes me the whole day. Is it supposed to take that long? It ends up being 1400 words with several people contributing quotes.

My three great ideas this morning didn’t get a mention thankfully. 8.30 – 6.30

Day Four 10 August

Today I got to do a couple of interesting stories. One was to talk to prostitutes about the overnight changes to the Prostitute Act. What other job allows you to pry into the lives of others. A license to life. Love it.

Pretty tricky when I had to ring up the dubious ads in the paper, not too sure if the person was a masseur or a ‘working girl’. All turned out ok though.

Finally, yes finally I get to escape. It is down to the beach with the photographer to do a faux pop (or however you spell that) about asking people for a date over SMS. A story was also required. Enjoyed that.

When I got back one of the other journalists mentioned that you could go out whenever you liked, no restrictions. That may be so, but I didn’t get out until 7.00 tonight (and still not finished) and that was because I was gone for an hour and a half. Seems like it is better to just ring and get it over with so you can get home earlier.

As it turned out with this story (which was published a few days later), they got rid of my ‘expert’ quotes from a lecturer and just left the light hearted stuff. Also the caption used for the photo was the exact opposite to what it should have been. Guess you need to write your own captions. 8.45 – 7.00

Day Five 11 August

More ideas but still I must be off target.

Today I finally get something published. I was starting to get a bit worried, you seem to put in so much effort and then once you have pressed that ‘send to source editor’ button, they seem to disappear to some other stratosphere.

Late in the day I am given a story about one of the most prominent local politicians having a wedding on the weekend. At least this one is guaranteed to get in!

Funnily enough it does the following day (Saturday), the next day and the next day. Strange thing is they used a few of my quotes and sentences in each story. Exactly the same! What is with that? I almost feel like I should be able to claim all of them.

A challenging week with its ups and downs and only one publication. It’s a bit of a shame that there is this notion of ‘sink or swim’ with very little input into your professional development. No program as such, no feedback is given, very little guidance, very little opportunity to move from your desk and see what other departments are doing etc. I realize that to a large extent it is up to me but I want to get all the stories done that are put in front of me and I don’t have time for exploring.

The week is over and all I feel like doing is going out and getting drunk (which I invariably do and then feel awful the whole next day). At least though I am learning and also I have not been pushed too hard. 8.30 – 5.00