Late to the party

I would have thought starting three weeks late in a course would have been a disadvantage, a week later I’m working as if I hadn’t missed a beat. It’s a testament to the people at the head of Jschool.

Straight to the point

We haven’t wasted any time in jumping straight in the deep end this term as we got to work hastily assembling our first stories, and along the way we learnt about the unforgivingness of deadlines. It’s good we’re learning the hard lessons of journalism early, at the same time as we’re being taught how to overcome them.

The never ending story hunt

One thing which has caught me off guard is the pressure of finding newsworthy stories, it’s infinitely harder than I thought. My ideas of ‘newsworthiness’ have been broken down and rebuilt, but I’m still a novice to the news world.

What still has me bothered is that I know there are a million different stories out there, a lot probably pass me by every day while I’m traveling, but I can’t seem to notice them or find them, even when it feels like I’m looking in the right places. I feel as if there is a method unknown to me for finding the stories hiding in plain sight.

In another’s shoes

I remember watching movies and seeing the reporter character run around touting the importance of the ‘scoop’ or story that they will get from being involved with the events happening in the film. I always saw that character as someone out of touch, or with warped priorities under the frequently extraordinary circumstances they are put in throughout the film.

This is probably an apt observation, but nonetheless I understand now what drove those characters – the prospect of a story they will give anything to write – It’s a feeling I can relate to now that story hunting is a priority of my own. It is fascinating how a small change in your thinking can alter your perceptions of the world.