After my first
day, I left wondering if I actually had any chance of coping in such a tough
and competitive industry. After my last day, I knew that if I wanted it enough,
I would be able to. And there was certainly no doubting that this was something
I really, really wanted.
My involvement in my
University's newspaper has already offered me a little bit of
experience, but writing for a professional newspaper was on a whole other
level. As a literature student, I have been trained to write in a style which shows my knowledge, my range of vocabulary and my ability to use a
Thesaurus. Writing essays for my teachers at school and my University lecturers
in particular has been about not only displaying academic ability, but
writing skill.
To
achieve high marks, it's not only about what you've written, but how you've
written it. You must show flair and coherency if you want the points you are
putting across to seem plausible. And once you have a point to make, you have
to expand on it. Squeezing as much as you can out of one tiny literary element
has been drummed into my mindset since I was at least 15 years old.
This style of
writing in a newspaper is totally irrelevant. It might as well not exist. Space
on a page is precious and cutting down the word count is crucial. There is no
room for "flowery" language, waffle or babbling - who is going to
care if you use an impressive/complex word or phrase? The editor of the
newspaper won't. The reader of the newspaper certainly won't. They just want the
facts. They want the information you are supposed to be feeding them, and as a
journalist, that's the best you can offer.
My time on work
experience also taught me that there is far more to newspaper journalism than
being a good writer. Interviewing witnesses and sources for evidence is crucial, and to find out the appropriate
information, you must obviously ask the appropriate questions.
Over the four
days, I watched two interviews and sat there totally mesmerised, wishing that I
possessed the skills that the two journalists I was shadowing had. They were both so calm and controlled. They knew what they were talking about, they knew the
questions they wanted to ask and fitted them chronologically into place, so
their interview had structure. There was no stammering, stuttering or fumbling
of words. In fact, there was barely any hesitation at all. They both had so
much confidence - something I reckon I'll need to get my hands on if I want to
get anywhere in this dog-eat-dog industry.
There is also a
heck of a lot of team work involved. An article might only have one writer but
a journalist would not be anything without their colleagues. The team I was
working with really were a team. They pulled together to hit their deadlines
and helped each other through any complications along the way, while still
keeping their spirits up, cracking jokes and making each other laugh.
All of the
reporters and journalists I have worked with this week taught me so much and
have been hugely inspiring. This was my first proper time working in the field
I've been aspiring to be in since I was nine years old, so to have this
experience as my first push into the industry is fantastic.
Many thanks to all
at the Isle of Thanet Gazette/Canterbury Times for a brilliant four days. I
know this is the beginning of a long journey ahead for me, but I'll always be
glad to look back and remember fondly that this is where it all began.
