My Research
Everybody watches the news, but few people study the news. It's the truth. We are all fed information by personalities on television, or by authors through their columns. Perhaps due in part to the decline of journalism, few students graduate with the intentions of becoming a reporter, editor, or writer. I stand as an outlier in my student body, being one of the only seniors who aspires to earn a degree in journalism and put it to use to make a living. Through the Honors Mentorship program, however, I will not be worse off for pursuing my goals. I have been afforded an opportunity to study and work beneath professionals in the field of my choice. Few students can say the same. Over the past two semesters, I have attended an internship at Forsyth's leading news outlet, Forsyth County News. I had to present myself with some important questions:
What must I learn while I am here? How will this work benefit me in my pursuit of higher education? How can I best improve myself through this internship?
When I first began my internship, there were some basic concepts about journalism that I already knew. The public relies on you, the reporter, to provide them with the news they desire. Punctuality is paramount, above all else. News is only news when it's fresh. Stories grow stale by the hour. This much was obvious. However, looking from the outside in, I realized there was also much that I did not know. I was not familiar at all with the more complex mannerisms of news production. Weekly budgeting, paper archiving, and strenuous public relation efforts were all introduced to me in a matter of days. I was both enthralled and astonished when I came to realize just how much I was going to learn about this profession. I feared that, in the end, I may not even like it at all. Nonetheless, I maintained my conviction in it, and strove to learn more.
As months passed, I began to work steadily. Every day I attended the internship, I was lent another piece of knowledge or experience, which provided great fuel for my research. My work began slowly as I transcribed faxed letters into a more easily printable format, such as Microsoft Word. This busy work helped teach me that such labor is to be expected in all professions, and helped me appreciate the trust that the public puts into Forsyth News. I was eventually entrusted with the publication of Forsyth County's monthly food service inspections. Every month, I take the county's posted food safety scores and collect them for our website, posting them upon the month's completion. I take pride in it, knowing that Forsyth County citizens visit the page and make decisions based upon the work that I have done. In doing this all, I gathered research for myself and my essential question. I often considered if bias may be present in my work (especially with consideration for the importance of bias to my question) and make certain I pace myself so that I might better avoid it. I shadowed Forsyth New's staff often, watching them perform their work, and recording notes for myself to analyze as I constructed my blog and website. I also conducted an interview with Forsyth New's editor, Ms. Kayla Robins, who has been of very sincere help to me and my goals. In this interview, I asked her questions that better outline what exactly a reporter does, and how they best conduct their work. Her personal opinions were considered as well, so that I might compare them to my own, and the general collective of the field. Finally, I created a series of annotated bibliographies, in which I studied and analyzed the opinions of reputable sources for journalism. Numerous articles, each of some relation to my essential question, were collected for my research.
As the school year draws to a close, I have drawn conclusions for myself. All of my research has culminated into answers that will help me close my essential question, and prepare me for college, and my future. I now know so much more than I did when I first started my internship. I know now that there is a great deal of unseen effort placed into the news, and though digital media is slowly disposing of physical papers, there is a yet a strong desire for them. Journalists, such as the staff at Forsyth News, work daily to provide the populace with punctual, factual information about the county, and other events abroad. In light of my research and my experiences, I am able to solve my essential question. To be the best journalist I can, I must prioritize diligence. News is always being made, and if you always report it, you will make a name and living for yourself. Be factual always, as one's credibility is key. If trusted, your word becomes law. Readers will rely upon you, and believe what you write. Never let your personal opinion bleed into your work, unless it is intended to. Always be certain to separate news, and opinions. To do this, one must never forget to put facts above personal fiction. These efforts, as I have seen demonstrated in my research, will lead myself to success in the field.
My interview with Editor Kayla Robins:
Q1
M: What led you to enter this field of work?
K: I actually don't have a story like a lot of people who always knew they wanted to be a journalist or something like that. I thought I wanted to be an actor and luckily realized against that when I started getting serious about applying to schools. So when I was figuring out what I wanted to major in, I tried English for a couple days and realized that wasn't worth it (sorry any English majors...). But I did realize in retrospect that I've always enjoyed writing and I've always been good at grammar. And everything I've ever done in the field of journalism has made me love it more and more.
Q2
M: Did you see yourself in this field when you were younger?
K: I guess I answered that in the first question, but not really. I was always better at writing than I was at math or science or anything else, but I didn't figure it out as a career until college.
Q3
M: What are some of the challenges you face in this field of work?
K: Figuring out the best combination of traditional print journalism and new media, and the fact that no one today thinks of young journalists as print writers. So basically, figuring out how to get people to want to consume what we're giving them in a new but still accurate and meaningful way.
Q4
M: What educational steps led you here?
K: I have a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in journalism.
Q5
M: What do you enjoy about this field of work?
K: Being the person/thing people look to to find out what's going on, which hopefully translates to being trusted. I really like telling stories. And I like when people find out what I do and say, "You're a journalist? So you, like, write for an actual newspaper?" It's not abstract...people know what that means and what the value of the profession is.
Q6
M: What tips do you have to offer to an intern looking to enter the field?
K: Get as much experience as possible. Getting clips and working in an actual newsroom during college will set you up for getting a job after. Classes are important and definitely taught me the foundations I still use today, but experience and clips are key.
Q7
M: What are your thoughts on media bias?
K: That it's real. And it's hard to fight, especially when you're covering anything political, whether you agree with who you're covering or not. Especially now, when people are so quick to judge and don't have time to read full newspapers or even full stories, they'll take the headlines and not fact check what they're told.
Q8
M: Do you ever struggle to remain unbiased when reporting?
K: Yes. I think if anyone says they don't they're either lying or they're not covering real news. We don't cover a ton of heavy duty political stories, but it's still hard not to write something in a nicer way toward someone you like or agree with and to not be easier to dish it out for someone you don't like. But it's also important to feel that, because to me that means I'm thinking and not just regurgitating. It just means I have to double check myself and read it from the eyes of someone else and not just from mine.
Q9
M: How do you think the media might improve in the coming years?
K: I hope it gets less polarized and returns to being more factual. Media used to just give the facts and let readers decide their own opinion, but now so many outlets just tell you what to think. I hope we get better, as we used to, at being watch dogs. We have to find a way to hold people accountable while also giving readers what they want to read, which sometimes isn't as "newsy." The single biggest thing will be to figure out how to use technology and new mediums and figuring out what people want, what they need, and how they want to consume it.
Q10
M: What are your thoughts on media censorship?
K: That it never should be. But also knowing there's a difference between over-showing something and what's necessary.
What must I learn while I am here? How will this work benefit me in my pursuit of higher education? How can I best improve myself through this internship?
When I first began my internship, there were some basic concepts about journalism that I already knew. The public relies on you, the reporter, to provide them with the news they desire. Punctuality is paramount, above all else. News is only news when it's fresh. Stories grow stale by the hour. This much was obvious. However, looking from the outside in, I realized there was also much that I did not know. I was not familiar at all with the more complex mannerisms of news production. Weekly budgeting, paper archiving, and strenuous public relation efforts were all introduced to me in a matter of days. I was both enthralled and astonished when I came to realize just how much I was going to learn about this profession. I feared that, in the end, I may not even like it at all. Nonetheless, I maintained my conviction in it, and strove to learn more.
As months passed, I began to work steadily. Every day I attended the internship, I was lent another piece of knowledge or experience, which provided great fuel for my research. My work began slowly as I transcribed faxed letters into a more easily printable format, such as Microsoft Word. This busy work helped teach me that such labor is to be expected in all professions, and helped me appreciate the trust that the public puts into Forsyth News. I was eventually entrusted with the publication of Forsyth County's monthly food service inspections. Every month, I take the county's posted food safety scores and collect them for our website, posting them upon the month's completion. I take pride in it, knowing that Forsyth County citizens visit the page and make decisions based upon the work that I have done. In doing this all, I gathered research for myself and my essential question. I often considered if bias may be present in my work (especially with consideration for the importance of bias to my question) and make certain I pace myself so that I might better avoid it. I shadowed Forsyth New's staff often, watching them perform their work, and recording notes for myself to analyze as I constructed my blog and website. I also conducted an interview with Forsyth New's editor, Ms. Kayla Robins, who has been of very sincere help to me and my goals. In this interview, I asked her questions that better outline what exactly a reporter does, and how they best conduct their work. Her personal opinions were considered as well, so that I might compare them to my own, and the general collective of the field. Finally, I created a series of annotated bibliographies, in which I studied and analyzed the opinions of reputable sources for journalism. Numerous articles, each of some relation to my essential question, were collected for my research.
As the school year draws to a close, I have drawn conclusions for myself. All of my research has culminated into answers that will help me close my essential question, and prepare me for college, and my future. I now know so much more than I did when I first started my internship. I know now that there is a great deal of unseen effort placed into the news, and though digital media is slowly disposing of physical papers, there is a yet a strong desire for them. Journalists, such as the staff at Forsyth News, work daily to provide the populace with punctual, factual information about the county, and other events abroad. In light of my research and my experiences, I am able to solve my essential question. To be the best journalist I can, I must prioritize diligence. News is always being made, and if you always report it, you will make a name and living for yourself. Be factual always, as one's credibility is key. If trusted, your word becomes law. Readers will rely upon you, and believe what you write. Never let your personal opinion bleed into your work, unless it is intended to. Always be certain to separate news, and opinions. To do this, one must never forget to put facts above personal fiction. These efforts, as I have seen demonstrated in my research, will lead myself to success in the field.
My interview with Editor Kayla Robins:
Q1
M: What led you to enter this field of work?
K: I actually don't have a story like a lot of people who always knew they wanted to be a journalist or something like that. I thought I wanted to be an actor and luckily realized against that when I started getting serious about applying to schools. So when I was figuring out what I wanted to major in, I tried English for a couple days and realized that wasn't worth it (sorry any English majors...). But I did realize in retrospect that I've always enjoyed writing and I've always been good at grammar. And everything I've ever done in the field of journalism has made me love it more and more.
Q2
M: Did you see yourself in this field when you were younger?
K: I guess I answered that in the first question, but not really. I was always better at writing than I was at math or science or anything else, but I didn't figure it out as a career until college.
Q3
M: What are some of the challenges you face in this field of work?
K: Figuring out the best combination of traditional print journalism and new media, and the fact that no one today thinks of young journalists as print writers. So basically, figuring out how to get people to want to consume what we're giving them in a new but still accurate and meaningful way.
Q4
M: What educational steps led you here?
K: I have a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in journalism.
Q5
M: What do you enjoy about this field of work?
K: Being the person/thing people look to to find out what's going on, which hopefully translates to being trusted. I really like telling stories. And I like when people find out what I do and say, "You're a journalist? So you, like, write for an actual newspaper?" It's not abstract...people know what that means and what the value of the profession is.
Q6
M: What tips do you have to offer to an intern looking to enter the field?
K: Get as much experience as possible. Getting clips and working in an actual newsroom during college will set you up for getting a job after. Classes are important and definitely taught me the foundations I still use today, but experience and clips are key.
Q7
M: What are your thoughts on media bias?
K: That it's real. And it's hard to fight, especially when you're covering anything political, whether you agree with who you're covering or not. Especially now, when people are so quick to judge and don't have time to read full newspapers or even full stories, they'll take the headlines and not fact check what they're told.
Q8
M: Do you ever struggle to remain unbiased when reporting?
K: Yes. I think if anyone says they don't they're either lying or they're not covering real news. We don't cover a ton of heavy duty political stories, but it's still hard not to write something in a nicer way toward someone you like or agree with and to not be easier to dish it out for someone you don't like. But it's also important to feel that, because to me that means I'm thinking and not just regurgitating. It just means I have to double check myself and read it from the eyes of someone else and not just from mine.
Q9
M: How do you think the media might improve in the coming years?
K: I hope it gets less polarized and returns to being more factual. Media used to just give the facts and let readers decide their own opinion, but now so many outlets just tell you what to think. I hope we get better, as we used to, at being watch dogs. We have to find a way to hold people accountable while also giving readers what they want to read, which sometimes isn't as "newsy." The single biggest thing will be to figure out how to use technology and new mediums and figuring out what people want, what they need, and how they want to consume it.
Q10
M: What are your thoughts on media censorship?
K: That it never should be. But also knowing there's a difference between over-showing something and what's necessary.