Wednesday 25 April 2012

How to be a journalist

I'm now almost a YEAR into a degree in journalism and so far I've picked up some MENTAL tips. Honestly, I'm now pretty much so pro at this journalism thing y'all can call me Holly Journalist Stewart, opposed to my old nickname of 'ballbag'. Seriously.
(not really). 
ANYWAY, the year or so of my degree has been an introduction thing - so here is what I have learnt, so far.

The 5 Ws
 
At school, you may have been taught these 5 Ws as being who, what, where, when and why - that all changes when you get to DEGREE JOURNALISM.
Ha, not really.

People dying is really shit
We had an entire lecture on how not to be a dick to dead people. It was so sobering. I really don't ever want to work with dead people or their families - as bad as that sounds. I'm a pretty awkward person and I'd probably say something like "what're you having for dinner" when all they want to talk about is their dead relative - I think I'll stick with writing about things I know about (like dinner and watching Doctor Who repeats on 'Watch')

Lunatics want to talk, normal people don't

You're in a busy high street with a camera kit set up. Boom mic at the ready, you need to get some vox pops on what people think of the current voting system.
 A man walks by, he looks well dressed - he has a briefcase and all his own teeth. "No thanks, I'm busy" he says.
A woman comes bouncing up to you in a tin foil hat, clutching a copy of 'UFO WEEKLY'! You turn your camera on, fiddle with the audio levels and press record.
"I don't know what a voting system is" She says, blankly.
You stop recording.

Saying that you're a student journalist is the worst thing ever

I mean, the WORST. People treat you like you're thick as mince and assume that you're desperate to talk about tuition fees. "Oh! You're a student are you! Fancy those fees ay?"
For a while I toyed with saying "I'm a freelance based in Kent" but I got a couple of smirks from older people who probably looked at my baby face, wide-eyes and 5ft height and presumed I was a deluded ALevel student with dreams of being the new Caitlin Moran.



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