You're now looking at the newest freelancer for patch.com!
Actually, if you're looking at me and I don't have pants on I am kind of scared. Please don't hurt me.
If you're wondering why I haven't been posting recently, it's because I tried out for the regional editor job at patch.com. Unfortunately, I wasn't experienced enough to get that job, but they liked my writing enough to hire me as a freelancer for Acworth, GA. For the meantime, there aren't a lot of stories to do because the site isn't ready, but once it is I will probably be rather busy writing and hopefully making some dough.
Thank you for all the well wishes and look forward to hearing more from me in the future.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Why Western Sahara Could Be The New Darfur, and Why The Hell Isn't Anyone Talking About It?
There is disturbing news out of Western Sahara today, according to an AP report:
"RABAT, Morocco (AP) - A human rights activist says Moroccan soldiers and police are patrolling the streets of the main city in the Western Sahara after unrest that officials said left seven people dead.
Galia Djimi tells The Associated Press the city is largely calm after riots Monday triggered by a police raid to dismantle a huge tent camp set up by local Saharawis pressing for better living conditions in the vast desert territory claimed by Morocco.
Djimi told AP most Saharawis were staying in their homes Tuesday because of the heavy military and police presence in the capital, Laayoune.
Morocco's official news agency MAP says five members of the Moroccan security forces were killed Monday. The pro-independence Polisario Front says two demonstrators died in Laayoune"
It seems as though the Moroccan government and army wishes to expand their influence in Western Sahara, a desert area unofficially under their purview. Unfortunately for the native Saharawis who have lived in the deserts for generations, the Moroccans want them gone.
Reports claim that Moroccan authorities have imposed a media blackout in the region, and have quietly shooed away inquisitive reporters and NGOs. Only the Spanish media has covered the establishment of the Saharawi "protest" camp, the subsequent raid of the camp by Moroccan police, and the pro-Saharawi riot that has broken out in the nearby town of Al Aaiun.
By and large, the world seems to be ignoring this issue, just like it sat on its hands during the Rwandan Genocide. I am not by any means claiming the actions by the Moroccans are on par with the crime of the Akazu (yet), but driving indigenous people away from their homes to move others in their place certainly sounds like a crime against humanity to me. I wonder how you say "Lebensraum" in Arabic?
Unfortunately, you and I know these things have happened before, are happening now, and will happen forever. What I'm most upset about is the fact that the media, supposedly the protectors of the oppressed and the defenders of truth, sit largely mute on this issue. I find the contrast between the clandestine journalists of Rimjingang, bravely risking their lives to let the world know what's going on in their little corner of "paradise," and the silence of the mainstream media on this potential genocide in the desert.
Someone e-mail this blog to George Clooney. Maybe he will take care of this one, too.
-Justin
"RABAT, Morocco (AP) - A human rights activist says Moroccan soldiers and police are patrolling the streets of the main city in the Western Sahara after unrest that officials said left seven people dead.
Galia Djimi tells The Associated Press the city is largely calm after riots Monday triggered by a police raid to dismantle a huge tent camp set up by local Saharawis pressing for better living conditions in the vast desert territory claimed by Morocco.
Djimi told AP most Saharawis were staying in their homes Tuesday because of the heavy military and police presence in the capital, Laayoune.
Morocco's official news agency MAP says five members of the Moroccan security forces were killed Monday. The pro-independence Polisario Front says two demonstrators died in Laayoune"
It seems as though the Moroccan government and army wishes to expand their influence in Western Sahara, a desert area unofficially under their purview. Unfortunately for the native Saharawis who have lived in the deserts for generations, the Moroccans want them gone.
Reports claim that Moroccan authorities have imposed a media blackout in the region, and have quietly shooed away inquisitive reporters and NGOs. Only the Spanish media has covered the establishment of the Saharawi "protest" camp, the subsequent raid of the camp by Moroccan police, and the pro-Saharawi riot that has broken out in the nearby town of Al Aaiun.
By and large, the world seems to be ignoring this issue, just like it sat on its hands during the Rwandan Genocide. I am not by any means claiming the actions by the Moroccans are on par with the crime of the Akazu (yet), but driving indigenous people away from their homes to move others in their place certainly sounds like a crime against humanity to me. I wonder how you say "Lebensraum" in Arabic?
Unfortunately, you and I know these things have happened before, are happening now, and will happen forever. What I'm most upset about is the fact that the media, supposedly the protectors of the oppressed and the defenders of truth, sit largely mute on this issue. I find the contrast between the clandestine journalists of Rimjingang, bravely risking their lives to let the world know what's going on in their little corner of "paradise," and the silence of the mainstream media on this potential genocide in the desert.
Someone e-mail this blog to George Clooney. Maybe he will take care of this one, too.
-Justin
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Have You Been Injured in a Car Accident or by Taking Bad Medicine?
Or do you want to go to some technical school?
As an unemployed person, I now have a lot of free time between updating my resume and writing cover letters to watch daytime TV. It really makes me feel that we as a country and society are doomed to a horrible demise. However, I loves me some baby mama drama, for the sheer hilarity of it all. I shouldn't take pleasure in the pathos of others, but Schadenfreude is a very tricky thing.
Regardless, I decided yesterday that the reason that nobody is banging down my door is because I don't have ameth lab in my basement very good resume. I entreated some of my online compatriots to look it over and one totally reformatted it and made it look much, much better. I hope that this resume facelift makes me more attractive to prospective employers; I feel that my work experience and accomplishments can stand on their own, but if nobody is getting far enough in my resume to see said awesomeness, then what difference does it make?
For all you cub reporters still in school, make regular pilgrimages to your school's career office. I built my first resume around their suggestions, but I never went back. I feel if I had constantly been in there slogging through resume samples and cover letter examples I might be slogging away at a newspaper or television station by now. C'est la vie.
I think some of my issues stem from a longtime lack of self-esteem. My therapist is working with me to turn my fears and doubts into productive outlets, and I certainly feel more assertive than I did six weeks ago. I think a personal goal I should set for myself is to do stand up comedy in the near future, but I do not know how to get started apart from "1: Be funny." If anyone has any pointers or helpful advice in that respect, please do not hesitate to enlighten me.
Today, I sent my revamped resume and a nice shiny cover letter to TimeWarner. Hopefully it wows someone up in New York City and I get a phone call before long. In the meantime, I'd better start writing down some jokes!
-Justin
As an unemployed person, I now have a lot of free time between updating my resume and writing cover letters to watch daytime TV. It really makes me feel that we as a country and society are doomed to a horrible demise. However, I loves me some baby mama drama, for the sheer hilarity of it all. I shouldn't take pleasure in the pathos of others, but Schadenfreude is a very tricky thing.
Regardless, I decided yesterday that the reason that nobody is banging down my door is because I don't have a
For all you cub reporters still in school, make regular pilgrimages to your school's career office. I built my first resume around their suggestions, but I never went back. I feel if I had constantly been in there slogging through resume samples and cover letter examples I might be slogging away at a newspaper or television station by now. C'est la vie.
I think some of my issues stem from a longtime lack of self-esteem. My therapist is working with me to turn my fears and doubts into productive outlets, and I certainly feel more assertive than I did six weeks ago. I think a personal goal I should set for myself is to do stand up comedy in the near future, but I do not know how to get started apart from "1: Be funny." If anyone has any pointers or helpful advice in that respect, please do not hesitate to enlighten me.
Today, I sent my revamped resume and a nice shiny cover letter to TimeWarner. Hopefully it wows someone up in New York City and I get a phone call before long. In the meantime, I'd better start writing down some jokes!
-Justin
Monday, November 8, 2010
Why You've Never Heard of Rimjingang Before Now and Why You Now Love Them
Imagine a place where the leader of your country is your god, and so are his father and his son. You never have enough to eat, but your government apparatchiks are constantly placated with Mercedes-Benzes and the finest in food, drink, and women. Where you are constantly told to prepare for war with the world, but your own neighbors spy on you (and you on them) like a war zone.
Welcome to North Korea. A place where "committing journalism" can be punished by imprisonment or execution of not only yourself, but three generations of your family. A decade ago, nobody outside the reclusive country knew what happened across the 38th parallel. The only news the west got from North Korea was written by the North Korean government to showcase its perverted ideal of heaven on earth. Despite the comedy factor of the official reports coming from the Korean Central News Agency, journalists and laypersons alike were more or less shut out of the country.
That is about to change.
Meet Jiro Ishimaru, the president of Asia Press' Osaka office, and the de facto Editor-in-Chief of Rimjingang, a publication written by North Korean citizen journalists who smuggle their stories out of the country at great risk to themselves and their families. This "clandestine journalism" is blowing the doors off of our previous perceptions of the reclusive country; in recent years, clandestine journalists (though not necessarily Rimjingang journalists) have smuggled out footage of public executions and quasi-legal "jangmadang," private markets that are the only things that keep many North Koreans from dying from starvation. In the mid 1990s, there was no such capitalist safety net for the North Korean people; as a result, nearly two million North Koreans died of starvation.
In an interview with another clandestine journalist organization, the defector-run Daily NK, Ishimaru explained the purpose of his organization's unique and effective approach to news gathering in North Korea:
"... [T]he purpose is to plant the seed of journalism. It is the demands of time that spurs on North Korea’s necessity for independent journalism. Media is indeed an essential element in creating a democratic society. The outside world must know what is taking place inside North Korea, and it is the insiders that must release this information to the outside world."
This sentiment is what journalism, to me, is all about. Today, too many people put stock into pseudo-journalistic enterprises such as TMZ and Perez Hilton, and, although the aforementioned organizations are very good at what they do, it can hardly be described as "journalism." These brave North Koreans who are risking their lives to let the outside world know how horrible their country really is merits considerable praise: after all, that's what journalists do; shed light on uncomfortable and (in this case) downright horrifying aspects of the human condition in order to allow people to better live their lives.
Training North Koreans (many of whom have never used a camera or cell phone) to become media-savvy in the 21st Century has not been an easy task for Mr. Ishimaru. Fortunately for Ishimaru, and humanity as a whole, a brave soul stepped to the plate in the person of Lee Joon. Lee is one of those ideologues who feels it is his duty to change the world through journalism. Ishimaru taught Lee how to be a modern journalist, and since 2004 Lee has been reporting from inside the most reclusive country in the world. He has also been teaching some of his countrymen what he knows, and these brave journalists are the background of Rimjingang.
The journalists are not allowed to know each other for their own safety. According to Ishimaru, none of the reporters are from the elite of North Korean society, but some are able to report from the elite-only capital of Pyongyang. The rest of the reporters operate in the "capitals" of the provinces; those who operate in the strictly controlled border regions (such as Sinuiju and Hyesan) must be extremely careful to avoid the secret policemen who are tasked with their destruction.
Rimjingang has published its first English-language edition. Unfortunately, it comes in at a hefty $110, but its importance in shedding light on the horrors of the Kim regime in North Korea makes it worth its weight in gold. I highly encourage those of you who are able and interested to purchase Rimjingang, and allow some of the bravest journalists on the face of the Earth to show you why they do what they do.
Welcome to North Korea. A place where "committing journalism" can be punished by imprisonment or execution of not only yourself, but three generations of your family. A decade ago, nobody outside the reclusive country knew what happened across the 38th parallel. The only news the west got from North Korea was written by the North Korean government to showcase its perverted ideal of heaven on earth. Despite the comedy factor of the official reports coming from the Korean Central News Agency, journalists and laypersons alike were more or less shut out of the country.
That is about to change.
Meet Jiro Ishimaru, the president of Asia Press' Osaka office, and the de facto Editor-in-Chief of Rimjingang, a publication written by North Korean citizen journalists who smuggle their stories out of the country at great risk to themselves and their families. This "clandestine journalism" is blowing the doors off of our previous perceptions of the reclusive country; in recent years, clandestine journalists (though not necessarily Rimjingang journalists) have smuggled out footage of public executions and quasi-legal "jangmadang," private markets that are the only things that keep many North Koreans from dying from starvation. In the mid 1990s, there was no such capitalist safety net for the North Korean people; as a result, nearly two million North Koreans died of starvation.
In an interview with another clandestine journalist organization, the defector-run Daily NK, Ishimaru explained the purpose of his organization's unique and effective approach to news gathering in North Korea:
"... [T]he purpose is to plant the seed of journalism. It is the demands of time that spurs on North Korea’s necessity for independent journalism. Media is indeed an essential element in creating a democratic society. The outside world must know what is taking place inside North Korea, and it is the insiders that must release this information to the outside world."
This sentiment is what journalism, to me, is all about. Today, too many people put stock into pseudo-journalistic enterprises such as TMZ and Perez Hilton, and, although the aforementioned organizations are very good at what they do, it can hardly be described as "journalism." These brave North Koreans who are risking their lives to let the outside world know how horrible their country really is merits considerable praise: after all, that's what journalists do; shed light on uncomfortable and (in this case) downright horrifying aspects of the human condition in order to allow people to better live their lives.
Training North Koreans (many of whom have never used a camera or cell phone) to become media-savvy in the 21st Century has not been an easy task for Mr. Ishimaru. Fortunately for Ishimaru, and humanity as a whole, a brave soul stepped to the plate in the person of Lee Joon. Lee is one of those ideologues who feels it is his duty to change the world through journalism. Ishimaru taught Lee how to be a modern journalist, and since 2004 Lee has been reporting from inside the most reclusive country in the world. He has also been teaching some of his countrymen what he knows, and these brave journalists are the background of Rimjingang.
The journalists are not allowed to know each other for their own safety. According to Ishimaru, none of the reporters are from the elite of North Korean society, but some are able to report from the elite-only capital of Pyongyang. The rest of the reporters operate in the "capitals" of the provinces; those who operate in the strictly controlled border regions (such as Sinuiju and Hyesan) must be extremely careful to avoid the secret policemen who are tasked with their destruction.
Rimjingang has published its first English-language edition. Unfortunately, it comes in at a hefty $110, but its importance in shedding light on the horrors of the Kim regime in North Korea makes it worth its weight in gold. I highly encourage those of you who are able and interested to purchase Rimjingang, and allow some of the bravest journalists on the face of the Earth to show you why they do what they do.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
"It's a shame that unemployment came at at time when so many people were out of work"
The title of today's entry comes from a line from one Vaughn Meader. Back in the 60s, this guy was the first presidential impersonator. His dead-on JFK impersonation made him rich and famous overnight. Unfortunately, after Dallas his career went to the dogs. Lenny Bruce's opening remark in his stand-up routine a week after November 22nd was "Man, Vaughn Meader is screwed." Mr. Meader soon became hooked on heroin and various substances, but turned his life around and became a popular folk singer in his native Maine.
(Look him up on YouTube, funny as hell. I will warn you, though, you will need a decent grounding in U.S. foreign policy in the early 1960s to get some of his best routines)
I did my patriotic duty yesterday and voted. I will try to avoid politics as much as possible on this blog so I will just leave it at "I voted." This is a journalism blog, not Politico.
No news on the job front. Thursday, I will probably be going to Wal-Mart to seek a seasonal job, because nothing says, "I'm a masochist" more than working retail around Christmas. Well, maybe whips and chains too, but I don't want to work at that store.
I'd also like to congratulated the relocated New York Giants on their first World Series title since going out west. I also think Brian Wilson should host Saturday Night Live in the coming months; the guy is just kooky enough to be the next great baseball personality. Could he be this generation's Yogi Berra? Only time will tell. In the meantime, Brian needs to rage.
Speaking of the New York Giants, I had a dream last night that I was watching a game at the Polo Grounds for some damn reason. I remember there was a place called the "Ebbets Field Bar" (sacrilege, I know) inside the place like a modern stadium, but the rest of the joint was just as beautiful as I imagine a dream of a baseball park that was torn down 25 years before I was born can be.
PS: Here is a picture of the Polo Grounds
PPS: Here is a picture in color from inside the Polo Grounds in 1950:
(I have no claim on the two above images, I'm just sharing them so people can step inside my dream world. Don't sue me.)
Nostalgia is weird sometimes.
-Justin
(Look him up on YouTube, funny as hell. I will warn you, though, you will need a decent grounding in U.S. foreign policy in the early 1960s to get some of his best routines)
I did my patriotic duty yesterday and voted. I will try to avoid politics as much as possible on this blog so I will just leave it at "I voted." This is a journalism blog, not Politico.
No news on the job front. Thursday, I will probably be going to Wal-Mart to seek a seasonal job, because nothing says, "I'm a masochist" more than working retail around Christmas. Well, maybe whips and chains too, but I don't want to work at that store.
I'd also like to congratulated the relocated New York Giants on their first World Series title since going out west. I also think Brian Wilson should host Saturday Night Live in the coming months; the guy is just kooky enough to be the next great baseball personality. Could he be this generation's Yogi Berra? Only time will tell. In the meantime, Brian needs to rage.
Speaking of the New York Giants, I had a dream last night that I was watching a game at the Polo Grounds for some damn reason. I remember there was a place called the "Ebbets Field Bar" (sacrilege, I know) inside the place like a modern stadium, but the rest of the joint was just as beautiful as I imagine a dream of a baseball park that was torn down 25 years before I was born can be.
PS: Here is a picture of the Polo Grounds
PPS: Here is a picture in color from inside the Polo Grounds in 1950:
(I have no claim on the two above images, I'm just sharing them so people can step inside my dream world. Don't sue me.)
Nostalgia is weird sometimes.
-Justin
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
That Took Long Enough!
Before I go into today's rant/malapropisms/look at me show off my awesome vocabulary, I'd like to personally thank Mr. Charles Thomson once again for his insightful commentary on one of my previous blog posts. I appreciate your ("your" being all of you, lovely wonderful readers) continued patronage of this blog, and encourage more commentary like the kind Mr. Thomson has provided.
(If you'd like to find Mr. Thomson on Twitter, his handle is @CEThomson).
Thankfully, at long last, Associated Content has published my newest articles for your reading consumption. I encourage all of you to check it out, as I consider it some of my best writing work. The strength of those three writings alone damn near netted me a job two weeks out of school, but I flubbed the interview. Anyway, my AC page can be found in the links on the sidebar. You can also check out my Twitter page and my resume, just in case you want to hire me for something *cough cough.*
Despite that setback, I think I might have a chance with the latest advertisement I have answered. The ad reads, in part:
Preferred, but not required! Also, I did spent a year working for the college newspaper, albeit in a non-traditional newsroom. I do understand how to get things in on time and I understand the concept of a news budget, etc. So, here's to hoping.
I also sent my resume to another business: The Wings, Pizza 'N' Things by my house. I think that just about runs the gamut of graduate opportunities in this economy.
-Justin
(If you'd like to find Mr. Thomson on Twitter, his handle is @CEThomson).
Thankfully, at long last, Associated Content has published my newest articles for your reading consumption. I encourage all of you to check it out, as I consider it some of my best writing work. The strength of those three writings alone damn near netted me a job two weeks out of school, but I flubbed the interview. Anyway, my AC page can be found in the links on the sidebar. You can also check out my Twitter page and my resume, just in case you want to hire me for something *cough cough.*
Despite that setback, I think I might have a chance with the latest advertisement I have answered. The ad reads, in part:
"On the features side, we're looking for a talented writer with lots of creative story ideas and a healthy knowledge of pop culture.
As the paper's features reporter, you’ll be expected to plan and produce stories for our Weekend section as well as produce stories and center pieces for the daily sections. You’ll write features, news and reviews covering everything from national trends to high-profile Atlanta art exhibits to local pageants. Having an interest in books, theater, music, movies, food and home is a must.
Some experience working at a daily or weekly newspaper is preferred."
Preferred, but not required! Also, I did spent a year working for the college newspaper, albeit in a non-traditional newsroom. I do understand how to get things in on time and I understand the concept of a news budget, etc. So, here's to hoping.
I also sent my resume to another business: The Wings, Pizza 'N' Things by my house. I think that just about runs the gamut of graduate opportunities in this economy.
-Justin
Monday, October 25, 2010
What Does a Guy Gotta Do to Get an Engine Around Here?
Another Monday has come and gone, another Monday of tedium, sending out resumes to places I hope will hire me and places I pray that don't. I have yet to receive but one interview from a newspaper, and I blew it by admitting I didn't like to drive much then.
I understand the job market is horrendous right now, but it would be nice to get out there and start using the skills I learned in school instead of waking up every day at 1:00 PM and going to bed at 2:00 AM without having done anything productive. It makes me angry.
Anger, however, can be good. I've recently been made aware of the analogy that anger and rage are like gasoline, if you store them away in jerry cans in your emotional basement nothing bad will come of them, but if you fill an engine with said gasoline, you can do some wonderful things. I'd like to get that engine. Goodness knows I have enough jerry cans in my basement.
I guess some of my anger should be directed at Associated Content for still not publishing my three latest pieces. It's almost been a week, and people (and potential employers) are not able to see my latest, greatest work. I regularly send the three pieces I sent AC to potential employers as "best work samples," and the newspaper that I interviewed with back in May informed me that except for my remarkable writing, they would not have extended that opportunity to me.
For those of you who have yet to read my stuff on AC, the link is at http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/245135/justin_ove.html . I would appreciate any feedback, and even reading my articles makes me a tiny sum of money.
Also, I would appreciate the opinions of any industry professionals on my resume (link can be found in the sidebar) and what I can do to improve it and make myself more appealing to employers.
Thank you for your time,
-Justin
I understand the job market is horrendous right now, but it would be nice to get out there and start using the skills I learned in school instead of waking up every day at 1:00 PM and going to bed at 2:00 AM without having done anything productive. It makes me angry.
Anger, however, can be good. I've recently been made aware of the analogy that anger and rage are like gasoline, if you store them away in jerry cans in your emotional basement nothing bad will come of them, but if you fill an engine with said gasoline, you can do some wonderful things. I'd like to get that engine. Goodness knows I have enough jerry cans in my basement.
I guess some of my anger should be directed at Associated Content for still not publishing my three latest pieces. It's almost been a week, and people (and potential employers) are not able to see my latest, greatest work. I regularly send the three pieces I sent AC to potential employers as "best work samples," and the newspaper that I interviewed with back in May informed me that except for my remarkable writing, they would not have extended that opportunity to me.
For those of you who have yet to read my stuff on AC, the link is at http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/245135/justin_ove.html . I would appreciate any feedback, and even reading my articles makes me a tiny sum of money.
Also, I would appreciate the opinions of any industry professionals on my resume (link can be found in the sidebar) and what I can do to improve it and make myself more appealing to employers.
Thank you for your time,
-Justin
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Catch-22 of "Experience Required"
One of the biggest challenges facing me (and presumably others in my situation) on trying to enter the print journalism field is the dreaded "3-5 years of experience required." Almost every job I apply for stipulates that I must have already gotten my feet wet somewhere else, but I plug away, hoping that someone will be wowed by my raw talent and take a chance on me anyway. It almost seems as if getting an entry-level job as an astronaut would be easier than getting an entry-level job at a paper: this makes sense, though, from a business perspective; an organization that is roughing it financially would be hard pressed to invest time and money into training a kid fresh out of college when they could hire an old pro and reduce costs. Unfortunately, sound business practices leave people like me out in the cold, living under a bridge and performing sexual favors for food money (not really).
I should preface my gripe by admitting that I took no internships while in school, so I really have nobody to blame here but myself. I tried to get an internship at a television conference out in Las Vegas, but that fell through. As television is my passion and my eventual goal is to host The Tonight Show (for longer than seven months), I felt that looking for a newspaper internship would not be helpful for my eventual career goal.
The way I see it, in lieu of actual newsroom experience, the actual news stories I had to write in my upper-level journalism classes should count for something. I had a deadline, I had to submit a pitch, a rough draft, and make the necessary changes. I had good stories and bad stories, but always got them in on time. I interviewed small business owners, community organizers, professors, and athletic coaches. I wonder if attaching the syllabus from some of my college classes with my resume would show prospective employers how much "experience" I really have?
For those of you who are reading this blog and want to pursue journalism as a career once you graduate, I cannot stress enough the importance of internships. If a prospective employer sees you have been around the block at least once, you instantly gain an advantage over applicants such as myself, who have great academic credentials but nary a lick of "real world" experience. Consult the career services department at your school and see if they can help you get placed in an internship that will give you experience with a real newsroom environment (along with pay, if you get lucky). You will not, in all likelihood, be offered a job right after you get your diploma, but having an internship or two on your resume certainly makes you a more promising candidate.
-Justin
I should preface my gripe by admitting that I took no internships while in school, so I really have nobody to blame here but myself. I tried to get an internship at a television conference out in Las Vegas, but that fell through. As television is my passion and my eventual goal is to host The Tonight Show (for longer than seven months), I felt that looking for a newspaper internship would not be helpful for my eventual career goal.
The way I see it, in lieu of actual newsroom experience, the actual news stories I had to write in my upper-level journalism classes should count for something. I had a deadline, I had to submit a pitch, a rough draft, and make the necessary changes. I had good stories and bad stories, but always got them in on time. I interviewed small business owners, community organizers, professors, and athletic coaches. I wonder if attaching the syllabus from some of my college classes with my resume would show prospective employers how much "experience" I really have?
For those of you who are reading this blog and want to pursue journalism as a career once you graduate, I cannot stress enough the importance of internships. If a prospective employer sees you have been around the block at least once, you instantly gain an advantage over applicants such as myself, who have great academic credentials but nary a lick of "real world" experience. Consult the career services department at your school and see if they can help you get placed in an internship that will give you experience with a real newsroom environment (along with pay, if you get lucky). You will not, in all likelihood, be offered a job right after you get your diploma, but having an internship or two on your resume certainly makes you a more promising candidate.
-Justin
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
I thought I'd try something different.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Remember when a BA with Honors got you somewhere? I don't.
Hello all and welcome to the newest baby born to the blogosphere. Cigars for everyone.
I don't want to come off as a narcissistic shill, but I'm hoping this blog will be of some substance. Personally, I've discovered that since I graduated in May I have stopped writing for the most part, apart from online forum posts. I haven't put together a good five paragraph anything in a few months, and I feel I should stay in practice. After all, what good is a Journalism degree if you don't write from time to time?
Which brings us to the crux of this blog: Me complaining about not being able to find a job in this economy whilst at the same time showcasing my writing prowess (or lack thereof), in hopes that my Fairy Godmother stumbles across this little corner of Heaven and makes me an offer I can't refuse. I figure it does me no good to sit idly by and not market myself as much as possible in this digital age, so here I am. And so are you too. Funny how that works out.
Maybe I should get a twitter, too...
I don't want to come off as a narcissistic shill, but I'm hoping this blog will be of some substance. Personally, I've discovered that since I graduated in May I have stopped writing for the most part, apart from online forum posts. I haven't put together a good five paragraph anything in a few months, and I feel I should stay in practice. After all, what good is a Journalism degree if you don't write from time to time?
Which brings us to the crux of this blog: Me complaining about not being able to find a job in this economy whilst at the same time showcasing my writing prowess (or lack thereof), in hopes that my Fairy Godmother stumbles across this little corner of Heaven and makes me an offer I can't refuse. I figure it does me no good to sit idly by and not market myself as much as possible in this digital age, so here I am. And so are you too. Funny how that works out.
Maybe I should get a twitter, too...
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