In the last few months, I have done everything I know to enable me become a good journalist. Though I am yet to get to the point where everyone knows my name but I really don’t care about that right now. What matters to me is that with every opportunity I am given, I do an excellent job. I have applied to every newspaper and magazine house I know for internship opportunities and this week, I realised, nothing will ever be handed to me. I have to fight, in order to gain something valuable out of every opportunity given to me.
It’s my first week at the Guardian newspaper and for weeks I was looking forward to it. It meant a lot to me to have been selected at all. There were over a 100 applicants and to be 1 of 12 finalists; that is an achievement I would compare to winning an Olympic gold medal. I honestly didn’t know what to expect and to be quite honest, I am still not sure what the next week will be like. Nervous and anxious on my first day though I was advised not to be but let’s face it; wouldn’t you be nervous if you found yourself in the newsroom of one of Britain’s biggest and oldest newspaper? There were times, when speaking I could barely hear myself let alone the person I was speaking to. For the first time, though people always commend my standard of English it was obvious to me, English was not my first language. I was as nervous as hell and goodness was I fidgeting. I did my very best to keep it on a low profile. Times like this, I count it a blessing that I studied drama years back.
The first day to me was very quite, as silent as a grave yard. I was on the money desk and totally enjoyed the mini feature I worked on. It was cool and with the knowledge I gained at the Finacial Times sister paper, The Financial Adviser, I knew the right language for writing a piece about money matters. Low and behold, it will not be getting published, just a few lines in the paper on Saturday but its all good. It’s still an achievement. I was on the Home desk for the next two days and again, very interesting. I read some breaking news on the news wires from the different news agencies The Guardian has subscribed to. Some were just barmy and others very serious but a good mix and the style varied from one writer to the next.
I attended a news conference and gained first hand, how the news I read each day in the Guardian gets started and worked on. People debate about it and give their opinions on any political matter or pressing issue in the public. The politicians were not spared if you must know. What I really appreciated about the conference was the fact that the Editor of the Guardian commends those who contributed to the paper on a daily basis. It is good to be acknowledged for doing an excellent job.
Now I have to admit, it felt weird sitting there and I had taken the approach of asking the person I was assigned to, what he had that I could work on, because I felt it was the best way to go about it. At the end of the day, I am an apprentice and very avenue made open for me to learn, I am going to take it. It didn’t matter to me if I had been published before, I wanted to know what I was expected to do and at the same time learn.
The tricky part is I haven’t quite figured out when to ask a question. Is there ever going to be a right time to ask about anything? People are always busy at work and it is extremely nerve racking when you want to ask because you don’t want to break their flow of concentration. It is only fair to see things from their point of view.
My two days on the features desk have been memorable. I got first hand advice from the commissioning features editor and I intend to take it on board and work with it. She explained the elements of what would attract her to a good feature and make her commission a writer to deliver. It was insightful to see the editor at work and how he runs things. The features desk is an hectic environment because you have to deliver at the end of each day when you work for a daily publication.
Did I mention, I tried pitching an idea in one of the feature ideas conference and my world was I nervous? It was reassuring when the editor laughed as I blurted out MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) reduces your sex drive. That was a fair enough response for me. What did I learn from that? I am not telling because if he laughed, I am sure others will find it funny. That’s all I am saying. Just watch this space
At times I felt unsure when I had nothing to do, I have always been the type of person who finds it hard to sit about, doing nothing and at such moments, I felt a little frustrated but my friend advised; it is at such times I get proactive and find something interesting to do. Hence I went back on the wires to look through some more news reports and see if I would get one or two feature ideas and I did but I won’t tell you.
The lesson is from my moments of feeling frustrated at nothing to do, I learnt if it is going to be, it’s all down to me. Yes I wrote one piece about Christian fiction and the person I was assigned to will be getting back to me on monday but I am not going to wait until then. I have already reworked my piece and I am running with it. Just wait and see what becomes of it. I will let you know.
I am usually forceful in my approach to things but this time around, as an apprentice I have to keep my eyes on ground level and learn every lesson there is to learn in the space of two weeks. It may be time consuming and feels like it is very slow and that my ability to express myself is being stifled but surely, one day I will know why this week existed in the history of my life.
It’s my first week at the Guardian newspaper and for weeks I was looking forward to it. It meant a lot to me to have been selected at all. There were over a 100 applicants and to be 1 of 12 finalists; that is an achievement I would compare to winning an Olympic gold medal. I honestly didn’t know what to expect and to be quite honest, I am still not sure what the next week will be like. Nervous and anxious on my first day though I was advised not to be but let’s face it; wouldn’t you be nervous if you found yourself in the newsroom of one of Britain’s biggest and oldest newspaper? There were times, when speaking I could barely hear myself let alone the person I was speaking to. For the first time, though people always commend my standard of English it was obvious to me, English was not my first language. I was as nervous as hell and goodness was I fidgeting. I did my very best to keep it on a low profile. Times like this, I count it a blessing that I studied drama years back.
The first day to me was very quite, as silent as a grave yard. I was on the money desk and totally enjoyed the mini feature I worked on. It was cool and with the knowledge I gained at the Finacial Times sister paper, The Financial Adviser, I knew the right language for writing a piece about money matters. Low and behold, it will not be getting published, just a few lines in the paper on Saturday but its all good. It’s still an achievement. I was on the Home desk for the next two days and again, very interesting. I read some breaking news on the news wires from the different news agencies The Guardian has subscribed to. Some were just barmy and others very serious but a good mix and the style varied from one writer to the next.
I attended a news conference and gained first hand, how the news I read each day in the Guardian gets started and worked on. People debate about it and give their opinions on any political matter or pressing issue in the public. The politicians were not spared if you must know. What I really appreciated about the conference was the fact that the Editor of the Guardian commends those who contributed to the paper on a daily basis. It is good to be acknowledged for doing an excellent job.
Now I have to admit, it felt weird sitting there and I had taken the approach of asking the person I was assigned to, what he had that I could work on, because I felt it was the best way to go about it. At the end of the day, I am an apprentice and very avenue made open for me to learn, I am going to take it. It didn’t matter to me if I had been published before, I wanted to know what I was expected to do and at the same time learn.
The tricky part is I haven’t quite figured out when to ask a question. Is there ever going to be a right time to ask about anything? People are always busy at work and it is extremely nerve racking when you want to ask because you don’t want to break their flow of concentration. It is only fair to see things from their point of view.
My two days on the features desk have been memorable. I got first hand advice from the commissioning features editor and I intend to take it on board and work with it. She explained the elements of what would attract her to a good feature and make her commission a writer to deliver. It was insightful to see the editor at work and how he runs things. The features desk is an hectic environment because you have to deliver at the end of each day when you work for a daily publication.
Did I mention, I tried pitching an idea in one of the feature ideas conference and my world was I nervous? It was reassuring when the editor laughed as I blurted out MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) reduces your sex drive. That was a fair enough response for me. What did I learn from that? I am not telling because if he laughed, I am sure others will find it funny. That’s all I am saying. Just watch this space
At times I felt unsure when I had nothing to do, I have always been the type of person who finds it hard to sit about, doing nothing and at such moments, I felt a little frustrated but my friend advised; it is at such times I get proactive and find something interesting to do. Hence I went back on the wires to look through some more news reports and see if I would get one or two feature ideas and I did but I won’t tell you.
The lesson is from my moments of feeling frustrated at nothing to do, I learnt if it is going to be, it’s all down to me. Yes I wrote one piece about Christian fiction and the person I was assigned to will be getting back to me on monday but I am not going to wait until then. I have already reworked my piece and I am running with it. Just wait and see what becomes of it. I will let you know.
I am usually forceful in my approach to things but this time around, as an apprentice I have to keep my eyes on ground level and learn every lesson there is to learn in the space of two weeks. It may be time consuming and feels like it is very slow and that my ability to express myself is being stifled but surely, one day I will know why this week existed in the history of my life.
2 comments:
You go girul,you're a very good example to your peers.Wishing you all the best in your work-placement,remember that only the violent take it by force.Nice piece babes,more grease.
Miss B, well done o! I've just read your blog entry and I'm just about to call you. I like the piece. It's strong in the sense that it captures the aura of anxiety and nervousness that accompanied your first few days at the Guardian without sounding like one long ungrateful moan. I thought it could have been a bit shorter in places, and pulled in a bit tighter in others. A few spelling/grammar/punctuation issues here and there, but not to worry. Also since you're trying to build your profile as a journalist, it would be nice to see some of your other achievements and placements eg voice, reuters etc incorporated in the piece. so that any person who reads it will have a full idea of the calibre of journalist you are. woo hoo. ekushe o!!!!!
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