Those of us who are freelancers and social media addicts know the one thing imperative to getting into and surviving in this business is building a personal brand. Is it going to happen overnight? No, of course not. Will you spend months working on it and still have little to show for it, quiet possibly. But like every idea it needs to start somewhere.
According to the State of the Media Report for 2009, which is put out by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, there is a power shift going on. The power is moving from institutions to individuals. The report states: “Through search, email, blogs, social media and more, consumers are gravitating to the work of individual writers and voices, and away somewhat from institutional brand. Journalists who have left legacy news organizations are attracting funding to create their own websites... It would be a mistake to overstate the movement at this point. But for a few journalists at least, there are signs of a new prospect: individual journalists, funded by a mix of sources, offering expert coverage to many places.”
With this in mind, we all need to spend a little time daily thinking about how we can grow our personal brand. What little thing can we do daily or what larger things can we try weekly? For each person it will be a different answer but no less important. What are you going to do?
I'm personally going to work on more frequent blog updates as well as more interaction with my fellow freelancers in the blogging community.
Showing posts with label journalism school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journalism school. Show all posts
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Keep Asking the Questions
I picked up the local newspaper this weekend and an article in the style section caught my eye. It featured a family of 10 children, in which all the daughter (6 in total) have vowed to get married on May 24th when their time to marry came. Pictures from the wedding of the second daughter who married this May 24th in a fairy-themed wedding littered the front page of the style section. If you read this what would be the one question you want to know, the one question you'd expect the reporter to answer? Perhaps WHY the girls all planned to marry on May 24th. I read the article twice thinking I'd missed it. Nope.
In J-school one of the very first lessons you learn is to ask the 5 Ws and the H. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? And not only as a reporter are you supposed to ask these questions when doing the interviews. But you are supposed to tell your readers the answers to all of these queries - and usually in the first graph.
For this local paper story...
Who - the 6 girls in this family.
What - they've vowed to all marry on the same date.
Where - here in small town MO
When - May 24
Why - Still wondering about that one.
How - in the style they want, and the year they want but all married with family nearby.
It's a good idea to look back at the story you've just penned and make sure it answers all these questions. For us writers it's really easy to miss one of these points especially if we get really into a specific story. We forget an important detail because it is so basic to us. But we write for others not ourselves. And therefore it's best to pretend the reader knows nothing.
In J-school one of the very first lessons you learn is to ask the 5 Ws and the H. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? And not only as a reporter are you supposed to ask these questions when doing the interviews. But you are supposed to tell your readers the answers to all of these queries - and usually in the first graph.
For this local paper story...
Who - the 6 girls in this family.
What - they've vowed to all marry on the same date.
Where - here in small town MO
When - May 24
Why - Still wondering about that one.
How - in the style they want, and the year they want but all married with family nearby.
It's a good idea to look back at the story you've just penned and make sure it answers all these questions. For us writers it's really easy to miss one of these points especially if we get really into a specific story. We forget an important detail because it is so basic to us. But we write for others not ourselves. And therefore it's best to pretend the reader knows nothing.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Things I Learned in J-School
I talked to a recent graduate yesterday and was reminded of J-school and what I learned there. The list just came to me. It's all true, although some of it is sarcastic - sorry.
Know all the rules of writing.
Know how to break those rules and do it.
Your AP style guides should never be more than an arm’s reach away.
Coffee is your friend - even when you think it’s not.
Sources and sources, friends are friends. Sources are not friends, friends are rarely ever sources.
Show don’t tell.
All the relevant information should be in the first graph. Who, What, Where, When, Why, How.
The inverted pyramid is the model for nearly every piece.
You’ll get more experience working at the school paper than in the classroom.
Emails and texts without punctuation drive me crazy.
Always ask, never assume.
Parents will never fully understand the need to write - do it anyway.
Not only is it OK to have a voice, it’s ludicrous not to.
While in school pimp yourself out to every and any publication that will take you on as an intern or part-time help.
Sleep is overrated.
To improve your craft practice every day, even if you don’t have an assignment or paper to pen.
Despite what the profs might say, all media types are integrating. Don’t integrate and be left behind.
Procrastination is in your blood - it’s not your fault.
Deadlines equate to high octane stress and that never really changes.
There is a proper way to quote a person. Follow that style.
Network from day one.
Never lift a sentence, phrase or story from anywhere. EVER.
Take a creative writing class to force you to think outside the strict journalism confines.
Late, late nights at the college paper is assumed - plan accordingly.
Other majors, especially math and nursing, will give you crap for not doing much. Remind them of their revulsion when it comes to term papers and the frequency with which you write.
That dream job is not going to be there when you graduate; but it’s not out of reach.
Know all the rules of writing.
Know how to break those rules and do it.
Your AP style guides should never be more than an arm’s reach away.
Coffee is your friend - even when you think it’s not.
Sources and sources, friends are friends. Sources are not friends, friends are rarely ever sources.
Show don’t tell.
All the relevant information should be in the first graph. Who, What, Where, When, Why, How.
The inverted pyramid is the model for nearly every piece.
You’ll get more experience working at the school paper than in the classroom.
Emails and texts without punctuation drive me crazy.
Always ask, never assume.
Parents will never fully understand the need to write - do it anyway.
Not only is it OK to have a voice, it’s ludicrous not to.
While in school pimp yourself out to every and any publication that will take you on as an intern or part-time help.
Sleep is overrated.
To improve your craft practice every day, even if you don’t have an assignment or paper to pen.
Despite what the profs might say, all media types are integrating. Don’t integrate and be left behind.
Procrastination is in your blood - it’s not your fault.
Deadlines equate to high octane stress and that never really changes.
There is a proper way to quote a person. Follow that style.
Network from day one.
Never lift a sentence, phrase or story from anywhere. EVER.
Take a creative writing class to force you to think outside the strict journalism confines.
Late, late nights at the college paper is assumed - plan accordingly.
Other majors, especially math and nursing, will give you crap for not doing much. Remind them of their revulsion when it comes to term papers and the frequency with which you write.
That dream job is not going to be there when you graduate; but it’s not out of reach.
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