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April 2007 - Posts

Sunday, April 29, 2007 2:15 AM

Tools of the trade

As journalists, we're lugging around all kinds of gear and paperwork, mostly to make us look really busy. Sometimes we really are. So what kind of stuff do you lug around to help you do your job? Here's my stuffNotebook: Natch. You never know when you're
posted by GenePark | 7 Comments
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Tuesday, April 24, 2007 5:52 PM

Your beginning

So how did you get your start? By start, I mean how'd you end up discovering journalism. Although working journalists may be considered professionals, I agree with Sonya that we will always be lifetime students, so I'm wondering when all of you became
posted by GenePark | 3 Comments
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Tuesday, April 24, 2007 2:30 PM

Tips for da beat: blogirrific

I'm starting up a news blog for my paper pretty soon covering my beat.Yes I'm a blogger on here, but I'm looking to all of you for advice in blogging about your beat.How should you write about something you cover - while maintaining your unbiased status?How
posted by SonyaSmith | 1 Comments
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Monday, April 23, 2007 3:33 PM

Look up

Everyone knows that mentors are imporant. They help you become a better person and journalist with their teachings.But it's also important to find people to look up to - people you find inspiring. These people don't necessarily know you look up to them,
posted by SonyaSmith | 2 Comments
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Friday, April 20, 2007 3:54 PM

40 hours

Q.Like many young reporters, I'm starting at a small daily.My newspaper has a policy of setting a limit of work hours at 40 hours a week for reporters who are not on salary, which includes me.I have aspirations to work at a large metro paper one day.I'm
posted by SonyaSmith | 1 Comments
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007 8:22 PM

Those smiling faces

I read somewhere that the longer a person works at a company, the less they interact with new people, and that new hires are the ones who spend the most time greeting others and gaining friendships.There are certainly people who keep to themselves but
posted by ElysseJames | 1 Comments
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Monday, April 16, 2007 6:18 PM

Building the environment

What's one of the best ways to stay inspired? Build an inspiring environment!Right now I'm working on that at my newspaper. I'm working with some other people who want to improve our web presence and together we're building a team to do just that.I think
posted by SonyaSmith | 1 Comments
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Thursday, April 12, 2007 8:06 PM

For the young-uns

Next week a co-worker and I are scheduled to give an early morning presentation to a group of third, fourth and fifth-graders. We'll give them an overview of how the paper comes out and what a typical day is like at the newspaper, and explain how we got
posted by ElysseJames | 4 Comments
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Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:28 PM

Something more light-hearted

I'm a very lucky person. I've known what I wanted my career to be since elementary school. Not many people, even after college, know what they want to do with their lives. I feel blessed to have chosen a great profession and to be able to stick with it.I've
posted by ElysseJames | 3 Comments
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:03 PM

It's history, man

In older films we are shown smoky newsrooms, reporters puffing cigarettes in the elevator, and editors and writers (occasionally if not often) drinking on the job. In books (and maybe I've been reading a bit too much Hunter S. Thompson lately) we get
posted by ElysseJames | 1 Comments
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Tuesday, April 10, 2007 2:45 PM

Google Alerts

Hey all.So I believe that most reporters start out with a beat. Many do not know how to cover a beat - how to work with sources, learn about the beat and cover the beat.So, I figured I'd start another category of postings - tips on covering beats. Please,
posted by SonyaSmith | 1 Comments
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Monday, April 09, 2007 3:32 PM

The buddy system

What's better for staying inspired than having a buddy?Mine starts today.She doesn't know it yet, but the new reporter at my work (I believe) will become another inspiration partner for me.Finding and latching onto people who are excited about their jobs
posted by SonyaSmith | 0 Comments
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Wednesday, April 04, 2007 7:29 PM

SPJ Region Conferences

So anyone attending/attended their SPJ Region Conferences? The Region XI Conference is next week for us here in Hawaii. Care to share your experience, or are there topics that interest you? Me I'm just excited in meeting other journalists in my
posted by GenePark | 3 Comments
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Tuesday, April 03, 2007 2:17 PM

Make your own train

I've already expressed a few times on this blog that we all need to not complain about the training, jobs and mentors available to us. We need to go out and get it on our own sometimes.That is why I recently decided to bring an idea used by another SPJ
posted by SonyaSmith | 1 Comments
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