Welcome to SPJ Blogs Sign in | Join | Help

May 2007 - Posts

Sunday, May 27, 2007 1:40 AM

Some pleasure reading to make the ache go away

We journalists are hefty readers -- newspapers, blogs, Web sites, magazines, and books keep our eyes busy for oh-so-many hours each week. I probably spend 12 hours reading on a good day. Which leads me to this blog -- a two-parter spawning from the massive
posted by ElysseJames | 3 Comments
Filed Under:
Thursday, May 24, 2007 5:16 PM

Breaking bread (and news) with sources

So I inherited the police beat in January or February, and I've been trying very hard to develop sources for a department that has been famously and notoriously secretive in their operations. It's very difficult because I am not kama'aina, which means
posted by GenePark | 2 Comments
Filed Under:
Thursday, May 24, 2007 1:42 PM

I'm off...for a bit

Hey everyone, I'm taking a short vacation up to central California where I'll ride my bike, lay out for a tan and visit wineries. I'll see you all when I get back.
posted by SonyaSmith | 2 Comments
Filed Under:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 3:14 PM

On the job hunt - Cut it out

Cheers to a new category: Job hunt.Here we'll post thoughts, questions and suggestions on job seeking.I'm not looking for a job, I just thought the category would help some folks out.I'll start it off with discussion of clip books.I hope lots of you chime
posted by SonyaSmith | 7 Comments
Filed Under:
Friday, May 18, 2007 1:00 PM

You've got an audience

As a tap dancer, we're told to "dance like nobody's wathcing."But as a reporter we know (or really hope) that somebody is watching our work.Building a beat is not just about learning information and then telling an audience.In what some call the good
posted by SonyaSmith | 0 Comments
Filed Under: , ,
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 12:30 AM

What draws you?

Being a reporter can be at once exciting, overwhelming, exhausting and exhilarating. The job comes with both community praise for a good piece, and complaints (sometimes for the same good piece). There's a byline, peer recognition and overall the feeling
posted by ElysseJames | 2 Comments
Filed Under:
Monday, May 14, 2007 5:56 AM

Take some time off

My tip this week comes straight from my personal experience.Feeling stressed, tired and overwhelmed? Well I certainly was.Last week I dreaded each day's workload and worried about how I would get everything done. Lately I've been either covering a meeting
posted by SonyaSmith | 5 Comments
Filed Under: ,
Thursday, May 10, 2007 8:17 PM

Compassion fatigue

This blog post is a more personal extension of my Quill column here.When I interview victims of tragedy or trauma, it's usually very fatiguing because I'm basically being asked to share in that person's grief. I don't begrudge having to do so, but what
posted by GenePark | 0 Comments
Filed Under: , ,
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 8:59 PM

Routine check

As a police and public safety reporter, most of my work days are wildly unpredictable. One day I could just be working on a humble profile of a top cop, and another day I'd have to cover a botched robbery and shootout. That's why it's important for
posted by GenePark | 3 Comments
Filed Under:
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 2:21 PM

I'm going, going back, back to Cali........

Cali as in calendar.So, not to sound like your mom, but how do you keep events organized? I think that for journalists blocking out time is really important.Why? Because not only does it help you plan out your stories, but it helps you to know when you
posted by SonyaSmith | 1 Comments
Filed Under:
Tuesday, May 08, 2007 11:06 AM

Look around

Anyone out there struggling to find story ideas?I'm not, but that's just because there are plenty of things happening on my beat to keep me writing usually 10 stories a week. (And....that workload is why I'm writing this Tuesday.)But....sometimes beats
posted by SonyaSmith | 1 Comments
Filed Under:
Friday, May 04, 2007 5:18 PM

Keeping up with the Times

In journalism, it is of utter importance that we know what's going on around the world, nationally, and in our own cities. We must be diligent news-readers, watchers and gatherers to keep up with all the competition. I'll admit I love reading the Wall
posted by ElysseJames | 2 Comments
Filed Under:
Friday, May 04, 2007 3:07 PM

Find good sources

Finding quality sources doesn’t happen overnight — but they are invaluable to your beat-building. Meet, face to face, each person on the beat — exchange business cards and talk about what information they can provide. Ask for cell phone and home
posted by SonyaSmith | 0 Comments
Filed Under: