Media Today

Click below to see Media Today, a short newspaper describing the lessons I learned during the trip.

Page 1

Pages 2,3

Page 4

All words and images by Evanne Montoya

Call me crazy…

There are a lot of things I could say that I learned on this trip. There are the obvious tidbits, things like how to make a resume that will get you at least to the next round or that we really need to pay attention to new media.  There are things I learned not from what was said, but what went unsaid; if you’re doing something you don’t believe in or that you think is beneath you, you are going to have a hard time being happy.  What’s tempting for me is to focus on the things that affirm what I already think, or the ideals I hold, or the plans I’ve made. But that is not the role of a journalist.  And even though this is not a traditional, inverted-pyramid news article, I feel like I should practice the ideals I profess to hold to.  So, here it is: the truth about what I have learned. It’s not unbiased, but rather it’s as close to it as I can get with the information I’ve received and the preconceptions I undoubtedly have.

The news industry is a scary place to be right now.  I always thought I understood that, but really I have been avoiding that fact.  It is not a new idea for me; I watched the newspaper I loved fade away my senior year of high school.  I had started when I was little, reading the colorful Sunday comics long before I could understand why most of them were funny. Just as I began to fully appreciate the rest of what the paper had to offer, the Rocky Mountain News was gone.  I have to admit I got choked up when an exhibit at the Newseum with papers that were no longer printing displayed that last printing of the Rocky Mountain News, and I read again the cover of the newspaper’s farewell issue.  News is changing, and as PBS President Paula Kerger pointed out, no one really knows exactly where it is heading.  Sometimes it seems like you’d have to be crazy to pursue a career in journalism in this time.

But this is not the entire story. Paula told us how when learning about the times when PBS was starting, when the people who formed it got to experiment and feel out their place in television, she said she was honestly a little jealous.  But now, with the challenges and also opportunities that the new technologies are presenting, she said we are living in a second period of innovation.  It’s not going to be easy.  Still, as a child I always got frustrated when classes were too easy, there’s no reason for me to get lazy now.  I have had the amazing opportunity this trip to hear people working in different aspects of the media speak candidly about what they do, how they got there, and where they think things are headed.  And yes, it has not all been positive.  But I take comfort in the words of Janine Jackson of FAIR, “if you’re thinking about something you want to do in the world, it ought to be something that there’s a need for.” Maybe I am crazy, but I believe there is a need for journalists who care about telling stories in an accurate and ethical way, and I am not going to let fear of uncertainty keep me from doing what I feel I must.

It does exist.

I’ve always been rather idealistic, and incurably hopeful.  I know there is a lot wrong with the world today.  What I do deny is that there is nothing we can do about it. That’s why our time at ProPublica speaking to Director of Communications Mike Webb was so fascinating to me.

ProPublica is a non-profit, independent news organization that specializes in investigative journalism. It was originally funded by the Sandler foundation, but is now working to diversify its support. From the beginning, I knew this was going to be something I liked, when our host informed us that he doesn’t like to “spin things.” He invited us to ask whatever, and assured us that he would be frank.  That’s what I call a good start.

The organization has 32 journalists that use investigative techniques to write work that “shines light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them” according to their website.  They then partner with news organizations to publish the work.

What to me is the coolest thing about their work is the intention behind it.  “We want our stories to fix the problems that we are writing about,” Webb said.  It may sound wishy-washy or naïve to some—or at least that’s what people told me in high school when I told them that’s what I hoped to be doing with my life.  But journalism like that does exist; Propublica is doing it every day.

 

Going with the flow (and deciding where to go)

I hadn’t ever really thought about a career in publishing.  Now that I do think about it, it would be a totally logical direction for me to go in, considering how much I adore reading.  I spent vast amounts of my childhood being shuttled from my big brother’s soccer practice to my sister’s dance classes, with various other stops along the way.  I didn’t mind though, because I could, and did, read everywhere.  It kind of got to be dangerous, because I would read in trees, or while walking. That is beside the point, however.  In spite of the fact that publishing had never really been an interest of mine, I found that there was a lot for me to learn from the speakers at John Wiley and Sons.

First, flexibility is the name of the game.

Kris Klieman, VP, Director of Global Rights, shared a little about her career path.  She had a plan right out of high school, but I guess things didn’t quite turn out how she expected.  She said that the thing with plans made when you’re 20 is that “sometimes they work out; sometimes you have other, better ideas later.” I have a plan for my life.  But, it’s kind of encouraging to know that I don’t have to have it completely figured out now.  Even more encouraging is the fact that it may change, and that’s ok.

It’s not just in your plans that you have to be flexible.  If you’ve involved in the journalism world at all, you probably have figured out by now that things are changing.  The same is true in publishing. Susan Spilka, who is the VP of corporate communications, said that one of their keys to success at Wiley and Sons was “the ability to change our direction according to what our customers want.”  Still, as the industry and technology changes, it’s just as important to know the basic components of your field. Spilka said the cornerstone of her career was her ability to read and think critically, and to articulate her ideas well both in writing and speech.  But along with these skills, willingness to look at where the industry is going and being prepared to teach yourself how to continue to bring your audience current, relevant work, are essential.

Along with this, we got a ton of advice about applying for jobs and internships. One thing that I hadn’t really considered before was the importance of researching companies before you apply to them.  Not only is this great for preparing for the interview itself, but it will also give you a feel for how well the company fits your values, and whether the work environment is one that you would enjoy being a part of. When you become a part of a company, you in essence are branding yourself.

I don’t know if I will end up working at a publishing firm.  That’s not in my plans now, but, as I learned, plans can change. What I do know is that after today I just a little bit more ready for whatever job I end up working in.