Reflections…

Expectations

Throughout my years at Whitworth, I took classes that I had an interest in.  On my transcript, this translates as a good handful of studio and historical art classes, French courses, literature courses, a random film or history class (etc.), and naturally all of my general requirements.  The grand, sum total of my efforts equaled a B.A. in French with a minor in literature.  Quite naturally then, as my last semester came to a close, I was asking myself, “What on earth do I do now?”  I have interests varying from translation and book publishing to natural medicine.  The steps I want to take at this point, and what I initially hoped for this study program to function as, was to test out a few of these interests and see which one seems right.  I was hoping that my passion for literature might lead me towards a career in the book-publishing world.  A January of escapades in New York and D.C. with various book and media outlets seemed just the ticket.  After preliminary research about the industry and the businesses we were about to meet, I expected that my time on the east coast would amount to much more learning and much more enthusiasm.  However, I was met with some surprises.

Experiences and Application

As for my hopes to learn and develop a better understanding of the media industry, I was not disappointed.  Happily, our first meetings were those with book publishers.  Our meeting with John Wiley & Sons provided not only an insight into the business, but also gave practical information for the recent grad in where to go from here and what sort of options exist within the world of books.  From the first glance, it was clear that this was a work-your-way-up-the-ladder industry.  Whether one starts in an editorial position, it was helpful to see what other areas were available upon working up the ladder, things I had not really considered before like marketing, art & design, and global rights. I was impressed by Wiley’s efforts to adapt to the new digital world.  Curiously enough, it seemed the more educationally driven innovations in technology were the most practical and cutting edge.  Wiley, along with PBS and The New York Times’ graphics aimed at explaining and demonstrating content, had an impressive mission for advancing their technological capabilities.

Sitting down with Wiley’s human resources representative, we heard the first mention of a recurring watchword of our trip: INTERNSHIPS.   Here, and everywhere else we went, in order to acquire an entry-level position, your resume must show evidence of multiple internships.  In our present day and age, it is becoming apparent that one’s education is almost less important than the experiences you have gained.  Until later in the trip when I began hearing words of encouragement and motivation, I cannot pretend I was a little disheartened and dare I say panicked on receiving this news time and again.  It seems rather contradictory to the idea of a liberal arts education that we, American students, are encouraged to get a basic understanding of a number of areas of study however, in these industries, our meetings were promoting a much more narrow path.  As the odd man out on this trip, a French major, I would hear HR representatives proclaiming that it does not so much matter what your major was, but their replies concerning how they came to hold their position did not match this statement.  For example, the employees at Ketchum Public Relations professed a major in Public Relations, supplemented by internships in public relations, and in turn got jobs in public relations.  I know that such a direct path is not always the case (Bloomberg’s Karen Toulon was a pleasant surprise; major in English with a minor in Anthropology.  And our Bloomberg guide Jake takes the cake with studies in literature and Scandinavian languages), however this situation occurred so often as to make me question my own indecision about the future and therefore my efforts to be as well rounded as I can in the mean time.

Nonetheless, more meetings ensued.  I began taking in the reinforced emphasis on internships and accounts of people who were under the impression they knew what they wanted to do with their lives (not to be a skeptic, but while end-destinations are excellent motivation, they often change) I focused on the information that I could apply directly to myself personally in thinking about these next steps in life.  Resume and interview tips are always helpful.  And in any case, it’s always fascinating to learn about other people’s jobs and what they do on a day-to-day basis.  Although our meeting with the New York Times resulted in an impromptu and somewhat disorganized visit, it was intriguing to see how their department worked to explain parts of a story visually, using an interactive oil spill tracker or graphics analyzing “How Mariano Rivera Dominates Hitters” by utilizing computer programming, cartography, design, and journalism skills to make that come to life.

Also, as I had not been initiated into the world of journalism prior to our departure, I learned all sorts of tidbits and facts that I had hitherto been unaware.  Even witnessing individual’s passion and lives devoted to the mission of investigative journalism was rather inspiring.  Members of The Smoking Gun, while a small operation, were undoubtedly passionate and driven by their work.  I saw their dedication to presenting a story that is well written and in its very essence something of interest to its readers.  Second, they were devoted to publishing work that was fair and accurate, obtaining primary source documents through our government’s freedom of speech, the press, and freedom of information.  ProPublica offered a similar dedication to the mission of investigative journalism.  Their organization stood for journalism that has an impact on the world.  In speaking with C-SPAN’s very frank and knowledgeable president and CEO, Brian Lamb, he explained that the media industry is all about money, but the difference lies in how you go about getting it.  For businesses like The Smoking Gun and ProPublica, their focus seemed less on profits than on their passion for their work and creating something that was truly of quality and impact.

Brian Lamb also spoke to us about how the media plays the game.  Its all about the drama, and for viewers, we love them and hate them because of this.  A lot of the drama that we witnessed on our study trip revolved around the more recent move towards digital.  WNET was literally in between in this development; they were moving into new offices and developing many more goals towards digital innovations.  The Pew Foundation gave us the statistics for how the industry is trying to maintain revenue in the switch to free access online and the lack of advertising capabilities on the web.  While struggles exist over the financial end, this move also presents a whole world of opportunities.  Sree Sreenavisan introduced us to a number of advancements online and in new technologies.  Not a technical guru myself, Sree advised that to be aware and stay on your game that you need great pointers who know what’s new and exciting and can help show you the way.  Digital helps find new ideas, trends, and resources, helps us connect in new ways to new audiences.  Social media is changing the way we communicate.  I acknowledge these developments, but cannot help feeling some hesitation.

I can explain these hesitations with the second recurring watchword of our trip: TRANSPARENCY.  In nearly every meeting, the word was dropped, but the record holder in this competition went to Bloomberg.  It was an easy win.  Not only was transparency their motto, but the concept was also expressed down to every fish tank and piece of Scotch® glass.  Bloomberg terminals revealed publicly the status of every employee, giving details like the time each person clocked in and left to go home.  The prominent place of social media in our lives, applying even to our resumes and potential hireability, questions our sense of privacy.  This expectation to bear all changes the way we communicate with one another; it changes our attention span and our way of finding information online. Our class saw that media outlets are working towards adapting to these new changes.  It is an industry that now requires you to adapt to it.  As a naturally private person, I cannot help but need to take a moment and consider my options before I continue in this new age.  One thing I did learn, fascinating and instructive as it was, the media industry is not for me.

So for me, the search continues.  While I have reached this conclusion for a number of reasons, the trip has nonetheless been quite invaluable.  I love learning new things.  Learning is never a loss. And if what I need to do now is find my path by process of elimination, I am headed in the right direction.  I left our meetings several times with the words of encouragement from our various contacts that I will keep with me.  The Smoking Gun encouraged us, no matter what we do, to be innovative.  Come up with our own ideas.  Don’t be part of the pact.  Immerse yourself in your career and be passionate.  President of the NAB Marcellus Alexander encouraged us with quite the same words: do what jazzes you, because that is what you will be best at.  Life is short.  I am happy to leave Whitworth with these words in my mind and in my heart.  Listening and learning from these remarkable professionals gives me encouragement.  My extracurricular jaunts to museums to see profound, inventive, and beautiful artworks and artifacts from history equally made my visit to the east coast memorable and enlightened.  And now?  I will continue to keep my eyes open and take hold of the opportunities that God puts in my path.

Reliability and Other Challenges in the Media… (think Core 350!)

Washington D.C. has been a welcome new perspective.  The streets are wider, the buildings are more human scale, it is clean, a bit warmer, and you can see the sky.  Where New York gave me the sense that I was holding my breath, here, I can finally exhale.  This sense plays into our media experience as well.  The Big Apple was city-centric; the cutthroat business and games of the media industry often failed to see beyond its Manhattan walls.  In our first D.C. visit with C-SPAN’s president and CEO, Brian Lamb commented that while both the news in New York and D.C. are money driven businesses, the fundamental different lies in the way that money is accumulated.  In New York, the faster you can get in and working, the more you can make for yourself.  D.C. companies on the other hand, get funding elsewhere (like the government) and move it around.  Despite this difference, it’s always about the money.  The media industry plays the game and thrives off of the drama that they create.  Lamb noted that because of this unfortunate fact, what sells on television is often not what is truly important and significant for Americans.

So how are we, viewers and learners, to rely on what we see in the news?  Human Events Editor Jason Mattera warned also that journalists and television speakers do not always know what they are talking about.  From a personal experience, Jason noted that young and fresh into the business, he made a television appearance, was dubbed a “republican strategist” and was further coached in order to have a good televised debate.  While being aware of these factors is invaluable, it does make the average reader and news consumer’s job a lot more difficult to search out the facts.  It is now almost a requisite that we consult multiple news outlets and practice constant vigilance in our daily consumption.

In the online world of information overload, there also exists the problem of needing to capture peoples ever diminishing attention spans.  Regnery Press’s editorial director Harry Crocker described the tension between seeing the “dumbing down” of the news versus refining the skill of creating dense and clear writing that covers the main topics.  He elaborated on this last part by saying, “brevity is the soul of wit,” and referenced the clever, effective work of Oscar Wilde.  The challenges journalists face down is the necessity to distill their content to communicate quickly and efficiently.  Can you summarize what you need to say in a twitter or facebook post?

Beyond these problems of reliability in the media, our visit to Washington D.C. also brings forth a number of issues between the industry and the government.  My Core 350 sensor was going off the second “public policy” was dropped into the conversation.  Marcellus Alexander at the National Association of Broadcasters raised several of these questions.  Both the NAB and PBS, among other organizations, face the problem of spectrum allocation.  The government is considering switching completely to digital broadcasting, eliminating access to stations via antennae and thereby cutting out an audience primarily of seniors and lower income families.  Indecency issues are not new, but nevertheless still an issue.  Stations are resisting government involvement in retransmission consent negotiations.  And many of the businesses and non-profit organizations receive government funding from foundations like the NEA, which opens up a number of policy issues in and of itself.

While our attention is increasingly brought to the issues that media faces today, Marcellus Alexander left us with some encouraging advice.  Do something that you like to do.  That you’re passionate about.  Life is short, so do what jazzes you because that is what you will be best at, and despite the challenges, the work will be fulfilling.

Staying ahead of the game…

Continuing with our visits in the Big Apple, a recurring issue seen again and again in the media industry is that of knowing how to handle constantly advancing technologies.  Some seemed more apt at it than others, but the most striking fact was how each business prioritized technological innovation in light of the various other aspects of their work.

Upon visiting Bloomberg News, I was both impressed and terrified by their use of technology.  Their building itself boasted vibrant, colorful lights and glass, vases overflowing with fruits and flowers, aquariums installed in both the floors and in walls, altogether creating a bedazzling effect.  The Bloomberg Terminal, designed for allowing the web’s overload of information to be accessible and reliable was perhaps a little too “transparent,” as their motto proclaims.  While providing information that seems questionable considering rights to privacy, I was almost more wary of the employees equipped each with four monitors, where they could write, post, broadcast, etc. straight from their desks.  Theirs was a life of staring at computer screens, and if they ever managed to escape from it, they would be left dazed in the eerie bright and colorful surroundings.

Thankfully however, meetings with other businesses proved different approaches in the ways of technology.  At the New York Times, our class saw their energy devoted towards creating remarkable online interactive maps and graphics, tools for explaining and telling stories in a dynamic and practical fashion.  In contrast with Bloomberg, the Times seemed to utilize their technological capabilities to better their goal of reporting, where Bloomberg seemed to lose itself in the very sake of technological advancement.

Following with the New York Times, Sree Sreenavisan of Columbia’s graduate school of Journalism advocated the possibilities and advantages that come with technology, but not without the warning to use it wisely.  He advised to stay ahead of the curve on learning new developments, but to pick and choose what works best.  Don’t get lost in the hype, but refine digital skills to be able to find new ideas and trends, connect in new ways to audiences, and help build and enhance brands and businesses.

Keeping in mind these pointers, I think it is important at this point in searching out a career path to maintain focus and direction of our goals.  There is a lot of distraction in wanting to cater to popular trends, being solely financially driven, or getting caught in the whirlwind of technology.  But keeping our head on our shoulders, we can stay ahead of the game.

Whitworth in NYC

 

Graduation is pending.  The end is more than in sight.  For me, it’s here, come January 25^th.  In embracing the opportunities of this Jan term trip in New York City and Washington D.C., I have made an effort to keep my ear tuned for an insider’s look at media industries and getting words of advice on smooth sailing in the real world.

Having previously considered book publishing as a career option, our class visit to Wiley and Sons proved that this choice is not one option, but many: everything from editing, marketing, to subsidiary rights.  After full exposure to a whole new world of possibilities, our next stop with a panel of H.R. representatives from Penguin, Hachette, and Random House gave great advice on the basics of applications and interviews, tips including reading up on potential jobs, utilizing social media, and making your efforts personal to stick out for future employers.

The Smoking Gun also gave their two cents on post-college life.  Be passionate.  Immerse yourself in your career.  Find great models for the things you want to do and learn how to make yourself better and better.  After only a few days into our trip, I already look forward to all of the unknowns and options that graduation will bring.