My Journalist Experience Thus Far

At this point in my study of journalism, I am beginning to feel like a legitimate journalist. I am progressively becoming more comfortable with the journalistic process of interviewing people for stories, contacting sources, and figuring out how to write stories as well as learning from the edits made to previous class submissions. Since this is the first semster that I am in a course that pertains specifically to the set of skills that I will be utilizing on a daily basis as a journalist, I am eager to take in all that I can and apply what I learn from class, the textbook, and from edits. I feel that the most useful part of learning to be a successful journalist is writing stories that are not successful and conferencing about what was wrong and how to do it right for next time. This hands on practice is incredibly helpful for me to gain knowledge about what works in a story or an interview and what does not. I also feel like a journalist because I am writing stories on a weekly basis and meeting a deadline. I have noticed that I am constantly on the hunt for story ideas and making contact with sources and planning ahead. I feel that this course is preparing the students for the reality of journalism because we are producing many different stories on a weekly basis to meet a deadline. I feel that I am also learning a lot from this because I am learning how to budget my time to research and contact sources early and follow up with them before the deadlide. This course is preparing me to learn what it is like for a journalist to recieve a lead on a story then go out and report on it, or, conduct research, contact sources, and attend a scheduled event. I approach each week with the enthusiasm that I might find a newsworthy topic to report on and turn in for editing more than a few times a semester, as with long-form writing courses. I feel passionate about being a journalist and embracing the "character" that I undertake while reporting. I appreciate that I am learning to disregard my shyness and apprehension about being rejected to be able to get the facts about a story. I look forward to watching myself progress and become more comfortable as a prominent journalist in terms of writing, interracting with sources and other important figures, and organization.