Sometimes we don't know what we want to do in the future until we go to college. College is when we start to know who we are and we find out things about ourselves that we didn't even know before. College is where I found my passion for journalism. Since then I have made it my goal to tell stories, through words, photos, and sometimes video. There are so many stories that need to be told, and I plan to tell them in anyway possible.
It was 2012 when I joined the Elgin Community College Observer. One of the main reasons I joined the Observer was my boyfriend Peter, as he was the one who pointed out to me that they were looking for writers and photographers. I have learned a lot about journalism, writing, AP Style, etc. But the main thing I learned is that you need to work hard to get to where you want to be, and I want to share some advice for anyone out there who is planning to go into any type of journalism.
1. Fight for what you want to write
We have this day called "Idea Day" where we say different story ideas that can potentially be featured in the upcoming issue. Sometimes they may ask you why should this story be featured and sometimes you may have to defend your reason. If it's a story that you feel should be featured then you got make it known that you want that story heard, that you want to tell that person's story, that you want the world to know it too. It won't be easy but the end result is worth it.
2. Write down interview questions
Interviewing a source especially one you don't know can be very scary, especially if you are shy. If you are feeling this way, you can always practice your interview with a friend, write down any questions for your story, also bring a recorder but ask permission before recording.
3. Take advantage of every opportunity
There are usually conferences for college newspapers, they have different sessions taught by people who have been working in the field for a long time. Sometimes they even have a speaker who is also experienced in the field. I have been to many conferences so far and I plan to go to more this year and I have learned a lot about journalism. Go to every conference if you can and make some connections, network, and ask questions, because those people could be your future boss one day.
4. Ask permission before you take photos
There may be people who may not want their picture taken, so make sure that you can take the photo of the person, especially ask if it's a child you are taking a photo of, get permission from the parents first, because the last thing you need is an angry parent coming at you because you didn't ask for their permission first.
5. Not everyone is going to like your articles
There are going to be people that don't like your stories and that is okay you can't please them all. One of my Observer articles about Autism Awareness being important got many positive responses, someone I know (who's name won't be mentioned for privacy) didn't care for it too much. My advice to whoever may be reading this is, don't let the haters stop you from doing your thing (yes I just quoted Mean Girls don't judge!)
6. Take photos for every article
Not every print story uses photos, but take photos anyway. After all, they could be used in the online version of the story. Or they could all be uploaded on social media. Look at it this way if one of your photos is good enough you could submit it to National Geographic.
