Ugh...I hate journalism (not really)
So, I'm at school right now...in journalism. I'm supposed to be working on my stories, and I was, but one of them is utterly depressing me. I don't think I can tell a person, "Sorry, you won't be featured in the paper because you're uninteresting and won't talk/describe your life/things very well. We'll find another candidate for it." By the way, the feature is called "Everyone Has a Story." Ironic much?
I mean, the whole purpose of Everyone Has a Story is to randomly select a student and interview them on their life stories. The point is to prove that everyone is interesting in some aspect or another. The journalist's job, (me) is to coax it out of them. Which I have been desperately trying.
Now, I'm no novice to interviewing, or writing, or journalistic anything really. Three years of the class will do that to you. However, when I go through the an entire list of interview questions that I had thought up the night before, and not ONE of them leads to a strong focal point for a story, it kind of allows the stress to flow in. I mean, I was making up questions as we went along trying to keep the interview going, trying to find SOMETHING that I could tackle and make the angle of my story. Mind you, the interview was about 15-20 minutes. Not entirely long in interview terms. Not entirely short either. But, it was EXTREMELY difficult because I found myself having to re-explain my questions in different ways trying to get the candidate to fall for one and open up. Ugh. I tried. I really did. When the interview ended and I was burned out of questions, I could literally feel the stress creeping up on me. Stress and journalism are like butter on bread. But, the butter doesn't melt until the bread is toasted. IT'S NOT EVEN DEADLINE WEEK AND I'M ALREADY STRESSED!!! I have about two more weeks before deadline and I'm already stressing...I'm gonna have white hair at the age of 35...30 if I'm lucky. *Sighs*. Times like these remind me why I'm NOT going to pursue journalism in college and/or the real world.
I spoke to my journalism teacher asking for help. I have two options. One: Sit down with this purpose and be brutally honest about the whole situation. You know, not really getting interesting information, you're not talking alot, opening up well, etc. Or, two: Well, actually there's just one that has two steps in it...I lied. So, this following the negative outcome of step one, is to randomly select a new person. *Sighs* Which is kind of hard because people don't like talking about themselves for the paper where the whole school can read about their lives.
*Sighs*
I'm going to die.
Oh, and my other story, (yes, I have two...as a veteran member, you are required to on more responsibilities) is a news story on this new literary reading...thing in the community. Our very own AP junior english and creative writing teacher started it up. (I've had the pleasure of being in both of these classes...he's SO FUNNY and smart and witty and...I love him. One of my fav. teachers.) But yeah, the actual event won't happen til Feb. 24. Three days before deadline. *Sighs again*
The bell rang. 4th period is over. Time for AP Literature! Woot.
I mean, the whole purpose of Everyone Has a Story is to randomly select a student and interview them on their life stories. The point is to prove that everyone is interesting in some aspect or another. The journalist's job, (me) is to coax it out of them. Which I have been desperately trying.
Now, I'm no novice to interviewing, or writing, or journalistic anything really. Three years of the class will do that to you. However, when I go through the an entire list of interview questions that I had thought up the night before, and not ONE of them leads to a strong focal point for a story, it kind of allows the stress to flow in. I mean, I was making up questions as we went along trying to keep the interview going, trying to find SOMETHING that I could tackle and make the angle of my story. Mind you, the interview was about 15-20 minutes. Not entirely long in interview terms. Not entirely short either. But, it was EXTREMELY difficult because I found myself having to re-explain my questions in different ways trying to get the candidate to fall for one and open up. Ugh. I tried. I really did. When the interview ended and I was burned out of questions, I could literally feel the stress creeping up on me. Stress and journalism are like butter on bread. But, the butter doesn't melt until the bread is toasted. IT'S NOT EVEN DEADLINE WEEK AND I'M ALREADY STRESSED!!! I have about two more weeks before deadline and I'm already stressing...I'm gonna have white hair at the age of 35...30 if I'm lucky. *Sighs*. Times like these remind me why I'm NOT going to pursue journalism in college and/or the real world.
I spoke to my journalism teacher asking for help. I have two options. One: Sit down with this purpose and be brutally honest about the whole situation. You know, not really getting interesting information, you're not talking alot, opening up well, etc. Or, two: Well, actually there's just one that has two steps in it...I lied. So, this following the negative outcome of step one, is to randomly select a new person. *Sighs* Which is kind of hard because people don't like talking about themselves for the paper where the whole school can read about their lives.
*Sighs*
I'm going to die.
Oh, and my other story, (yes, I have two...as a veteran member, you are required to on more responsibilities) is a news story on this new literary reading...thing in the community. Our very own AP junior english and creative writing teacher started it up. (I've had the pleasure of being in both of these classes...he's SO FUNNY and smart and witty and...I love him. One of my fav. teachers.) But yeah, the actual event won't happen til Feb. 24. Three days before deadline. *Sighs again*
The bell rang. 4th period is over. Time for AP Literature! Woot.