Being the super media nerds that we are, my friend Katie and I have decided to start a journalism group for twenty-somethings in the Bay Area. It’s called TK, which we originally used as the stand-in name until we came up with something else, but it kind of just stuck. In a way, it makes sense, though. TK is editorial speak for “To come.” What’s to come for the writers’ group is up for everyone involved to decide! Also: up and comin’ journos is what we are (or hope to be).
Katie and I have been feverishly planning this group for weeks, our battle scars ugly sunburn patches from sitting at Dolores Park Cafe hovered over our laptops, and were super excited to send out the invite today to the SF writers we (though mostly Katie) know.
Some of the coolest and most wonderful people I met in New York were those involved with NYU Local, so I wanted to start a similar group in San Francisco for young writers to convene on a bi-monthly basis. Many–myself included, sometimes–like to harp on and on about the demise of journalism, but the young writers I’ve met both in New York and San Francisco seem to have nothing but enthusiasm for the changes the field has undergone in recent years. Think about all the cool stuff we could accomplish if we harness all of our collective creative energy!
Aside from affording everyone a chance to meet like-minded media geeks, Katie and I have multiple potential ideas for the group, including a job forum for freelance work, guest lectures from established local journalists, and even a collaborative blog that could attempt to interactively map the cultural landscape of SF.
I’ve been so busy with my awesome Community Management job at Context that I haven’t had a lot of time to write recently. I’m hoping being surrounded by talented and inspired writers who share my enthusiasm for writing will help change that. If nothing else, we will serve delicious homemade goodies at our meetings. What starving freelance writer can turn down free food?
If TK sounds like something you’d be interested in attending, e-mail me! We’d love to have you.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet with some New York Times editors and tour their incredible office space. I went along with my Studio II class, which is helping to plan and launch the NYT/NYU collaborative Local East Village blog. We got a tour of the newsroom, as well as the Pulitzer hall, and even got to peek into Arthur Sulzberger, Jr.’s office. Suffice to say it was a media geek’s dream come true. We also got to meet with a number of NYT writers and editors, including TV reporter and Media Decoder blogger Brian Stelter, who gave us some interesting tips on web journalism:
Complete Tool Kit for a Web Journalist
1. The ability to synthesize a lot of information very quickly.
This comes mostly with reading a lot, whether it be print articles, blogs, tweets, whatever. In an all-media-all-the-time world, you have to be incredibly permeable, but also analytical about the types of information you’re absorbing.
2. The ability to write quickly and accurately.
Journalism isn’t only about meeting that 12:30am deadline anymore. In an atmosphere where you’re constantly competing with countless online (and speedy!) outlets for scoops, immediacy is key, but accuracy is the gold standard. To combine both takes a talented web journalist.
3. Twitter
For scoops, reader feedback, tips.
4. Facebook
For contacting sources who won’t call or e-mail you back.
5. Audio recorder
Whether it’s an iPhone or a digital audio recorder with a USB plug, in-person and Skype interviews require audio recorders to get transcription just right.
6. Flip cam
Multimedia is an important aspect of web journalism. Flip cams are easy-to-use, cheap, light and can record HD video instantly.
7. Personal brand/identity
Objectivity is a marketing ploy! But when writing hard news pieces it’s important to report fairly. By developing your own website or Twitter account, readers can understand your perspective and personality without you having to inject it into your articles.
8. Becoming a reliable member of the link economy
Whether it’s sending out e-mails to try to get other blogs to post about your link, or just tweeting it at them, getting linked to is one of the most crucial ways of driving traffic to your articles.
Later on we saw Brian recording a video about the iPad, which will be on the web today at 1pm. I barely caught a glimpse of the thing, which Decoder writer David Carr quickly shielded from our glance when we approached, but from the peek I did get it looks AWESOME.
We also got to meet with Social Media Editor Jennifer Preston, and Senior Editor Dana Canedy, who is in charge of Times internships. She told us she prefers to have internship candidates SNAIL MAIL their application packages to her. I was very confused, but I guess to each his/her own. Canedy talked a lot about basic human curiosity and the integral part it plays in getting good scoops. “The best stories,” she said, “come out of a sense of curiosity.”
I couldn’t agree more.