Jackblog - intern
No shortage of things to do!
When I first decided to intern at the JFP, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I knew I would be coming to the office three days a week and seven hours or so a week, but I didn’t know too much else about the kind of things I’d be doing. Now that I’ve started my eighth week here at the paper, I don’t know where those eight weeks have gone, in a good way. I think I expected to write a little, since Maggie and I discussed what I would like to write about in my first meeting with her. I didn’t expect to write so much though…and I mean that in a good way, as well. I also didn’t expect to be involved with so many different projects. Perhaps what I’m trying to get at is that I didn’t expect to be so busy. Seven hours a week doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but I soon realized I wasn’t limited to seven hours in the office. From our intern class once a week to other projects outside of intern hours to interviews that can be scheduled on other days, I am able to put as much time as I want into the JFP. That’s one thing I’ve learned this summer: If you want more to work on, you can definitely find something here to plug your efforts into. That and if you keep saying yes, the opportunities will keep coming. This summer my goal was to try and learn as much about the different aspects of journalism as possible and I’m pretty sure there’s not a better medium in the state where I could’ve done that than the JFP.
posted by on 07/22/08 at 10:32 AM. [printer-friendly version]
COMMENTS
I'm so glad the summer has been so good for you, Natalie. Our intern class has just been incredible; I can't believe how many projects we're knocking off the list. Amazing.
Your comments about realizing that you can put in extra time are very important to me. Right now, I'm in Chicago teaching at the Academy for Alternative Journalism at Medill (Northwestern), and we've talked a lot about passion and developing craft. People who become amazing writers and journalists (or whatever else) have a passion, and a certain obsession, for the work it takes to become great. I heard Andrea Elliott, a young NY Times journalist who won a Pulitzer for her series on an Imam in New Jersey, speak at a workshop last year. She talked about how she developed a beat of covering the Muslim community herself on her own time because she had other duties at the paper. But she had the drive to go after this amazing series of stories, doing whatever it took, whenever she could dit it. As a result of her willingness to work hard and not watch the clock, she won the Pulitzer Prize.
I believe in life-work balance (at least in theory, if not always in practice in my own life), but I also know that your life is more fulfilling when you work really, really hard at being excellent at what you do, and thus making a difference when you do it.
You guys have worked really hard this summer, and with a passion for making a difference in people's lives. I salute you all for that. ;-)
And I'll see you in class Thursday!
posted by ladd on 07/22/08 at 07:45 PM
Natalie, I'm so glad you're "keeping busy." You and all the other interns are doing such a great job!
posted by maggie on 07/25/08 at 09:20 AM
[Kamikaze] The Media Fix Is In
J.T.: Amen to pushing a positive Jackson. And, yes, it is a movement. And, it is moving.
Aug 27, 2008 | 06:17 PM
Ban the Paddle?
ladd: A lot of kids in all our schools are "scary smart." Many just haven't had the chance to prove it, yet. On the not-know-how-to-ask-a-str anger-a-question point -- how many strangers are completely ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 05:33 PM
Ban the Paddle?
Tom Head: The kids I've met from the Jim Hill Civil Liberties Club are SCARY smart (they're not just the future; they're ready and able to get out and do stuff now), and the idea that anyone would consider ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 05:15 PM
Ban the Paddle?
ladd: you mentioned people should try to find out what is really going on with this generation. Damn right I did. And any given day, you will find up to 20 young people in their teens and 20s in my offices, ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 05:12 PM
Ban the Paddle?
ladd: Baquan, it's simple really: You generalized about all young people with statements like these: Discipline does not work any more on kids, whether it is beating them or putting them in time out. Young ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 04:49 PM
Ban the Paddle?
baquan2000: To Tom Head - lets just agree to disagree. You put yours in time out for stealing or cussing, while with mine, they will just have to meet their maker when they attempt to try it!? Sorry - I will ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 04:41 PM
Ban the Paddle?
baquan2000: Donna you did a good article a while back on this generation, where I think you mentioned people should try to find out what is really going on with this generation. Maybe what I said, was to ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 04:28 PM
Ban the Paddle?
Tom Head: Or for selling bad weed. Or for sleeping with your girlfriend. Or... Right. We teach the same pro-violence message with the Iraq War and the death penalty, too, not to mention when leaders go around ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 04:04 PM
Ban the Paddle?
ladd: That is a vast generalization about young people, baquan, and extremely offensive. I'm more impressed with young people today in their teens, and even tweens, than I ever have been. And the numbers bear ...
Aug 27, 2008 | 03:39 PM
Ban the Paddle?
baquan2000: after reading all the posts above; whatever it is we are doing; it is not working? Discipline does not work any more on kids, whether it is beating them or putting them in time out. Young men do ...
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