Originality

I silenced a sleepy yawn as I sat on the red chair in the Jackson Free Press office, waiting for my interview with Ronni Mott concerning my summer internship. I was freshly out of college for the summer and my body was still feeling the pain from all-nighters I pulled during the finals week. A door opened, its sound pulling me out of drowsiness. I looked up to a woman and gawked at her as she gave me an awkward but polite smile while walking to her office.

She had PURPLE hair. I didn’t know what to think. The surprising first impression summed up my two months experience in Jackson Free Press: originality.

I sat in a crowded room. I snuck glances at the other interns, doing my best to not come off as creepy. I stared at the large bookcases and planned to look at them as soon as the workshop was over. When Donna Ladd stepped in, I gave her a friendly smile and sat back in my chair. The interns began introducing themselves to one another and we made small talk before Ladd uttered an unforeseen line:

“I don’t like objective writing,” she said. I raised my eyebrows at her. "It’s impossible to not be biased," she said. I didn't know how to take that. I thought journalism was about being neutral. Surely it was a smart thing to report the facts and let the readers conclude for themselves? I knew was in for a ride. I was a student of the eccentric professor Dr. Husni, the Mr. Magazine ™ of Ole Miss. I never thought I'd meet anybody as innovative as he. Donna turned out to be as remarkable teacher as Dr. Husni, if not more so.

I worked on the Ridgeland High School newspaper as a cartoonist and a columnist, and I am currently a Lifestyles writer for the Daily Mississippian at the University of Mississippi. Frankly I thought I knew what needed to be done for newspapers: report the facts, organize them neatly into an inverted pyramid, and top the story off with a reader-grabbing lead. I learned that this technique that was drilled into me was not enough to make me a writer.

Jackson Free Press opened my eyes to how inexperienced I was yet. In numerous workshops, Ladd challenged me to rethink all that I have learned as Journalism major. I had to stop reporting and start writing. I will be honest: it was tough to not fall into old habits of conventional writing. All the creativity that could have gone into the newspapers I gave to recounting funny stories for my friends and family. I did not connect the two things: creativity and information. I did not think that was possible.

I wouldn’t trade the long hours spent mentally wrestling with the concept of narrative writing verses my objective writing for anything. I have never been as inspired to write as I was in the last two months. I’m glad that I chose to intern at Jackson Free Press because the experience is invaluable and original. The advice I have received as an intern I doubt I would have found that anywhere else.

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