The Interns' Turn

Is it really over?

2010-05-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

It's 8:42 in the morning-I am still not packed for departure on this last morning with the PSNE Online Reporter Project. Breakfast is at 9 and although I am excited for eggs and bacon, the breakfast means the project is coming to an end.

I don't want to leave. This experience has been one of the most rewarding and beneficial ones to date. At WTAE Channel 4 in Pittsburgh I learned the odds and ends of the broadcast world. Now, I am able to say I know how to report online, shoot and edit video for online, and take photo's and still frames from our captured video.

Each day there was a new challenge for us and a new lesson. Friday's lesson to me- came from Ron Fourniers presentation. As the AP Bureau Cheif for Washington- he knows a little bit about journalism- oh, and politics too. His lesson was that people drive politics, and politics drive people crazy! It's true, I know I have had a distaste for politics because it is full of opinion and everyone believes they are right. I think it was nice to hear Fournier speak, especially after writing a story on him for my first assignment.

Saturday's lesson I learned from Butch Ward, Managing Director for Poynter Institute. He instilled in the audience to stick with journalism even if it is such a changing industry. If you love it-why do something else? Again, I completely agree!

Journalism is an amazing field that has endless possiblities. I will use this experience to further my journalism career and hopefully someday be apart of this conference as an attendee or even a mentor!

Thanks to all the mentors and Sandra and Janet for making this possible.

Passionate Interns

2010-05-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

After working almost every day for about 15 hours, it can get exhausting. My fellow interns, Aimee, Samantha, Chelsey and Elissa, have conquered this with ease.

Despite all the technical difficulties, tough story angles and long nights, the ladies truly showed how dedicated they are to the field of journalism.

This should be a warning sign to all of the professionals out there that think 'young people' are not serious. We are serious.

We are passionate about reporting, about getting the facts right and about being up-to-date on the latest technology. I have no fear that my fellow interns will want a job when they graduate from each of their colleges.

My fear lies in the numbers: the unemployment rate. Smart, motivated graduates are not getting jobs, but employers need to take chances on students. They can fast-forward your company into the 22nd century.

We can help come up with social networking strategies. And brainstorming is a breeze.
I am so confident in these four ladies and myself because of the things that we’ve learned during this conference. We’ve worked with some amazing professionals who have helped us learn the skills we need to help YOU, the employer.

We’re ready.

And don't worry, whatever you pay us, we'll probably take it, which is yet another plus side to hiring a ‘young person.’

Wrapping Up

2010-05-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's official. As of 9:53 p.m., my last video has been converted and passed of to be published and the last section of my hyper-local piece is in Google Docs awaiting a final edit.

While we're not quite done yet, we're certainly very close.

We arrived here in Harrisburg Thursday afternoon, and in one sense that seems like days ago, but at the same time it feels like there is NO way I've been here for so long; it certainly has gone quickly.

And I'm still in awe.

Looking over the website, the amount of content that we have worked with from brainstorming to editing is overwhelming.

I was...less than impressed when I was assigned four videos Thursday night. Two days ago, I could honestly say I knew nothing about Movie Maker or video editing. Now, the last video I edited took about 10 minutes -- I couldn't believe it.

I also cannot believe the amount of dedication and organization I have witnessed here.

The first to come to mind are the incredibly patient, knowledgeable staff members who have been working with us.

Janet Bevan has been contacting us tirelessly for months to organize everything from our meal preferences to contact sheets.

Sandra Long was able to, at any moment, assist with any assignment by offering valuable direction and contacts.

Harry Funk displayed astounding talent by building our website form scratch and tackling any coding issues as they arose.

Hai Do's vast knowledge of all things video has saved not only our stress levels but also our laptops (without him, mine would most certainly have gone flying out the window of the newsroom. No joke).

Dan Victor's keen editing eye added depth to our stories while keeping them AP Style-friendly.

All of the staff members and editors from the alphabet-soup organizations that were present (PSNE, PNA, etc...) were always willing to stop for an interview or offer advice to us aspiring journalists.

Last, but not least, the other interns -- Elyssa, Jacki, Sam and Aimee -- made this potentially stressful weekend absolutely fabulous. We were able to hit the ground running, and any one of them was more than willing to help out in any way possible, from lending a voice recorder, accompanying for an interview or grabbing a sweater from the hotel room. I am so glad to have met each of them. They have truly made this weekend incredible.

Banaszynski's experiences teach journalistic values

2010-05-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Listening to Jacqui Banaszynski’s passionate stories about her career over the past few years, will tell any journalist that they can make a difference.

Banaszynski, a Pulitizer Prize winner and the knight chair in editing at the Missouri School of Journalism, told stories about some of her most intense and demanding times in the industry.

When she was writing one of her most recognized pieces “AIDS in the Heartland,” she was forced to answer a question of life or death for one of her sources. Yet, she remained fair, balanced and objective, just like a good journalist.

During her speech, Banaszynski told of those trying times and yet remained fair and balanced, which has made her story recognized in many classrooms of high schools and universities as a tool of trade.

She repeated to everyone that attended the Keystone Press Awards on Saturday, that journalism is about the community and relating back to the community is a key. Although many journalists believe that they practice this, Banaszynski reminds that there are can be deep community ties for any national story.

As an aspiring journalist, knowing that someone can truly make a difference in other people’s lives through the stories they write is so powerful. If once, just once in my career, if I can make someone emotional or thrilled or upset, I think I’ll have done my job.

One of the most exciting things to me is to listen to people who have had an experience; whether it be favorable or unfavorable, it is still an experience that young people can learn from.

Young journalists still need to look at these historic journalistic works because knowing how to write is still one of the most important tools in the journalism industry.

The internet isn’t so bad either…

Reporters and sources: where to draw the line

2010-05-15T13:01:00.001-07:00

Reporters can walk a fine line when working closely with a source. After establishing a connection over time with a person who may be an alleged criminal, a cancer survivor or a small business owner, reporters can become placed in a situation where they might be crossing a line.

The friend zone: A reporter might enter the friend zone with someone who was a source. Once entering the friend zone, it is quite difficult to leave it. Doing favors for, making plans with and running errands for the source ruins journalistic integrity, only if the reporter plans to use that source again, which is very likely.

Difficult situations: Sometimes, reporter can be placed in a situation that may be compromising for the journalist. The source may ask a favor of the journalist. Is it appropriate for the journalist to do favors? It is always important to keep in mind that journalists should strive to be objective, fair and balanced.

Objectivity: Once a journalist becomes friendly with a source, it is difficult to obtain objectivity with that source. This is why journalists do not report on things they are involved in or people they know.

Obligation: A journalist may feel obligated to do a favor for a source because of the source’s helpfulness. For example, if a journalist broke a story because of this source, how should the journalist go about telling the source that they can’t take them to the hospital because he or she is a journalist. Is that fair? Is that even morally right?

These are real issues that journalists face, and there can be many more when working with sources and anonymous sources. It is important and vital that journalists know how to face these challenges head-on and deal with their sources up front.

The most important thing is to be honest. People, both sources and readers, alike, will respect the journalist for their honesty and integrity.

Outside the Hilton Compounds

2010-05-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

After being cooped up for the last 48hours in the interns workroom that could easily be mistaken as a news media sweat shop, I needed to break free.

Steeping out onto 2nd Street the warm May breeze instantly revitalized my senses. I felt like I had been imprisoned for decades and had forgotten what it was like to be on the outside. Maybe it was the over exposure to florescent lighting or the hours spent staring at a computer screen, but the sun never looked so good.

As I strolled around the streets I quickly noticed Harrisburg’s love of fire hydrants. Signs encourage visitors to take pictures as if it were a rare celebrity sighting. Here the hydrants aren’t just where dogs mark their territory, but an art exhibit. Last year local artists decorated 59 hydrants as part of a beautification project in Downtown Harrisburg.

Even Dad has a Facebook

2010-05-15T08:36:00.001-07:00

I never realized how much I still have to learn about journalism.

I came into the PSNE internship with a few years of experience at The Daily Collegian under my belt -- reporting for a couple semesters, and a semester in editing and designing at copy desk. Then my first night in Harrisburg, I was given the very first assignment: a video.

"Okay," I thought. "How hard can this be?"

The answer is, "very." Shooting the video wasn't too bad, but then it was time to edit. This is where I learned all about audio tracks and B roll, and about how pretty much every single video editing software is better than the iMovie that I have.

Then I attended some seminars. At first, I was a little apprehensive about sitting in a conference with a bunch of professional journalists. I felt young and old at the same time -- younger and less experienced than all the reporters in the room, but old in that just a few years I might be one of these people. But then I realized these reporters are here for the same reason I am: to learn about the constantly changing world of journalism.

And learn I did. The first presentation I attended was called "Social Networking." The speaker, Lauren McCullough, was the AP Manager of Social Networks and News Engagement. . . and only 27 years old. But she knew so much. She explained to us that social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare are no longer "fads," but they are shifts on how the world communicates.

The more I think about it, the more I realized this is completely true. With all the bad reputation Facebook gets with its "stalkers" and indecent photos, it's still becoming increasingly popular with news organizations, companies and markets. Even my Dad has a Facebook. So you can make fun of active Facebook and Twitter users all you want, but let's be honest: What do you check every time you log on to your computer?

"Sites will come and go, but the concepts behind social networks are here to stay," McCullough said.

I also learned that even e-mail is starting to become obsolete. There's just faster ways of communicating now. Why send an e-mail when you can Tweet it? After talking to various reporters, I learned most of them had both Facebook and Twitter accounts. I've signed up for Twitter, but I must confess: I've never Tweeted once, and I honestly don't really know how. These moms and dads are more techy than I am.

All of these things were right in front of me, but I hadn't realized how big of an impact they are making on society until today.

Then this morning, Wendy Warren, the vice president of online newspaper Philly.com, spoke to us about journalism on the web. "Another sore subject," I thought. . .until I realized that this was something journalists are actually getting excited about. At school, my friends keep warning me that print journalism is dying. "Change your major!" they'd warn.

But now I've been opened up to so many opportunities. Think about it -- an article on a website can go up immediately. You can add pictures, videos and links in minutes. And if you make a mistake, you can edit it right away.

As Wendy Warren puts it, "What you can build and what you can create for journalism online dwarfs what you can do in print."

So there it is. I still have oodles to learn, but at least now my eyes are open and I have a head start. Looks like if I want to keep up with the world, I'll have to become a Tweetie.

Is this for me? Heck yea!

2010-05-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

As I look around my hotel room what do I see? A gorgeous view of the nighlife in Harrisburg. A 36 inch flat screen television, and I'm laying in a queen size bed with (I'm sure) 1,000 thread- count egyptian cotton sheets.

Ok- maybe not, but It's the Hilton! Here I am, a middle-class girl who has only stayed at a Motel 6 staying at a four-star hotel. The point to all of this is that I am realizing how amazing this opportunity is.

We have been asked to work(understatement) as an intern at this press conference for 2 and a half days. We are covering a wide variety of topics, mostly pertaining to the conference in some way or another. Today alone, I did five interviews and have been writng, shooting and editing video, and networking all day.

People always ask, "Do you have a plan B?" I respond to them with- "um- not really, I love journalism, why give it up just because it's changing?"

I think that you need to stick with what you love to do. I love journalism and every aspect of it. Today I thought about how wonderful it was to meet all the great editors of the AP and also PA's finest editors and reporters.

When we asked a few professionals about how they deal with the changing industry, most of them said they think the change is good. The social networks have improved their amount of resources to use for stories and has established a great way to network and build/ find contacts.

So- what other job can I "b.s." with people all day, eat for free, and enjoy every moment of what i'm doing? Well- so far I havn't found it.

Go Journalism!

A Lesson in Flexibility

2010-05-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it's nearing 1 a.m. here in our makeshift newsroom in the Harrisburg Hilton, and there's still plenty of work to be done.

I think I can speak for all of the interns when I say that one of the biggest lessons we've learned today is to be flexible. Gathering audio files, photos and video has been, for the most part, a breeze. The difficulty has been editing these files.

Exhibit A: Videos. We've been using digital cameras and Flip Video Camcorders to tape interviews and sessions. Most of us are working on computers running Windows, and are therefore using Movie Maker to edit and touch-up our work.

In order for a video to work in Movie Maker we need to convert them to .avi format. Gotcha. But, the cameras produce videos that are .mpg4 files. Problem. To solve this, we downloaded MPEG Streamclip.

So now, we have our videos edited to out liking in Movie Maker. The only way for us to export the project is to "publish" it, which outputs a .wmv format…problematic, yet again.

After downloading multiple converters only to fund out you really do have to pay for them or there will be a giant watermark in the middle of the video, I finally stumbled upon an online converter.

So, a one minute video took about 25 minutes or so to edit. Not bad. However, this 1 minute video took about three hours total to convert. The result? The same video I was looking at hours ago, a hard drive full of useless programs and a new appreciation for people who deal with this on a daily basis.

So, today's technological adventures reminded me to roll with the punches. Sometimes that assignment that "will be done before dinner, no problem," will, in all actuality, not be done until well after midnight. Though it may be frustrating to fight with technology, the website survived the delay just fine, and we're better prepared for tomorrow's projects.

Mission accomplished.

Avoiding Breaking the Bank

2010-05-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

For breakfast interns are forced to fend for themselves, but I’ve already rummaged around the area for some cheap starters.

Inside the hotel’s computer room hides a fresh coffee station from 7 AM till 3 PM every weekday. Although the joe was lukewarm and a little watered down it was completely complimentary, a term any college intern can appreciate. Yesterday I stopped into the CVS around the corner from the Hilton to pick up a box of Quaker granola bars which are not only satisfying, but work well as an on-the-go snack. I’ll be on the lookout for more money saving tips and will be sure to post my findings.

An Unexpected Guest

2010-05-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

Even though the prestigious Hilton hotel in the state's capital might seem safe, it wasn't enough to keep unwanted guests out of some Hilton residents' room.

Just a few hours after falling asleep from a long day of traveling to Harrisburg, PSNE intern Elissa Hartmann woke up suddenly after hearing her hotel room's door open.

Elissa looked around, realizing that both of her fellow internship roommates were still in bed.

Elissa turned to look at me, as I had also awoken confused from the loud entrance.

A young man, who seemed in his mid 20s, was standing at the door in basketball shorts and a white T-shirt, returning the same confused look to both of us sitting up on our beds.

"Umm, I think you have the wrong room," was all I had managed to say.

Fortunately, the man simply said "Oh," and retreated from the doorway.

"It ruined my sleep," Elissa said. "I couldn't fall back asleep, and I thought it was really weird."

Chelsey Klube, our third roommate, stayed sound asleep and was glad to hear that both of her roommates had been woken up.

"We have a lot of equipment in the hotel room -- laptops, recorders, cameras -- and I know that we all have cash on us," Chelsey said. "He could have come in and helped himself to anything."

After doing some research, I found that Harrisburg has the highest violent-crime rate among all Pennsylvania cities. But it also has one of the highest number of police officers per capita of any of the state's cities. So, coming from my apartment in State College, Pa., which in 2009 was voted the safest city in America, I had never thought to prepare to protect myself.

The point is, we must always be on the lookout. Although we were fortunate enough that our unexpected visitor was probably a drunk college kid who stumbled in the wrong room, I might not be so lucky next time. Everybody makes mistakes -- and in this case a faulty Hilton keycard was at fault.

To most, it would be deemed "unacceptable" for a hotel's security system to make such a blunder -- and there is truth in such a statement. But then again, we also had forgotten to lock the door, which would have immediately prevented such an incident (and allowed Elissa a better night's sleep.) An act like this would make my mother shudder, and I'd get a slap on the wrist for being so naive.

So while our newspaper internship will continue to teach us about the new types of technology that are entering our media, we still need to rely on our human wit and never assume that computers can completely take over. We still should also keep in mind to never throw our common sense out the window.

Meet the Interns

2010-05-14T07:46:00.003-07:00

Five students from Pennsylvania universities are serving as interns for the 2010 Online Reporter project. Read all about them.

The Beginning

2010-05-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

The first day has ended, the deadlines are set and the chaos has commenced.

Our first PSNE Online Reporter staff meeting was a brief introduction to each intern and editor. The rest of the meeting entailed dishing out the assignments and discussing possible story ideas. It was great to finally meet everyone in person after months of e-mail exchanges and Google searches of each other’s biographies.

Good luck to everyone. This is going to be an exciting weekend.

Welcome to Harrisburg

2010-05-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

The PNA's online publications interns are sharing their anecdotes around and about the 2010 Pennsylvania Press Conference.