observation about media

I noticed this week that for the first time in my life, the media is starting to appear finite. I used to view media as an infinite amount of information that could not possibly be compartmentalized or categorized.

As the weeks pass, and I spend more time reading media and delving into the New York Times website or Reuters or the Wall Street Journal, I am starting to understand the "finite-ness of media."

I'm still not sure my brain will ever be able to categorize or comprehend truly how much exists, but if I can get a grasp on the top players and move from there, media will continue to move beyond the nebulous mass of information that my brain once refused to categorize.

Sunday GA shift

I spent the better part of Sunday on General Assignment (GA) at the Missourian. I checked the MUPD's blotter for the first time. It was interesting to see that more than 10 people experienced varying degrees of crime on 9/5. Most of the incidents were thefts and DUIs.

I came back to the newsroom and reported on a police watchdog who had been arrested on Saturday night. Reporting on crimes, charges, arrests, etc. is nuanced. I need to learn how to report on crime more accurately. For example, how do I know when I should use: "the person was arrested on suspicion of charges," vs. "the person was arrested on charges of." I'm going to ask this question on my next GA shift. The ACE didn't really have time to get into it on Sunday.

The article is below:

Police watchdog activist arrested on suspicion of shooting gun at man

I wrote an obit on Sunday as well. It was sad to read the articles about his death and see the pictures of his family. He was only 9 years older than me. I've noticed that being a reporter really informs me about the community. I've only lived here for about five weeks, but I know so much about the community already. Even if it is sad news, it feels good to remember people for the impact they made.

Curtis Warner Jones Jr. left imprint on athletic department

to publish or not?

I spent the last part of my Wednesday GA shift writing an article about two men who rescued and returned an electric wheelchair to a disabled Columbia man. I used a press release and some interviews to piece together the details of the story. During an accuracy check, one of the men being honored told me the whole story, but asked that I not print it. It was an unexpected turn of events. The men's intentions were still honorable, but definitely complicated the story I had written. We decided not to go to print.

As I biked home that night, I remembered how the media used to prod and dig around the press releases I wrote for Medical Teams International. The reporters would inevitably rewrite my releases and would always question the information I provided. I remember feeling a little insulted that they would question the accuracy of the information I had provided them. I also remember thinking about the dizzying speed at which they fired off questions and turned around the content. As a communications person working for a disaster response NGO, I was used to tight deadlines, but the media world seemed to be on fast forward, even for me.

It's great to be on the other side of the press release and to finally realize that a good reporter always digs and pieces the information together on their own through a string of interviews and later, through an accuracy check.

The irony of this experience not lost on me. It took a reporting class for me to finally understand public relations.

These two fields are so closely linked, but without a background in journalism, it's no wonder I couldn't understand. If I do write press releases again, my expectations of journalists will be much different than they once were.

One of my professors suggested I write the woman who sent the release and provide her feedback. It's so liberating to provide that kind of feedback. Working for an organization like Medical Teams International sometimes demanded that I bite my tongue. But, journalism demands I provide feedback. It's liberating.

agreed

There's a great article from the New York Times about being busy (The 'Busy' Trap). Here's to the third week of school and trying not to be busy!

Mud Run

I spent yesterday morning and the early part of the afternoon watching people slosh through a muddy obstacle course. It was drizzling when I left the house, so I expected thunderstorms by the afternoon. I wondered how I would interview people in the rain. But, by noon, the clouds had cleared and the sun came out. The highlight of the day was avoiding the parking fee because we showed our Missourian press badges. I spent the next few hours interviewing children and adults about this wacky way to spend a Sunday. I watched kids throw paint at each other and their parents and realized I should have worn some different clothes.

The race director was on an adrenaline rush and obviously adored his work. He excitedly told me about how he puts on 80 races like this a year. But, this one, the Epic Mud Run, is his baby since it's so close to home. He spent a week building the start and even hauled in two large dumpsters for people to wade through near the end of the race. He told me I'm welcome to race next year and will be happy to give me a go-pro head camera so I can video the whole experience as I run. It sounded awesome and I wondered what readers would think.

I came away from the event covered in dust, but luckily, not any mud.

I headed to the newsroom and realized that one of the reasons I like journalism is the speedy thinking that's required. I had to make sense of a bundle of notes and pick out the most pertinent details in a matter of minutes. It was fun to build the story, introduce the characters and follow them through the race. Ted, the ACE, called before the event and suggested I follow one character through the event instead of including a bunch of information from many people. It was a different take than the Boone Dawdle, so I decided to try it. Unfortunately, it's tough to get good quotes from kids. I interviewed about 20 kids and only a few of them spoke to me in a way I could use for the article. I think it's partially that kids have short answers and partially that I need to practice my communication with children. I had a hard time with it in Turkmenistan and realized again, that I need to practice being in their shoes and speaking with them so that I'm on their level.

I was lucky to meet 11-year-old Lena Coon. She was reflective about the experience and eloquent.

I'm not sure if following one character or many makes the story stronger, but it was certainly interesting to realize that it's an option. I hadn't ever thought of it.

I enjoyed working with Ted and watching along as he made my article stronger. I look forward to strengthening my editing.

Runners trudge through sludge at Epic Mud Run

Getting to know the community

Last Monday, Caleb and I stood in front of Kaldi's Coffeeshop with a whiteboard. We wrote, "Who is the most interesting person you know in Columbia?" and "What is the most interesting thing happening in Columbia right now?" Only a few people engaged with us on their own. The rest, we asked to participate as they passed. Many were relieved to learn that we weren't selling anything, but once they learned what we were doing, about half didn't have time to stop. The people who did speak with us, gave us thoughtful answers and introduced us to new issues and people in the community. It was an interesting exercise and one that I would definitely try again.

Here are some of the names I received for Columbia's most interesting:

Dr. Nicole Monnier - Russian professor at MU
Matt Chapin - classmate of a local high schooler
TK Klein - street evangelist
Kim McDonald - turning her life around against the odds
Dale Basshan - Alley A owner
Eli Gay - owner of Cafe Berlin

I had the chance to be on the other side of the proverbial interview table last week. A gal from the Peace Corps' Midwest Office interviewed me about my service and my decision to attend grad school at Missouri.

When time was right, Peace Corps led to grad school at Mizzou for returned volunteer