A career beginning

I’ve considered orientation as a beginning not only to my internship but also to the rest of my journalism career. From seminars on multimedia to messages about our differences, I’ve learned information that will help me during my internship. Before orientation, I had no idea if I was prepared for working in a daily newsroom. After the seminars and workshops, I think I’m ready.

I can’t wait to get started on the great story ideas I have. I’m also looking forward to working with the staff of the Times Daily in Florence, Ala., as well as talking with the people of Florence about what makes their community great. I’m excited, but I also have to admit I’m nervous. In the end, I think the nervousness and anticipation will give way to an enjoyable 10 weeks.

Creative juices flowing

I love to be creative and whenever I can I try to search for ways to inject creativity into my stories. When I saw the examples of audio and video stories by individuals such as Sam Riche, photojournalist for The Indianapolis Star, I was inspired (and encouraged) to leap out of my comfort zone and try my hand at writing a story using multimedia tools. I will have to learn numerous software programs, such as Final Cut Express and Audacity, to create these great projects, and I know they will take a while to master. But it will definitely be worth it.
After the presentation by Val Hoeppner, manager of multimedia education at the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, my creative juices are flowing around how to use multimedia to make my stories interesting. For instance, for online readers, I can add new information to a print article instead of simply republishing it online. Stories can also be accompanied by photo galleries, graphics or videos to keep the reader engaged.