Journalism versus The World

It’s been years since I felt the passion, the excitement for this career field called journalism. Last night, the bug bit me again.

After a screening of Page One: A Year at the New York Times, we had guest lecturer David Barstow — a two-time Pulitzer prize winner and reporter at the New York Times.

“To those just getting into this field, you are picking up the cause at a time when people are asking journalists, ‘Are you nuts?’ “

He told us that we journalists are around to ask the tough questions and hold people accountable.

“You are picking up the torch. You are picking up the idea of journalism because, for some reason, you were drawn to this idea of an individual wanting to find the truth — be a questioning, skeptical press,” Barstow said.

He laid it out. Unlike his career where he can spend two years on one piece we are in a time when newspaper jobs are low. When stories lack depth because the financial backing isn’t around any longer.

He made me happy to be at my place in life. I keep teetering over where to go with my life: public relations? marketing? advertising? small business owner? journalism?

“We need you, we need you, we desperately need you,” Barstow said. “Even in the smallest community you’re needed. They may hate you but you need to be at the school board meetings, the city council meeting. You’re important to this country.”

(I think Mr. Barstow concluded this post perfectly.)

‘Aw, play it Pee Wee’

The pain of losing an elderly person is nothing compared to that of a young person. They’ve lived their lives fully, experienced all there is to experience and some of the special one’s will share those experiences with others.

Pee Wee Moultrie was one of the special ones.

You may not realize you know the name, but how about the name Hank Williams? Yeah, I thought so.

Peewee was one of the first to sing alongside the famous country singer as a Drifting Cowboy – check Wikipedia, he’ll be there. A few months ago a new Hank Williams CD was put out featuring Peewee and his accordion and last month I had the honor of sitting down to talk to him.

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He hadn’t heard the song in more than 70 years, but as the music played a smile took over his face as he mouthed every word of the songs.

He loved Hank. They were best friends and Pee Wee knew Hank would be famous one day. He was right.

Lately, Peewee didn’t adventure out of his house much.But when he did it went out to play his accordion.

His daughters told me music was more than a hobby, it was his life. He filled his home and life with it.

When I was speaking to him we sat in a room covered with photos of Moultrie from his years playing, singing and all the Hank Williams memorabilia you could think of.

He was proud of his legacy as being a part of Hank Williams and the Drifting Cowboys.

Thank you Pee Wee for your music, your passion and your words. You will be missed.

Exciting New Opportunity

That’s what my editor told me, he has an “exciting, new opportunity for me.”

I will be attending a meeting Monday to discuss this new and exciting (like how I switched them around so it seems like there are new and exciting adjectives!?) opportunity I’ve been given.

What is it?

Well, it’s in the premature stages to say the least. Monday’s meeting will be to discuss the vision everyone has for a website my company has owned that through the tough times fell by the wayside.

Now, they want to breathe new life into it. They want to make it a site that contributes to this community. They want to make some money.

And they want me to do it.

That’s right, they want to take me off the police beat and have me do general assignment part time and work on this website the rest of my time.

I have no clue what this means for the future, but it’s an opportunity to spread my wings and take on some leadership.

As for now it’s all just a discussion, but hopefully it will soon become a reality!

p.s. When you go on a vacation what are some things you look for when you’re searching the internet? I want suggestions!

Newspaper meet Social Media

Yep, my newspaper is getting in on the social media and I don’t know how I feel about it.

I’ve been on Facebook since I got into college, that’s back when you needed an academic email address to join. Twitter I was more resistant with, but I joined the beginning of 2010.

Now, I’m being forced to sit through two-hour long seminars explaining the in’s and out’s. I can’t help but think its a waste of time.

I am, however, excited that we’re finally jumping on the band wagon. New York Times has been on Twitter since 2007.

What’s challenging is how to use social media. I know how to use both professionally (wanna follow me on Twitter? Do it!)

Professionally is a whole other story. I don’t know when to tweet about stories and when to wait.

I try to use Facebook to get sources, but its not always a guarantee. This new world for newspapers confuses and excites.

Anyone thinking about jumping into this world who isn’t well versed in all things social media better hurry. A new wave is coming.

Growing up

This month I turned 25. For many this doesn’t seem like an old age but it feels old, or at least older.

If you would have asked me five years ago if 25 was old, I’d have said yes. Then if you’d continue to bug 20-year-old me and asked where I’d be, I’m betting where I’m at wouldn’t have even been an option.

At 20 I was a junior in college and set my sights on reporting the news at the New York Times. I was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the journalism community.

Not only that, but on my to-do list at 25 was to be engaged. I’m not even dating right now.

I was going to be away from my home town making a name for myself and planning my grown-up future.

Now, though, I’m living in an apartment where I can hear my chain-smoking neighbor coughing up from my bathroom. I rarely make my bed and I vacuumed for the first time since moving in this weekend.

I’m working at a local newspaper where on more than one occasion I have had to escape to the bathroom for a quick cry because of the place, the people, the pain I see.

I’m back in school. I did some quick math and, at the pace I’m going, figured I won’t be done with my graduate degree until I’m 28. That’s depressing.

I guess I thought life would just jump-start with age. But it’s still me with the same attitude, lack of future plans and same amount of responsibility.

The only change seems to be that every morning I’m checking the mirror waiting for the day when the first gray hair sneaks in.

Death … I’m Getting Existential

Yeah, I’m creepy. Existential Angel is taking over this blog post.

I was driving to work today and looked at the semi who had punched the brakes to make the stop where my car was resting. Death is right there, you know.

I don’t mean to bring people down but when you write about death every day it gets you thinking, you know.

I used to be afraid of facing the unknown. Not so much anymore, I’m pretty solid in my faith and my belief that beyond this life is a greater existence for me.

But the unknown is still scary. Let’s face it, no one likes facing the unfamiliar.

I say all this to say, at the end of this week I’ll be interviewing the family of a woman who was murdered a month ago.

I don’t know if I’ve ever talked with someone in this type of scenario so soon after the incident.

There is no investigation into her death, just questions. The woman’s husband killed her and killed himself.

Their divorce would have been finalized three days after the incident.

So now, creepy Angel arises and all she thinks about is how short this life is. I’m not getting cheesy, but its true.

This thing we’re all doing, it’s short. I’m not going to tell you to live every moment like its your last, I certainly don’t.

Just appreciate the fact that you get the day. I’ve talked to too many families facing death to not appreciate what God has given me today.

Have a good day!

Paranoia Activity

I’ve told you before about my tendency to take my job home with me. As of late, though, I’m starting to realize just how paranoid I’ve become.

Grant it, my paranoia started long before my journalism career. My father, bless his heart, is not a calm soul.

In elementary school I wanted to join a soccer team, he told me it was too dangerous. In 8th grade I joined a cheerleading squad, he told me I was going to be killed. Even now, at 24, he asks me to call him when I get to my apartment.

I love my father. His paranoia is his way of showing me he cares, but alas,  its caught on. He relishes in the fact that I’m more paranoid than he is now.

When a member of my family doesn’t pick up their cell phones I think they’ve been killed in a car accident.

When my parents should be home and I can’t get them on the phone there’s a house fire.

When I go for a run and stop at an area park I watch the lone man in his car with definite certainty that he is a drug dealer.

The garbage man is a serial killer, the neighbor is cooking meth and every authority figure is up to no good.

I don’t love this, but it’s my new life. I am overly cautious and fairly certain most people are out to get me. Sadly for them, I am always alert.

I’m Calling Dibs

Scan this and watch the magic happen!

I’m calling it now. That’s right, you heard it here folks. I, Angel, know the future of the newspaper industry.

I’m writing this down because years from now when I’m right and bragging about this, I don’t want to hear anybody try and tell me I’m lying.

I knew/(since it’s the future)know this will be happening!

Ever heard of a little thing called QR coding? It’s pretty ingenious. It’s a code that, when scanned, can link you through your smart phone directly to a website.

As a newspaper gal, I see this hitting the papers in a big way.

At the bottom of stories you can link directly to the extras such as video, slideshows and documents. The paper’s page views will increase and we can bring in the younger generation.

I’m telling you, this will happen. I wonder if by writing this I’ll be up for any of the profits? Dibs on that too!

To end, I will leave you with a little office email that went through last week. Why, you may ask, am I doing this — because it’s about me and I got an amazing kudos.

This way, years from now, when the great people in this industry are reviewing THIS BLOG they will also see I worked really hard at least once while at my newspaper.

I know, I’m too smart for my own good!

Here goes:

Victory is Mine!

I feel like Rosa Parks, like the soldiers in the Battle of Thermopylae, like anybody in history who stood up for what they believed in and won the battle.

OK, so my battle was nothing like what Rosa Parks’ went through and unlike the Battle of Thermopylae my only weapon is a pen and paper, but yesterday was a day of victory for this small-town reporter.

About a month ago I asked for a table. WAIT, I know you already want to stop reading but this will get good — I PROMISE!

I went through every hoop and loop imaginable including getting a lecture from my editor about requesting a small, insignificant side table to put arrest reports on to having the publisher come up or send one of his minions up to weigh the pros and cons of giving me a table.

One month later, I have a table.

Isn’t it beautiful? Doesn’t it make you just want to swoon? Me too!

It is a stupid battle, but its the first one I’ve won around here. It feels good to see that something I ask for because it is needed came true — and that’s because I annoyed the heck out of everybody to get it.

And look, it matches my desk!

… alright, I lied. It wasn’t that interesting, but I’m just so darn excited!

My Little Pony

Posting a photo of “My Little Pony” may seem odd but it will all make sense if you just bear with me.

I’m taking a course called “Advanced Leadership” where we learn various leadership theories how CEOs work versus other CEOs and study other great leaders — Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, FDR — to try to get a glimpse at what made/makes them great leaders.

My teacher presented a scenario to us, she asked what we think of having the perfect job. What job would that be?

I’m not a cynical person but my mouth opened and before I could stop it I blurted out, “This seems like ‘My Little Pony.’ There’s no way everyone can be 100 percent happy wherever they are. It’s not possible.”

My professor then went on to tell the class about her great love for students, academia and everything she is involved in. It sounded nice but the journalist in me questioned her.

Later, we went on to look more closely into companies like Google and Zappos — these successful business give their workers perks, desire creativity and reinforce hard work.

I wanted to do a simple reader-submitted slide show and was told by every person who works over me that it was a.) a terrible idea b.) no one would submit c.) no one would care.

Despite that I asked if I could do it on my own, in between stories — the only pain they would get from it was seeing my constant posts on Facebook and in the breaking news box.

After begging, pleading and soliciting, I got multiple photos and the slide show generated more than 30,000 page views. How do you like me now?

Studying these great leaders and the methods that put the bottom of the barrel employees at the top of the pyramid rather than the big man seems like Wonderland to me.

But maybe, just maybe, it’s possible.

Here’s a look at the top 100 places to work >>