Students mingled with alumni Feb. 24 during the reception, then headed out in smaller groups the next day to check out the Chicago media scene. They visited newspapers, public relations firms and broadcast outlets. Below are their reports on what they learned.
Chicago Magazine
By Stephanie Doctrow
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| Photo by Thomas Miller |
| Freshman Mark Felix takes a look at a rack of Chicago Magazine covers while visiting the magazine Friday. |
Chicago Magazine’s associate editor, Jennifer Wehunt, and assistant dining editor, Lena Singer, met with our group in the magazine’s 11th floor office in Tribune Tower. We discussed the challenges of putting together a magazine while dealing with a rocky economy and changing technology.
Both editors talked about the varying roles they and their coworkers take on at the magazine. Most of the staff edits, writes, pitches stories, blogs, and works on social media and multimedia projects.
“The common denominator is that we all wear a lot of hats,” Wehunt said.
Web editor Esther Kang spoke about the magazine’s Web strategy. She said the magazine’s website draws a different, younger crowd from the magazine, so the stories and tone are adjusted accordingly.
Wehunt, Singer and the other editors who visited our group shared their backgrounds and reminded us of the various paths journalists can take after college. Some staff members went on to graduate school, some started working right away, and one even worked on Capitol Hill before realizing he wanted to be a journalist.
The staff of Chicago Magazine also shared their tips for getting into the magazine’s internship program and impressing employers: always throw out ideas, keep updating your skills, make yourself invaluable, always say yes to every assignment, and ask what else you can do.
Wehunt reminded us of the importance of persistence. She said she is working on a story now for an upcoming issue that she originally pitched four years ago.
This advice was especially fitting for the timing of our trip. In the season of internship hunting, rejection after rejection can be exhausting and make you question if journalism is really the path for you. But Wehunt, Singer and the rest of Chicago Magazine staff reminded us that by being persistent and by working on technological skills now while we’re still in school, we can equip ourselves the best that we can for a successful career.
“The common denominator is that we all wear a lot of hats,” Wehunt said.
Web editor Esther Kang spoke about the magazine’s Web strategy. She said the magazine’s website draws a different, younger crowd from the magazine, so the stories and tone are adjusted accordingly.
Wehunt, Singer and the other editors who visited our group shared their backgrounds and reminded us of the various paths journalists can take after college. Some staff members went on to graduate school, some started working right away, and one even worked on Capitol Hill before realizing he wanted to be a journalist.
The staff of Chicago Magazine also shared their tips for getting into the magazine’s internship program and impressing employers: always throw out ideas, keep updating your skills, make yourself invaluable, always say yes to every assignment, and ask what else you can do.
Wehunt reminded us of the importance of persistence. She said she is working on a story now for an upcoming issue that she originally pitched four years ago.
This advice was especially fitting for the timing of our trip. In the season of internship hunting, rejection after rejection can be exhausting and make you question if journalism is really the path for you. But Wehunt, Singer and the rest of Chicago Magazine staff reminded us that by being persistent and by working on technological skills now while we’re still in school, we can equip ourselves the best that we can for a successful career.
Chicago Sun-Times
By Lindsey Erdody
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| Photo by Belle Kim |
| Students observe a story meeting at the Chicago Sun-Times. |
Managing editor Andrew Herrmann echoed Barron’s message as he told about his journey through college. He started working in radio, interned at a newspaper, then worked for the student newspaper.
“I was trying to put as many flags in the ground as I could,” Herrmann said. “Studying journalism as an undergrad is not a passive thing.”
A quick show of hands in the room showed that the majority of students were already following their advice and working for the Indiana Daily Student.
Former IDS editor-in-chief and Sun-Times assistant managing editor Jack Barry also shared advice: develop strong news judgment, be able to write headlines and know several Web languages, such as HTML and CSS.
Herrmann and Barry agreed their jobs aren’t the regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. occupations, but both seemed to love what they do.
One student asked how they manage not to be jagged with a six-day workweek, sometimes seven. Herrmann bluntly said he talks to people with boring jobs. He said journalism is one of the few careers that can pass the “party test.” He described it as being able to tell someone at a party you’re a journalist, and they are still interested and ask you more questions. With other jobs, this doesn’t happen as much.
After listening to the professional’s advice, we sat in on a budget meeting and toured the newsroom with IU alumna and arts editor Laura Emerick. We spoke with a few other Sun-Times employees, including another IU graduate, Eric White, who is the deputy sports editor and design director.
Current IDS editor-in-chief and junior Jake Wright said he enjoyed visiting a newsroom filled with IU grads.
“It was a great opportunity to not only meet IU journalism alums, but also to see what they have achieved,” Wright said.
A quick show of hands in the room showed that the majority of students were already following their advice and working for the Indiana Daily Student.
Former IDS editor-in-chief and Sun-Times assistant managing editor Jack Barry also shared advice: develop strong news judgment, be able to write headlines and know several Web languages, such as HTML and CSS.
Herrmann and Barry agreed their jobs aren’t the regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. occupations, but both seemed to love what they do.
One student asked how they manage not to be jagged with a six-day workweek, sometimes seven. Herrmann bluntly said he talks to people with boring jobs. He said journalism is one of the few careers that can pass the “party test.” He described it as being able to tell someone at a party you’re a journalist, and they are still interested and ask you more questions. With other jobs, this doesn’t happen as much.
After listening to the professional’s advice, we sat in on a budget meeting and toured the newsroom with IU alumna and arts editor Laura Emerick. We spoke with a few other Sun-Times employees, including another IU graduate, Eric White, who is the deputy sports editor and design director.
Current IDS editor-in-chief and junior Jake Wright said he enjoyed visiting a newsroom filled with IU grads.
“It was a great opportunity to not only meet IU journalism alums, but also to see what they have achieved,” Wright said.
Chicago Tribune
By Michael Auslen
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| Photo by Charles Scudder |
| At the Chicago Tribune, alumnus and associate managing editor for investigations George Papajohn shows students how the newspaper has changed visually over time. |
Students asked the professionals about finding jobs and internships as well as questions related to their own journalistic endeavors. Some students asked for advice about improving the Indiana Daily Student’s online product.
“Social media has become a really big mission for us,” said Mark LeBien, digital coordinator for news.
He said the Tribune has started to focus more on communicating breaking news online, which means keeping reporters at the breaking news desk 24 hours a day.
The group’s main guide, IU alumnus George Papajohn, assistant managing editor for projects, said the newspaper also focuses on making raw information more accessible to the public in the form of online databases.
“Let’s share the information,” he said. “Is there a way to let people search for what’s going on near their home?”
Much of this work is done through computer aided reporting techniques. A team compiles information as databases that can be mined for leads to trends and other indicators for a story.
Junior Journalism Ambassador MJ Slaby said she was impressed by the support reporters have in using new forms of information gathering.
“I really like the amount of resources it seems like Tribune reporters have,” Slaby said.
Papajohn also discussed the Tribune’s decision to print a tabloid street edition to compete with the Chicago Sun-Times and the paper’s recent redesign, which gave it a more visually-oriented front page.
“He talked a lot about where the paper’s gone recently and what to expect in the future,” said Patrick McGill, a freshman Ernie Pyle Scholar. “I learned a lot.”
He said the Tribune has started to focus more on communicating breaking news online, which means keeping reporters at the breaking news desk 24 hours a day.
The group’s main guide, IU alumnus George Papajohn, assistant managing editor for projects, said the newspaper also focuses on making raw information more accessible to the public in the form of online databases.
“Let’s share the information,” he said. “Is there a way to let people search for what’s going on near their home?”
Much of this work is done through computer aided reporting techniques. A team compiles information as databases that can be mined for leads to trends and other indicators for a story.
Junior Journalism Ambassador MJ Slaby said she was impressed by the support reporters have in using new forms of information gathering.
“I really like the amount of resources it seems like Tribune reporters have,” Slaby said.
Papajohn also discussed the Tribune’s decision to print a tabloid street edition to compete with the Chicago Sun-Times and the paper’s recent redesign, which gave it a more visually-oriented front page.
“He talked a lot about where the paper’s gone recently and what to expect in the future,” said Patrick McGill, a freshman Ernie Pyle Scholar. “I learned a lot.”
Digitas
By Kristen Ditsch
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| Photo by Eunice Ntiamoah |
| Senior Stephanie Kuschel checks out some of Digitas' work. |
As we stepped off the elevator, the dozen students who had chosen to tour Chicago’s digitally-focused PR and marketing firm, Digitas, were mesmerized by the fast-paced and modern feel of the youthful firm.
“I really liked the atmosphere at Digitas. Not every company has Razor scooters for employees to ride around the office. They definitely wanted to inspire creativity,” said senior Katie Fay.
Students met with four staff members from different departments who provided insight into the day-to-day operations of PR firms, their own personal experiences in the field, and their tips on how to get a job.
Several talked about the importance of having a solid interest in the jobs you apply for and ensuring you have made an effort to get experience in that area prior to graduation. They also suggested researching the company you are applying to, learning about its clients and the changes in the industry it may be dealing with.
Last, the professionals advised maintaining a global perspective and getting global experience prior to graduation to help assimilate in an increasingly global marketplace.
Weber Shandwick
By Elvia Malagon
Last week during the ambassador Chicago trip, I visited the dark side.
It’s the world that many diehard print journalists like myself swear we will never go into: Public relations.
Yet, I found myself at the Weber Shandwick public relations firm on Friday morning. I thought I would hear some small detail that would prove that all the stereotypes associated with public relations are correct and justify me being able to yell a loud “I knew it!”
On the contrary, I found three friendly Indiana University alumni who talked to us about their experiences of getting a job within the firm.
I was surprised by how many everyday products such as McCormick, Suave and Snickers are represented by the firm. In addition to consumer goods, the firm also represents companies from the corporate sector, healthcare and digital.
The pros said they like to think of themselves as advocates for the companies they represent.
The international aspect of Weber Shandwick caught my attention. The firm has 129 locations around the world. Some of the people who work out of the Chicago
office also work with people in other offices such as Singapore.
I was surprised by the office environment. Many of the people who work in the office were young and laid back.
The three former IU students all had interned at the firm before eventually being hired. They found that the internship prepared them for their jobs at Weber Shandwick.
One explained that Weber Shandwick offers a 16-week internship for college graduates. Unlike some internships, this one is offered year around. This means that they take interns at all times.
I’m still interested in writing and reporting, but I learned that public relations firms aren’t bad like everyone makes it out to seem. The people were very friendly and are at the end of the day representing their clients.
On the contrary, I found three friendly Indiana University alumni who talked to us about their experiences of getting a job within the firm.
I was surprised by how many everyday products such as McCormick, Suave and Snickers are represented by the firm. In addition to consumer goods, the firm also represents companies from the corporate sector, healthcare and digital.
The pros said they like to think of themselves as advocates for the companies they represent.
The international aspect of Weber Shandwick caught my attention. The firm has 129 locations around the world. Some of the people who work out of the Chicago
office also work with people in other offices such as Singapore.
I was surprised by the office environment. Many of the people who work in the office were young and laid back.
The three former IU students all had interned at the firm before eventually being hired. They found that the internship prepared them for their jobs at Weber Shandwick.
One explained that Weber Shandwick offers a 16-week internship for college graduates. Unlike some internships, this one is offered year around. This means that they take interns at all times.
I’m still interested in writing and reporting, but I learned that public relations firms aren’t bad like everyone makes it out to seem. The people were very friendly and are at the end of the day representing their clients.
WLS-TV and ABC7 Studios
By Lauryn Quick
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| Photo by Thomas Miller |
| IU journalism students check out the view from the anchor desk at Chicago's ABC affiliate, Channel 7. |
The bassist was recording the theme of an upcoming show; the students were crowded behind the polished anchor desk, posing for pictures and stolen glances from pedestrians passing by the open-windowed studio.
A collection of junior and senior School of Journalism Ambassadors and freshmen Ernie Pyle Scholars toured ABC’s State Street studio during a Feb. 24-25 networking trip to Chicago. Led by producer Elsa Ruiz Claveria, the students wandered through partially-constructed sets for programs in production, a bustling newsroom littered with yellow tapes from recent onsite reporting and a directing room lit by 40 screens and run by one employee.
Claveria directed the group to a sunshine yellow conference room, fielding questions that ranged from the growing gender gap in journalism to the tricks to land an internship. Anecdotes from her experience as the studio’s internship coordinator littered the conversation: A picky eater interning for a food critic, the sheltered intern thrown into a high-crime rate neighborhood to cover an assault, and a politically-inclined intern earning the respect of one of the station’s lead anchors. Each tale offered a morsel of advice while emphasizing the true motivations for becoming a journalist.
Claveria told of one anchor who for five years refused to take on an intern. After an unsatisfactory experience with one intern who cared more for personal aesthetics than the story she was covering, the anchor got angry. Claveria recounted the words: “I can’t tell you how to wear your hair. I can’t tell you how to wear your make¬-up. I can’t tell you what clothes to wear. I can tell you how to be a great writer, a great producer, and a great reporter.”
For Claveria, this anchor’s declaration underscored the essential lesson for today’s journalism students. As journalism jobs are less plentiful, those who want to enter the field must be dedicated to storytelling, not driven by ego.
As the students walked from the studio’s main lobby and gazed in reverence as they passed the open-windowed newsroom, some seemed to be taking this message to heart.
Claveria directed the group to a sunshine yellow conference room, fielding questions that ranged from the growing gender gap in journalism to the tricks to land an internship. Anecdotes from her experience as the studio’s internship coordinator littered the conversation: A picky eater interning for a food critic, the sheltered intern thrown into a high-crime rate neighborhood to cover an assault, and a politically-inclined intern earning the respect of one of the station’s lead anchors. Each tale offered a morsel of advice while emphasizing the true motivations for becoming a journalist.
Claveria told of one anchor who for five years refused to take on an intern. After an unsatisfactory experience with one intern who cared more for personal aesthetics than the story she was covering, the anchor got angry. Claveria recounted the words: “I can’t tell you how to wear your hair. I can’t tell you how to wear your make¬-up. I can’t tell you what clothes to wear. I can tell you how to be a great writer, a great producer, and a great reporter.”
For Claveria, this anchor’s declaration underscored the essential lesson for today’s journalism students. As journalism jobs are less plentiful, those who want to enter the field must be dedicated to storytelling, not driven by ego.
As the students walked from the studio’s main lobby and gazed in reverence as they passed the open-windowed newsroom, some seemed to be taking this message to heart.