Sarah Hutchins | Oct. 18, 2009
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| Photo by Shanna Rottinger |
| Jim Parham of Hirons and Company and Tina Cosby of WISH-TV were two panelists who spoke to students Friday. Cosby advised students to be organized, while Parham stressed the importance of good writing skills. |
Panelists included Jim Parham of Hirons and Company; Andrea Murray, managing editor of the Herald-Times; and Tina Cosby, community affairs director and anchor at WISH-TV in Indianapolis. They presented information to Career Services Director Marcia Debnam’s J492 Media Internships class and any other students who wanted to attend.
All three panelists emphasized reporting, writing and organization as crucial skills for journalists about to enter the job market.
"Basically, the skills I use every day are the same as what I used 20 years ago," Cosby said.
The WISH-TV anchor remembers a college class where the professor asked students to write a voiceover in the final two minutes of class. She said the experience provided great training for her work as a professional journalist.
"In any newsroom, it is like that," Cosby said. "You have to have yourself organized so you can summarize and meet deadlines. If you’re not organized, you’re going to fall and get washed away."
Murray said the skills necessary for a strong job candidate have changed over the years. Today, print journalists need to be able to do more than type.
"Now, the key skills are being able to listen, manage your time, communicate, recall and organize," Murray said. "It’s not just about print anymore, but being able to know what people are talking about with new media. You have to be fearless with this blast of new stuff."
The best job candidates can both write and report. While Murray said she values reporters over writers, Cosby acknowledged the importance of being able to translate raw data into digestible news.
"As I’m gathering, I’m writing," Cosby said. "How do I do a stand up if I’m not writing in my head? If you can’t communicate it effectively, what good is it?"
"But the raw data has to be there for you to get it on the news report," Murray chimed in.
Public relations professionals also need to be strong information gatherers and communicators. Parham, who works as an adjunct lecturer in the School of Journalism in addition to serving as chief operating officer of Hirons and Company, said the quality of student writing—especially grammar—concerns him.
"The computer only goes so far," Parham said, referring to tools such as spell check.
All three panelists acknowledged the importance of being able to do a little but of everything. Parham said students interested in public relations should be well versed in news and pop culture in order to handle a diverse set of clients. Print reporters need to understand new
media. In broadcast, Cosby said reporters are expected to post all of their stories online and use social networking Web sites.
"We’re trying to play catch up to CNN and cable news networks," Cosby said. "Gone are the days when people sit down and watch TV when you tell them to. If local TV is to remain, it’s going to have to adapt and adapt quickly."
Understanding the adjustments each field is experiencing will be crucial for journalism students about to enter the job market.
Like broadcast, traditional print publications are experimenting with 24-hour news platform. The advent of online reporting has forced newspapers to abandon a traditional news cycle.
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| Photo by Shanna Rottinger |
| Andrea Murray of the Herald-Times said new college graduates won’t get full-time reporting jobs, but would be considered for other posts. "You have to be realistic about what’s out there," she said. |
Murray said young reporters should expect to work weekend and nightshifts to keep up with these changes.
When it comes to searching for a job, all three panelists advised students to look for small media outlets. Murray said while the Herald-Times doesn’t hire new college graduates for full-time reporting jobs, those new journalists would be considered for lower level assignments.
"You have to be realistic about what’s out there," Murray said. "You’ll have experience if you start lower."
Parham acknowledged the difficulties of getting a first job.
"It’s a Catch-22," he said. "You need experience to get a job and you need a job to get experience."
Graduates should be willing to go anywhere, for any salary, when they start out, Cosby said. If companies require a certain amount of experience, she said, it’s because they mean it.
"Give yourself an opportunity to grow," Cosby said. "It’s all about mind over matter."
