#journalism tips

[claudiarying]

Oh my gosh I'm so glad that I discovered your account HAHA I'm planning on taking journalism/broadcasting too in the future, do you have posts/videos with maybe some tips that we can follow?

Thank you so much in advanced!! ❤😭

Hi there! Thank you for reaching out and asking!

I haven't made any posts/videos specific to journalism, but I can definitely give some pointers. Obviously this is all from my personal experience, but I hope it's helpful. I'm not in broadcasting, but I was an anchor, like, twice on my campus news channel. It was awesome.

1. experience, experience, experience Journalism is most definitely all about getting your feet wet. It's super important to be hands-on and get clips for your portfolio. I'm talking about your school paper, or just pitching stories to local newspapers/mags, etc. These clips and these experiences are so valuable. You get to learn about how they operate, what is newsworthy, the process - to me, being hands-on actually made me sincerely passionate about journalism. Before, I just liked writing. 2. socializing This one is a difficult one, but when I say socializing I mean COMMUNITY. Mentors and seniors are really incredible in this field, because oftentimes, as a journalist, you really shouldn't pledge allegiance to your corporation because at the end it's a business, but INSTEAD you should put your belief and trust in your peers, in your communities, in the actual work you do. Networking and socializing and having a support group I think is so valuable in journalism. It's going to get you leads, get you resources, get you a community that will support your work.

3. find your niche (but branch out) You're probably going to be thrown into a beat/topic that you're not interested in. My personal horror story was that I was thrown into public health & safety which I had no interest in. I was so annoyed that I couldn't just write the stuff I want to. But that's how the real world is. I think it's super important that you know the stories you want to write and work from those angles, but you should also be general and have an interest even in things that you're not interested in, because that's what journalism is about. You can't stay within your own box. 4. have more tools in your arsenal I know for a fact the market is looking for people who are skilled in EVERYTHING. They're looking for that Gen Z kid who can do multimedia, social media, writing, reporting, pitching, etc. Learn how to work some Adobe programs or some coding languages. It's really going to help. Promise.

5. it's ok if you end up not liking it! It's so beyond normal to end up switching gears. Some people end up preferring marketing or PR. That's fine. Don't feel like you're responsible for a failing democracy or something LOL (guilty as charged) but just know that journalism is an awesome field actually, and it's a super important one. So, don't be like me and feel pressured by random people who say journalism is useless, and go for it if you want. Good luck!

[ideadeco]

Press Releases Workshop Presentations

Press Releases Workshop Presentations are now available online. Enjoy them! #PressReleases #WorkshopPresentations #IdeadecoWorkshops

Press Releases Workshop Presentations are now available online. Navigate through the fascinating world of Press Releases and discover how you can master this copywriting skill. Learn how you can make your Press Releases irresistible to the public eye. Speakers’ Presentations Three established female entrepreneurs shared their expertise: Ariadne Nikaki – Public Relations Tips for Press…

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[ideadeco]

Presentation: Journalism Tips by Filia Mitromara

Editor in Chief, Filia Mitromara, shared the best Journalism tips & practices for outstanding Press Releases. #JournalismTips #PressReleases #IdeadecoWorkshops

Filia Mitromara is a well-known Journalist & Editor in Chief of many magazines in Greece. In her presentation, she shared the best Journalism Tips for outstanding Press Releases. The Press Releases Workshop took place at Spaces Theanous in Athens on Monday 9 May 2022. Topic: Journalism Tips for Press Releases What do Editors in Chief expect to see in a Press Release?What should an editor do…

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[haulix]

How to write compelling concert reviews

Reviews are a dime a dozen these days, but a great live review by an engaging author can still make the difference between a tour's success or failure.

Reviews are a dime a dozen these days, but a great live review by an engaging author can still make the difference between a tour’s success or failure.

Ah, the concert review. It has been a staple of entertainment journalism longer than almost any other feature, appearing long before recorded music was even thought possible, and it will most likely outlast us all. Why? For starters, the…

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[haulix]

A cure for writer’s block

If there is one thing that unites musicians and the people who write about them it is the constant struggle to maintain their creativity. It does not matter if you are a blogger or fronting the world’s biggest band, there will be times in this life when you are not able to create at a level you feel is good enough. Call it writer’s block or some mental hurdle; the name doesn’t matter nearly as much as the recognition this resistance is both real and universal. Everyone who attempts to create anything faces these struggles, but that understanding doesn’t make your ability to complete your work any easier.

On a recent episode of his podcast, comedian Joey ‘Coco’ Diaz was speaking with fellow comic Tom Segura about longevity in stand up. Both Joey and Segura are headliners in comedy today, but it took years of hard work and thousands of jokes to reach that level. Still, both men constantly find themselves at a creative impasse. While talking about this on air, Diaz mentioned advice he once received from legendary comedian Paul Mooney when discussing his creative hurdles. Mooney’s advice was summaries in three simple words: get entertained.

I know what some of you are thinking: Get entertained? But I have deadlines! People are counting on me to finish this thing, and it needs to be something great, and it needs to be done now!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re so stuck that you’re reading articles like this about overcoming mental blocks, then the chance of your work being completed to the best of your abilities in the next hour or so is highly unlikely. You have thought about the thoughts you are trying to think too much, which is to say you’ve begun to work yourself in circles. You’re chasing ghosts of ideas you thought you might have at a time other than right now and no amount of searching is going to make them miraculously appear.

Your brain, like your biceps or any other muscle, can only work so much before it needs to rest. To work more efficiently your mind needs exercise, which in the case of creative people includes inspiration in the form of experiences. You are the total of everything you have experienced up to this point, and those experiences have now become both your source of inspiration and - hopefully - income. To continue feeling inspired to create you need to keep taking in new experiences. I say this not just for your work, but for your sanity. You can drive yourself crazy starring at an empty canvas, or you can go out, see or hear or touch or taste or smell something that moves you, then immediately feel the need to create once more purposefully.

That may read like common sense to some readers, but the up and comers still trying to get their foot in the door will think it’s crazy because they’ve been taught this industry does not allow for breaks. Who has time to watch a television show, let alone a two-hour feature film, when emails are flowing like water at all hours of the day? Add to this the need to maintain social channels, which can require posting up to (if not more than) ten separate feeds on any given day, and we haven’t even addressed the actual work any creative is trying to accomplish. Writing songs or stories takes time, but so does finding inspiration, and far too often we forget that fact.

You are only human, and your brain is just a muscle. To perform at your best, you have to rest and exercise, but physically and mentally, on a daily basis. It’s both that simple and that hard, but like any other meaningful routine in life, it is worth the effort.

So the next time you find yourself banging your head against a wall while trying to create your next masterpiece try taking a step back for an hour, night, or even a couple of days. See a movie, go on a hike, or just put on your favorite records. Spend time remembering why you love the thing you do so you can then share that love with the world at large. We’ll be here, ready and waiting to experience what you decide to share.

[haulix]

Journalism Tips: Coverage Confirmations 101

If the first goal of every young music writer is to gain access to albums from their favorite artists before those records arrive in stores, then the second goal is usually to see those artists in concert without paying the cover charge. Yes, free admission to concerts and festivals is one of the perks of writing about music, but just like advance access to music, it’s a perk that doesn’t necessarily have to be extended to you.

No show or event is truly free to writers. Your currency in these exchanges is your voice and whatever audience (aka reach) you have through the outlet that shares your work. Upon receiving confirmation that you have been added to the list of any event you are entering into an agreement that you both will attend the said event and that you will write about that event in a timely manner. For example, if you attend Van’s Warped Tour on Monday after promising a review to PR then it should not take a week or more to post that review online. If it does you will risk straining your relationship with the PR that granted you access in the first place. More importantly, you will develop a reputation that extends beyond that one relationship and follows you where you go in music. The industry may seem large to outsiders, but it’s actually quite small, and everyone who knows anyone will come to learn of your lack of follow through.

This is about good business as much as it is respect. People will get upset if publicists do not reply to their requests in a timely manner, but see no problem dragging their feet to complete content that was promised in advance of receiving a coverage confirmation. Those who respect others and their time/work will, in turn, receive the same respect.

Rey Roldan, the founder of Reybee Inc., recently wrote the following on coverage requests and confirmations from the perspective of a publicist:

If you request music or tickets from a publicist and promise or confirm coverage, it’s your duty to make good on it… and if for some reason or another, you can’t keep your side of the deal, it’s only respectful to let the publicist know. Don’t ghost them.

It’s understandable if you hated the show or the music and you don’t want to cover it because of that reason. But let the publicist know, so they don’t constantly hound you for the link.

If you confirm an interview date and time but something comes up and you can’t make it, let the publicist know ASAP. Don’t wait for the time of your interview to tell them that it’s a no-go. It only makes the publicist look bad and could create tension in your relationship moving forward.

If you get confirmation of guest list or photo passes to a show (especially the bigger, higher profile shows) and can’t make it, let the publicist know as soon as you can. There’s a chance that the publicist can use your spot to give to another writer/photographer who was cut from the list. We, publicists, do sometimes check guest lists after the show to see who showed up and who didn’t.

If you are requesting tickets to a show with multiple artists, either send one email with all the publicists on copy or make sure if you get confirmed on one list to let the other publicists know you’re all set. If you are on multiple lists for the same show, it can prevent other writers/photographers from covering that show. Or if we publicists cross-check our lists and see you on it more than once (or worse yet, see multiple names for the same outlet on different lists), it looks bad for you and/or your outlet.

Making relationships in this industry can be difficult. Maintaining them is easy. Just don’t fuck them up.

Respect and follow-through are everything in this business. Do your best to follow the golden rule (treat others as you want to be treated) and you’ll do just fine.

[mrmedia]

Understand the Core Story with Leon Dash!

Understand the Core Story with Leon Dash!

By Bob Andelman November 6, 2006

(I wrote this story for Poynter.org/NewsU.org after covering a great talk by journalist Leon Dash. The article disappeared from Poynter’s own website, so I have added it here to coincide with Leon’s birthday, March 16. — Bob Andelman)

Leon Dash

Tact and tenacity.

Patience and rapport.

Those are the four elements that Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Leon Dash said…

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