broadcast outcast

You’re not going to get a lot of facts out of every subsequent sentence from here on out.  This is simply my opinion on the first quarter at Medill.

So what do I think?

NEWSWRITING

Well, the workload is about right.  If anything, it probably errs on the side of being too light.  I say this only because for all the time that professors and directors refer to methods as “boot camp,” there were only two instances I could cite where I felt at all overwhelmed–and even then, it was completely manageable.

The first, as you could go back and read, was when my class had 4 pieces due in 4 days.  But even then, those were not difficult pieces.  You just had to know how to allot time.  That’s half the battle with being a journalist: time management.

The second, as it’s fresh in my memory,  was the end-of-quarter video fiasco.  That, in many ways, was simply on me.  If there’s one piece of advice I would lend to future Medill students, it would be to get beat reporting video done early.  It’s much easier to throw together a print piece than an A/V piece.

I wonder how well-prepared we are for the forthcoming quarter.  In my opinion, far too many people complained about their workload this quarter.  Again, we were not swamped. But moving forward, we will have to deal with churning out work in greater quantity and quality.  On top of it, we are expected to be more efficient.  In some ways, I think we were having our hands held–not necessarily a bad thing–but it might come back to bite us in the ass once we’re actually reporting.

I also think that  perhaps the emphasis on technology could be better spread.  Audio stories should be optional–mine totally sucked, and while I understand the merit in learning how to do an audio story, I don’t find it terribly compelling.  But that’s just one man’s opinion.  There’s a lot of technology and software to learn in a short period, and many are not good with newfangled stuff.  But it’s a good crash course in that manner, and I think we hit the key points.  I think the administration should ensure that a print person is paired with a broadcast person, however.  Most classes functioned this way, but our two professors were both print people, leaving me to wonder if we were as stringently graded as other classes would have been.  I’m not one to know.  Just a thought.

EDITING

Editing was tough.  I got an A.  I knew a lot of the stuff going in, as I had to learn many of these things while I was teaching English.  But if you think you can be a journalist with poor grammar and usage, then you should find a new field.  You’re just willing to be sloppy.  Everyone will bitch and moan about this class, but guess what?  It’s stuff you need to know.  By the end of the quarter, it should be second nature.

At times, I did feel that we wasted a fair amount of time in editing, but at the same time, people work at different paces.  I felt bad for foreign students.  I know native-born Americans struggled in here, so I can only imagine what it was like for people whose first language wasn’t English.

All in all, people need to suck it up and study for editing.  There’s not much more that can be said.

LAW AND ETHICS

This was everyone’s favorite class.  I loved it.  Craig LaMay was a terrific professor.  I had little interest in the subject going into this quarter, but after having taken this class, given its format and the material it covered, I am a convert.  I think most any student will enjoy what they learn in here.  That’s the nature of being in this program–people cut from a similiar cloth, enjoying similar things.  I’ll tell you, I know things about the First Amendment that I had no idea about before.  I feel like I took a lot out of every hour I was in this class.  And the readings were surprisingly engaging.  Perhaps I’m a nerd, but I say any journalist should love this class.

JOURNALISM BY THE NUMBERS

In short, a waste of time.  The idea behind this class is good, but the execution is poor.  It should be a remedial course for people who can’t fucking round or convert fractions.  I wanted to learn about computer assisted reporting and how to identify trends.  Instead, we focused far too much on basic information.

The administration didn’t make clear enough that anyone can test out of this course–not just seasoned journalists.  My advice: take the test and get the hell out of this class.  Even if it’s the only one you test out of, your Mondays will be much happier because of it.  Most students spent 2/3 hour in class browsing the internet and G-chatting.  Our professors seem good at what they do, but handcuffed by the simplicity of the material they were forced to cover.

OVERALL

I’m ready for next quarter.  It will be interesting to see who does not come back after Winter break.  If you feel overwhelmed by Methods, it’s doubtful you’re going to cut the mustard in the future.  Go work in a cubicle my friend.  For as much as Medill may talk things up, if you have your head screwed on straight, you are reasonably intelligent, and you have a good work ethic, you will be fine.

I’m happy with what I’ve learned to this point.  Professors are helpful and want students to succeed.  Use them–they’re an invaluable resource.  That’s where your $44,000 is going.  Make the most of it.