Thank you New York Times
Walking into the towering silver building of The New York Times, I felt like all my work as a journalist had led me to that point. I’ve read the NYT almost everyday for the past two year, but visiting the publication exceeded my already high expectations.
The journalists at this publication set the bar high for journalism, and I will continue striving to write like the Times’s writers as I continue in my studies at the University of Oregon.
I was bombarded with information on all aspects of journalism during the week in New York City, but three things really stuck with me:
1) Journalists have to be experts in one subject, and be good at everything else.
While seemingly a daunting task, I was inspired.
Only focusing on one area of expertise comes with limitations, and knowing I need to also know a bit about podcasts, coding and videography opened my world to a much larger playing field.
2) Journalists have to take risks.
Picking up everything and moving to NY in order to get a chance at one’s dream job is an incredible risk.
Asking your boss for a year-end review and being sure enough in your contribution to the company to negotiate salary is a nerve-wracking risk, but sometimes a needed one.
The journalism field itself is a risk. It’s molding itself to stay ahead (or — you could argue — keep up) in a changing world. Journalists have to be more skilled than ever to stand out and make a name for themselves.
But, as well as the risks, it’s a job which is full of rewards too.
3) Being a journalist is very tiring.
Our work schedules do not adhere to the typical nine-to-five work day. News is happening constantly, so we are constantly working. I believe coffee to go was solely invented for journalists.
We stay later, hammering out stories, writing and rewriting until the story flows. We read thousands of books, and we never stop learning in our field.
We fly across the country to cover a story and eight hours later we turn around and come home.
We work weekends, nights, 24/7 our brains are searching for another story.
Being a journalist requires many naps, but it’s the most exciting job in the world.
Sitting in on the NYT morning news meeting was a remarkable opportunity.
All three takeaways were exemplified in that meeting alone.
The fast paced atmosphere, the concise story proposals, the energy of so many journalists taking in all the stories and mentally putting the paper together using everyone’s knowledge. Seeing the amount of concentration, education and synergy needed to produce the Times was spectacular, and I am beyond grateful to have been there and witnessed it.
Speaking with University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications alumni Kaly Soto, Molly Bedford, and Andy Rossback proved that achieving your dream to work for a renowned news publication is possible, but it takes a ton of work.
They emphasized that a journalist in today’s job market must be an expert at one thing that sets them apart from everyone else, but also good at all other aspects of journalism.
They gave us advice on negotiating salaries, how using design can help articulate the news visually.
And how we should constantly be producing ideas, because ideas are a currency in journalism.
To be a well rounded journalist is to be a successful journalist.
The final piece of advice they gave us was to make sure we “pumped the brakes” sometimes to ensure our work is accurate and concise.
The journalism field can get hectic, and the adrenaline can be exciting, but producing top notch journalism is the collective goal. If that means slowing down sometimes, then that’s what it takes.
I am so grateful to have been a part of the Super J in New York City program where I had the opportunity to not only tour the New York Times, but also see it in action. Molly, Kaly and Andy gave such valuable advice on what it means to be young journalists in today’s world.
I left New York with a new sense of inspiration for the field that I am so excited to be part of.
