Much of the deflation I experienced earlier in the week had to do with my work as a staff writer for Valley College's campus newspaper, Valley Star. If you missed the prequal and am wondering what I'm doing at Valley, I've been taking classes there for a year. I started with an on-camera techniques course in fall 2009, shortly after KNBC's Jennifer Bjorklund and I teamed up to produce twice-weekly dog training segments for "Today in LA". I figured some on-camera work time when we weren't actually trying to shoot something that would air, would be a good thing.
The following semester, I took a broadcasting production and advanced news writing course for fun. I can probably list 100 things that are super annoying about taking classes with people half your age, and another 50 things I think are wrong with the current state of education in California, but I'll limit my comments to saying that I enjoyed the classes. The production work (once we finally GOT to it) was great fun - especially since Valley has a recently renovated, state-of-the art production studio. The news writing class left me pining for my early days of J-school -- before I was training dogs and even before I was working in public relations.
I've been training dogs full time for nearly 10 years. Longer than I've done anything else. I love it and am thankful to have had the opportunity. However, arrangements have changed and my circumstances are different, and it has become clear that training dogs might not be the career I ride off into the sunset of eventual retirement with. This realization is likely what helped my inner-journalist start trying to rear it's wordy head. That said, I hope to somehow always be involved in dog training - at least part-time or as a hobby trainer.
I've been working on the Valley Star since Aug. 30. I know we're all students and I know the rest of the class is working as either a reporter or editor with, at best, experience on their high school paper and a total of three prior journalism classes at Valley - one of which is more of a historical look at mass communications. I was expecting some cluttered writing, random AP errors and a handful of grammar/punctuation mistakes in the first issue.
Multiply that by 50. The first issue was a mess. Clumsy writing aside, it was chock full of AP, grammar and punctuation errors. Even worse, track changes notations somehow made their way into the printed version. Didn't anybody proof-read the production thumbnails before sending the package to the printer? And the other errors. How did the writer, section editor and copy editor all miss them?
I chalked it up to being the first issue and hoped it would get better. It didn't.
Each issue had similar problems. And they got worse. One issue ran with a lead story (mine) completely devoid of paragraphs. Twice I had people edit mistakes IN to my work. That one really got me. I'm perfectly capable of making my own mistakes; please don't help me.
When the fifth issue hit stands and I found it to be riddled with the same types of careless mistakes, I was pretty much over the paper and was seriously contemplating dropping the class. I'm not there to work on a degree. I have one. I'm only there to build a collection of clips to showcase my writing skills. If we can't produce something I'm willing to show people, what's the point? (It's worth noting that throughout the process, I've repeatedly offered to help edit work, etc., but have only been taken up on that offer a couple times.)
Apparently I'm more transparent than I realize. On Wednesday I got a call from the editor-in-chief who said the program advisor thought I'd been unusually quiet and was worried I might be a bit deflated.
Yes. You could say that.
To make this long story at least a little shorter, conversations between the editor, adviser and myself resulted in some changes taking place during the next staff meeting. The adviser stepped up to lean on the staff about the repeated mistakes - and more importantly - implemented some procedural changes to hopefully fix them. His policy has been to be very hands off (other than, say, to be the final person to veto someone's attempted use of "OMFG" in a story) and let the editors completely run the paper, but I think this group really needs the extra push.
I'm now sort of an adjunct editor. It's extra work, as I'm now responsible for working with other staff writers to help edit their stories to printable status, but so far, I'm enjoying it.
Which brings me to more current news. I'm applying to graduate school. I've been thinking about it for a while - for a couple of reasons. No matter how I slice it (or, as a PR person, "spin it"), the fact that I've been "playing with dogs," does not reflect well on my resume when I'm trying to get back into PR. It's worse when I'm looking for a reporting job. It would be difficult under normal economic circumstances, never mind when we're facing the highest rate of unemployment since the Great Depression. Why not take this time to go back to school, brush up on my J-school skills and pick up some new ones so I can attempt to re-enter the job market with stronger educational credentials behind me?
The other reason for earning a master's is the ability to teach at the college level. I love the teaching element of dog training and I think I'd like to eventually teach introductory college-level journalism courses. Fifteen years later, I still have fond memories of my J101 course. Professor Henrietta Charles. She was a hard-ass; three mistakes of any combination - grammar, spelling, AP, punctuation - was a fail. Her high standards are largely what helped me develop an unwavering respect for the craft of writing. I still live in fear of the G.F.E. (That's "gross factual error" for you non- J-school types.)
Still with me? Almost done. I swear.
I'm applying for the fall 2011 semester. That's nine months away. A lot can change between now and then. Who knows, maybe I'll land what will become my next perfect job. I'm keeping my options open. I submitted an application for a summer internship program with the Associated Press. I'm not sure I'd enjoy a career in writing breaking news, but a summer internship would definitely be a good way to find out. Plus it would look really good on my resume.
I had to submit a very comprehensive application packet which included two letters of recommendation. I'm blessed to know people who are willing to write very nice things about me. Reading the letters was hugely flattering and just the ego boost I needed in the wake of a frustrating week. I think as adults, we should ask a colleague to draft a letter of recommendation at least once a year.
"Hey Phil, would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me?"
"Sure, Steve. For what?"
"My ego."
The other thing that happened, is when I mentioned to the journalism adviser (one of my letter-writers) that I was also applying to graduate school and would be asking him to write a separate letter for that, he asked where I was applying. When I answered, "CSUN," he responded with, "Why don't you apply to Berkeley?"
This probably peeks into some deep, dark corner of my psyche and reveals that I am my own worst critic. Or maybe it was because of the week I was having. It was probably both, but my immediate thought was, "OMG. He thinks I could get into Berkeley?!" Honestly, it never would have occurred to me to even apply. But yeah, it felt good to know someone else thought I could pull it off.
The last couple weeks have felt pretty funky. I've been frustrated by a lack of direction and had grown tired of feeling like I'm spinning my wheels professionally. I still don't have the answers, but I've decided on a couple steps. Baby steps. At least I'm moving. And I guess that's the point. When you're feeling stuck, do something. Anything. It might not even turn out to be the right answer, but at least it's something.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go."
Doctor's orders.
