I am currently in my fifth and final week of work experience at my local group of papers. And it certainly has been an experience.
Unfortunately, the experience has not taught me a single thing about working as a newspaper reporter. In fact, it would be fair to say these last five weeks have almost undone everything I have ever been taught about journalism.
I have carried out my work experience in a small office in Nelson, Lancashire, where a team of six reporters produce three weekly newspapers – The Nelson Leader, The Colne Times, and The Barnoldswick & Earby Times.
Now I wouldn’t say we live in a sleepy little borough, but there has been very little for me to do during my time here. In fact, on days it has seemed that there has been very little for anyone to do! I have spent most of my time writing brief ’soft news’ stories to go with pictures – the team here refer to these stories as “picture captions”, but I refuse to call them that because to do so really would leave me feeling like my time here has been wasted.
It hasn’t been all bad, of course. I have been to a couple of police briefings, to an inquest, a licensing committe meeting (which the press ended up being kicked out of!), to the fire station numerous times, up on the moors, to a road accident, to readers’ homes…. and I have had a few by-lines. But I haven’t been able to get stuck into anything juicy or feel proud of the copy I’ve produced. I haven’t had to stop and think about what I’m writing, the five Ws or the pyramid structure. Instead I have found myself trying to find funny or quirky things to say in the intros of my little “picture captions.” The news editor seems to like that.
Unfortunately, all this has left me feeling slightly worried that when the time comes for me to get my hands dirty with a ‘hard news’ story, I won’t remember what on earth I am supposed to do and will find myself completely devoid of any of the skills I have previously perfected!
I am eagar to experience what it’s like to get stuck into the nitty-gritty of a really good, interesting story.
But maybe I’m being to harsh on my local newspapers….
Maybe this is what I’ve got to look forward to in my future career in journalism….?
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