Why Blog?

I don't struggle with writing news stories. After I get my assignment, I read press releases, look at biographies, and check out other sources of information. When it comes to blogging, it's more difficult. News stories are more objective. I can separate myself from them. My blog posts, on the other hand, are my ideas and experiences. They are directly related to me.

So why blog? I think it's a great form of expressing my ideas. I started blogging because a professor wanted her students to gain experience with different forms of media. I thought I would hate it, but I love it.

At times, I struggle for the right words or the right topic. At times, I second-guess what I've written. Quite a few posts have never been put online for this reason.  But through blogging, I've gained a voice that I didn't have before.

I have focused this blog on journalism. This post isn't any different. As a young journalist, I want to blog to share my experiences in the field, even if I don't have that many. I also want to join in the journalistic community. Many journalists have created blogs. Many news media outlets have created blogs. Blogs encourage dialogue. That's where journalism is moving. Journalism is no longer one-way communication from the reporter to the audience.

By blogging, I am encouraging dialogue. If you like my posts, if you disagree with my posts, if you have additional information, feel free to comment. Dialogue is what journalism is all about nowadays. My blogging experience has helped me engage in that dialogue.

With all this talk of dialogue, feel free to share your comments.

Journalism and Twitter

While on Twitter, I found some information that I feel that journalists should know about Twitter.
In "Two percent of online adults in U.S. use Twitter daily," a report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, 55% of Twitter users share news stories. It seems that I'm not the only one sharing news stories with family, friends, and co-workers.

TV anchor Chris Ketz gave 5 Twitter tips for the news anchor (or anyone). My favorite tip is number 5.

I also found some posts from Craig Kanalley from his website http://www.twitterjournalism.com/. His posts, "10 Pros And 10 Cons of Twitter For Journalists," "How To Verify A Tweet," and "The Many Ways Journalists Can Use Twitter," provide good information for journalists wanting to use Twitter.

If you have tips about using Twitter, feel free to share.

Quotes: "Ah, I Never Heard that Before"

I was once told that if a statement makes you say "Ah, I never heard that before," then it's worthy of being quoted. This has stuck with me while interviewing. If it makes me say "Ah, I never heard that before," there's a good chance that others will say the same.

To be honest, quotes used to make me nervous. I felt obliged to use them, but unsure of how they would fit into my story. At times, I would hope that the interviewee would say something quotable. I would fish for more when I hadn't gotten something yet. Although I disliked not having a quote, I disliked discarding quotes even more when the quote that I liked did not help the story overall.

I am happy to say that I no longer fear quotes. I keep the "Ah, I never heard that before" idea in the back of my head. After conducting a couple of interviews, I still get excited when I have someone who provides me with lots of quotable statements.

Does Age Help or Hurt in Establishing Rapport?

When I conducted my first official face-to-face interview for a recent article, the interviewee asked how many years I had been working as a journalist. My age showed. I appear several years younger than I actually am. I wonder if my age will ever sabotage my building rapport with interviewees. Of course, they know that I'm young, but they also know that I must be qualified since I am interviewing them.

Being young is a double-edged sword. My demeanor sets me apart. I want my interviewees to see me as professional. However, my youth will be associated with inexperience. Only time can help this issue.

During phone interviews, my age doesn't show. When I interviewed a pageant queen, she never realized that we were about the same age. As I prepare for a phone interview with bishop-elect, I wonder if he will get a sense of my age.

Do Journalists Get Writer's Block?

It has been almost a week since my last post. Why? The answer is writer's block. Then, my frustration became my inspiration. Do journalist get writer's block?

While I have read that journalists can't get writer's block, I think it still exists for journalists. The cure, however, is the deadline. When I have time to work on something, the pressure to complete the task isn't there. On the other hand, when time starts to dwindle, the words come forth.

Although writer's block is a minute issue for journalists, journalists can still benefit from tips on how to cure writer's block that could occur when the pressure is not there. One tip is creatively procrastinate. By this, I mean work on other tasks that need to get done. You'll procrastinate when it comes to writing, but you will still be getting some things on your to-do list done. Another tip is to just walk away from the computer. The bright light could cause eye strain. Additionally, sitting at a computer and leaning forward can cause tension in your body. Getting up to pour yourself some coffee can help you relax and give you a second wind. My last tip is read. If you're a journalist, you probably love reading articles. Take a break and read an article. It'll keep your mind active. Additionally, when you return to your writing, your mind will be refreshed because you focused on a different task.

Feel free to add tips that have helped you overcome writer's block.