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I'm not sure I made myself clear in my previous post. I understand the type of person Tucker Max is. He's not exactly the best role model I'd want my young cousin to have, but he's a funny writer, and for the sake of my 'entertainment', I read his book. Like I said, one entertaining/funny book and one 'intelligent' book a month.

Also, just to let you guys know, as I'm typing this post, I'm currently working on something with FalcFans.com to have my blog and this man's site connected. He wanted me to write on his blog, but I felt like I was just another blogger on that website. So I decided to see if I can get my own part in his site since he sounds like he really wants me to write for his site. And don't get me wrong, I really want to write for FalcFans as much as he wants me to. I asked for my own part in the site, and if he kindly rejects, I will gladly just have my site say 'Sponsored by FalcFans.com' like he mentioned would be our 'Plan B' if we couldn't find a common ground.

What do you guys think?

 

I've put together a list of sites that I'm going to start reading, what do you guys think? Along with the magazines, local newspapers, and books I'm planning on reading daily and monthly, I will be reading the following websites:

-ESPN
-Sports Illustrated
-Newsweek
-Washington Post
-Time

And what do you guys think of these sites?
-Google News
-Yahoo News

Well, that's all the time I'll have to read for. Remember, I still need to enjoy life and write for things that I want to write for like FalcFans.com. I also believe that I should still be doing what I think I find entertaining even when you guys think it's a waste of time and post in a couple message boards. I used to post in A LOT of message boards, and it used to consume most of my time on the computer. However, now, I usually just go on ESPN, SI, and occasionally Yahoo or Google to check on the news and what's going on in the real world. I only go to, besides this forum, two or three forums to occasionally read up on what other people are thinking about my favorite teams.

Thanks for every thing and the replies. If any one still has any more replies, I would be glad to accept and take it for what it is. The advice you guys are giving me is priceless. Thank you again.

 

Matt, as a recent college grad sifting his way through the start to a journalism career, here's what I have to offer:

A) Don't listen to those who tell you it will be too much work for not enough pay. The outlook in the print business isn't necessarily great right now, but if you're good, you'll find somewhere to work. And the online business is growing in new ways and into new territories. People will always want news, no matter the medium. So chase it if you love it. But make sure you love it.

B) Echoing the sentiments of some of the above: find yourself a college with a prominent athletic program and a good rag. I had the chance to go to several big-time J-schools in my area but turned them down. I ended up at a school with big-conference athletics, including prominent football and basketball programs. I worked around guys from big local papers, small local papers, big national papers, weekly magazines and online sites like ESPN. The experience you'll get working around them is amazing.

C) A good paper is better than a good J-school, though the two are often interchangeable.

D) Don't be shy. If you're working around the guys I mentioned above, talk to them. They were in your shoes once, and most of them will understand. If they don't embrace you the first time, keep trying. Don't be overly annoying, but pick your spots and talk to them. Introduce yourself. Be friendly: say hello, goodbye, all that good stuff. They'll do the same.

E) Go down to the office the first day you get there. Plenty of people can point you to it, and on campus, the first few days are spent prepping for the "Back to School" type stuff. Get in there and introduce yourself. The staff will always be looking for someone.

F) Be flexible. You want to do sports now. You might not get a job in sports right out of school. Try your hand at news, features and column writing if you can.

G) Don't turn down stories. Earn the reputation as the guy who won't turn something down. If the basketball beat writer is in a pinch and needs you to cover a presser, do it, even if he's going to write the story. If you have the chance to cover the presser and write the story, fuck class. Go to the presser. When you're in an interview for an internship or a real job, the ME isn't going to give two shits if you attended every class and earned a 4.0. He's going to look at clips.

H) Get an internship ASAP. Your first one may be at a small weekly that isn't too fun, and you probably won't end up in sports. But do it if you can. It's a good experience and it's valuable in getting the second, bigger internship.


Matt, the only other advice I have has nothing to do with journalism: Take as many AP or dual-credit classes as your high school offers. The more credits you bring to college, the faster you get into your journalism classes and the more experience you gain at an earlier age. It'll help you in the long run.

 

Matt: I have to tear down the drivel of 15-year-olds all the time. In your few posts on this thread, I can see that you already have a better grasp on the English language than I've seen from many high school students. When you get the stringing jobs...please, PLEASE pay attention to how your stories are edited for style, grammar and substance, and then adjust accordingly. You'll be miles ahead of any high school student I've had to edit.

 

Do you have anything in paisley?

 

Major in business, architecture, aerospace engineering, anything you want, but minor in journalism. When you burn out on the newspaper business, you'll want to start over. Go ahead and save yourself the trouble of going back to school when you're 35.

 

Agreed on all counts, but for different reasons. If you're an expert who can write about a subject such as business, you'll probably always have work. And good paying work.

Learn another language too. Take it seriously.

 

I agree with this, somewhat. I think it depends on what your major would be.

I majored in journalism with plans to double major in education before dropping that. But I took enough education electives so that I could get my emergency certification if I decided to start teaching. I figured I'd have to go back to school anyway (for a master's), so I might as well major in journalism.

I minored in political science so I could specialize in political writing if I decided against sports.

 

Major in accounting or finance. You will always have a job. Hell, my wife (accountant) got a job at our new location just as fast as I did, and I'm in the Army, for Christ sake.

 

As for languages, I'm fluent in English and can understand the Tagalog dialect very well (I can't speak it as well as the natives can, but being born there in the Philippines and then moving to America by the age of four, I really haven't had the chance to get a grasp of that language as best as I could at such a young age. My parents constantly speak the language however, and Tagalog is the household language as well as public language when we don't want people to hear what we're really talking about.) I've taken French in seventh and eighth grade, and although I'm sad to tell you guys that I can't speak as well as I have before, I can still understand the very simple language. I'm currently taking Spanish, am on my second year, and will most likely take it next year even though it's not required unlike the first two years.

So basically, I'm fluent in English and Tagalog, can speak/understand simple Spanish, and can get a grasp of the very basic French language.

Next year, juniors are allowed to partake in four electives instead of freshman and sophomore's restrictions of two. I will try and get a list of the possible classes I will take next year and their descriptions around February/March when they release the class names and such. I appreciate all of the advice.

 

Learning Spanish will put you in very good stead. If you're doing a story on someone who's a native speaker of Spanish, they will likely open up much more to you if you're asking them questions in Spanish. I had two interns who could do interviews in Spanish, and that really helped our copy.

I still remember putting up a sports story on our front cover even though I thought our publisher would bitch at me for doing so, and the CEO (his wife) reacted to our reporter interviewing him in Spanish like it was the greatest thing on Earth. She was bragging about it for days afterward.

Another piece of advice, take criminal justice or criminal law, or read crime and justice stories in the paper. Become familiar with those issues. If When you end up covering an athlete who gets in trouble with the law, you'll find that background will be really helpful. Take it from someone who's been in a few courtrooms this past year for his paper.