A Word from the Pros
The three following comments seemed to speak strongest to me, not only in regards to the world of reporters and media writers, but also to being successful in life overall.
“You need to possess a wide range of skills.” – Alex Kreitman, Burlington Times-News.
Possessing a wise range of skill or being a well rounded individual has been a part of my education since I first entered grade school and even through my time at Elon and it has served me well. However at times it has also given me so many options making some decisions very difficult. But this concept it has far more positive than negative aspects. If you possess the skills for multiple jobs you are worth more to the company you work for (or are looking to work for) and you will always the option to go to plan B when plan A just isn’t working out so well.
“Don’t be afraid to borrow ideas from other writers. Just make sure you make it your own, practice makes perfect” -Keren Rivas, Burlington Times-News.
Keren has noted two very important concepts here. First, borrowing ideas from the professionals (especially when you are new in the field) is an excellent way to learn. We learn almost everything as humans by first copying what we see or hear (for example learning to write and even to speak) and only after we have observed, copied and learned can we begin to create and reproduce our own works. There is no reason to not do the same in the professional world. Look up to those who have more practice and try to produce materials as good as theirs.
Practice makes perfect is oh so cliché, but also oh so true in all walks of life, and media writing is no different.
“The one thing I want to stress to you is fundamentals! The only way to become a great writer is to write, a lot! I know it can be tedious at times, but in the long run it will pay off.” – Ben Volin, Palm Beach Post.
“Fundamentals” is a word I have often associated with sports. Be it dribbling a basketball, practicing foul shots or tennis ground strokes. And even though this idea comes from a sports writer, he makes a good point that in writing, especially when working on a new style such as media writing it’s important to remember the basics. Generally the way to learn fundamentals is to practice, which we all know- makes perfect!
