The Cincinnati Enquirer Internship

2010-03-16T19:33:00.001-07:00

Enjoy your time

2009-03-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

With the journalism field in such a downfall, it can be quite a paranoid time to be a journalist. Some of the people you come across will be very tight and stressed but don't let that affect what you do. As an intern, you have to look at your experience with a positive outlook. I was at The Enquirer when the publication cut 10 percent of its staff. It was only my third day and it was quite a hard experience to see some of the people I had just recently met having to pack up and leave.

Although it was difficult to get past this experience, I knew that there was work to get done and things to learn. This is how everyone else at The Enquirer looked at it so I had to do the same. I was able to get past this and really have such a great time at this publication. Because of the layoffs, I found myself with more opportunities to contribute right away. I was looked at as a staff member instead of an intern because of the fact I could produce material and create my own work flow.

Internships can be a very stressful endeavor. The pressure to live up to expectations and perform like the professionals is something I worried about when I first started. The main thing is to enjoy your experience. If you are able to relax and enjoy, the internship becomes such a great time. Doing an internship in the field you love is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. Have fun with it!

Listen, listen, listen

2009-03-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Just like any other job, there were times when there was not a great deal of work to actually complete. There are many times that I'm sure people in these situations would just sit around and check out their Facebook or Twitter away. I decided to take this time to sit in with some of the journalists and talk to them about journalism. There is nothing more beneficial, in my opinion, than to learn from these professionals. These people have made it in the field and I find it very important to learn the skills needed to be successful.

It really does not make any sense not to learn from these people. I worked with two guys that were ONPA Photographers of the Year that now work primarily with video. It is amazing the type of things I was able to learn from these men. They would talk to me about everything from lighting to shot selection to even dictating the direction of the story. These were some things I didn't think about as thoroughly before this internship. I would make sure my shots filled the screen and that the audio was working well but there is so much more to consider when putting together a quality video. They told me that these little things separated quality journalism from the videos found on Youtube. After five months of work I find myself taking into account all the elements to put together a quality video. I even find myself taking more control of how my videos are shot and what is covered in my pieces.

I also took the time to learn about some of the business that goes into a site such as Cincinnati.com. I made the effort to meet with the president of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Margaret Buchanan, as well as the vice president of New Media, James Jackson. I wanted to know how the company was affected by the output of material. I learned a great deal about advertising revenues and business-to-business partnerships. During my time with The Enquirer I had the opportunity to work with partner sites such as CincinnatiUSA.com, CincyPaws.com and Time Warner on Demand. Being able to do that work allowed me to see how different publications work with each other to improve their business. We would place our videos and some of our other work on these sites and, in return, they would put some of their advertisements or other materials on our site.

Although the experience with The Cincinnati Enquirer was fantastic, having the opportunity to learn from professionals will be the thing I appreciate the most. As long as you listen to the people you work with and remember the things you learn, an internship can be the most beneficial part of your college experience.

Internship is complete... but this blog is not.

2009-03-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

So it has been an eventful last week of my internship, so it has proved difficult to be as up-to-date with my blog. This means that I will be spending a great deal of my down time to discuss the work that I was able to perform with The Cincinnati Enquirer. It has been an experience I am very grateful for because of the fact that I was able to get so much experience.

I went in to this internship with the idea that I would have the opportunity to get a lot of work experience, but I had no idea I would have these opportunities so quickly. From day one of my internship I was able to start producing videos on my own. I either produced or assisted in the production of over 30 videos. When I first began I thought that I would have to do a decent amount of grunt work such as making copies or logging video, but that was not the case. I truly was a member of The Cincinnati Enquirer. I was never looked at or treated as an intern. Instead, I was the new video producer.

The type of news stories I covered varied immensely. I went to crime scenes, animal shelters, Cincinnati Bengals and Cincinnati Reds press conferences, a ski slope, the Ronald McDonald House and many other places. What I loved about my work was that it changed every day. That is what is so exciting about journalism. You can go into work with no idea what you will be doing. One day you can be at the court house covering a huge trial and the next you could be doing a feature story on poverty in the city.

There was a time when I felt that my skills in journalism only extended to my writing, but I have found that my creative juices flow to many other areas. I love being able to cover events with video because of the fact that I can tell the story in so many different ways. There is no set structure in video and the ways you put it together.

As the days go by, I will continue to update with more information about the internship I just completed with The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Business Side (AKA The Ugly Side) of Journalism

2009-03-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

This is a piece I wrote on one of my other blogs. But I think this really sums up my feelings of the cutbacks that have taken place within the journalism field. My feelings have changed since then but I feel this piece showed my true emotions when I saw these cutbacks take place firsthand:

So it has been all fun and games with my work at The Cincinnati Enquirer but, with all good things, there are some actions that bring the fairy tale back to reality. One event that has put future decisions into perspective are the current cutbacks that are taking place because of the recession we are facing. Of course no business has been immune to the recession, but it seems that no industry has been hit harder by the economy than the newspaper industry. Now, I am not interning with The Enquirer to become a newspaper reporter. I have known since I was in high school that going into that field is a very bad idea. The newspaper industry is a dying industry. Of course, they have made many changes within their infrastructure to become a more digital commodity, but cuts have had to be made in order to grow in this area. I knew that these kind of things were bound to happen, but I didn't know how I would truly feel once I saw these job cuts being made right in front of my face.

I met with the president and publisher of the company and she gave me advice of how to cope with losses of employees and mentors in the field. I was aware that The Enquirer was going to cut 10% of their staff to brace for the trying times they were facing. I let her know that I was fully aware that cuts were to be made and that I would be fine. "Keep your head down and focus on your objectives," is what she said. It really was great advice. In hind sight, I really shrugged off the advice because I didn't think that I would really be affected by the changes. In the end, I was dead wrong.

During the day I went through my normal work. I started the day with a large cup of coffee and looked over the new videos uploaded to Cincinnati.com. Next, I took part in the daily check of all video equipment and met with the video guys to find out the stories to be covered for the day. As I went about going through my editing guide, I was called into my internship adviser's office. Thinking I was going to talk to her about a new project, I went in with a blind eye. What she told me next changed my feelings for journalism forever. The woman, who has been an employee of The Enquirer for almost a decade, told me she had been "let go." I was at a loss for words. Feelings of shock, anger and sadness hit me all at once. And I had known this woman for only about a week. I could not imagine what this woman was feeling. I mean, where is the love, the loyalty for a fellow employee; especially during the Christmas season. It was at that moment that I truly saw what this really was. At that moment, I saw the business of journalism.

We go into journalism because we want to create art for others to view. From writing articles to capturing videos of the community, what we as journalists are creating is art. While in college we dream of becoming an influential journalist whose voice can transcend a community and change the world. What we do not think about is that we can be undercut by the business. We can only do as much as our industry will allow us to do. We dream of being able to write great articles and interview interesting people, but we do not think about the fact that at any point it could all be taken away. We work in a field that does not give tenure to those that have been there a certain amount of time. Instead, when times get rough, many of those people have to stress over whether they will be coming in the next day or if they will have to update the resume for the next job opportunity. It is a scary world we are living in at the moment. As the economy continues its decline, no one feels safe with their job. But it appears that journalists are feeling the worst.

As I watched my adviser pack up her office, she told me to remain positive and continue my work with The Enquirer. Can you imagine that? The woman who has just lost her job is telling me to stay positive. As a veteran in the industry she has become used to the fact that no job is protected and it does not pay to become comfortable in one place for too long. Through school I have told myself that I can not set my sights on one place for an entire career. It has become harder to swallow since I have seen the losses in front of my eyes.

As the president told me during our meeting, the industry will bounce back. It will grow in the digital and multimedia field. Cuts had to be made to grow in this way. As the digital field of the newspaper industry grows, more jobs will be created. The once proud industry may become a proud field again if they can grow with the changing times.

I love what I am doing. I love journalism and having the power to create art for people to view and enjoy. On the contrary, I have grown to loathe the business side of journalism. Yes, I know that this is not a great point of view to have as an aspiring journalist. Even when the economy is good, jobs are never safe. I know that. But when you finally see the losses around you, you get that new perspective that you never had before. Even though it was not an easy thing to swallow, I am glad I was there to see it first hand. We hear about job losses all the time and we don't think twice about it. I now have seen and felt the effects of job cuts in journalism. And I think it has forced me to think about my future all together. I am a junior in college and will soon be looking at the job market or grad schools. These memories will stick with me as I decide what I do with the next two years.

I know that a career in journalism is a roller coaster ride that goes both up and down. After the events of the last week, I am now unsure of whether I will be riding that roller coaster after graduation.

Monday's Mutts

2009-03-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Since I have been with The Cincinnati Enquirer, I have had the opportunity to take over a weekly project where I visit a different animal shelter around the Greater Cincinnati area and do a video highlighting one of their dogs. These videos are called "Monday's Mutts." I am posting all of those videos I have produced since my internship began.

Enjoy!

Adopt Roxy

Adopt Rocky

Adopt Mia

Adopt Betsy

Adopt Honey

Adopt Elsa

It's probably time to start posting all my videos

2009-03-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

So I've had some difficulties actually trying to embed the video clips to the blog site. I think a lot of it has to do with the html code the Enquirer uses. So I am going to start dropping links to the videos that I have produced or had some part in the production. I will start with the first video I produced for Cincinnati.com.

This is "Clifford Visits the Ronald McDonald House."

Tip of the Week: Have some knowledge of programs

2009-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

It can be an arduous task to learn many different software programs as a college student. Maybe you have a full schedule of classes and you don't have the time. Maybe you don't have the access to some of the more high end software. That is no excuse to not know anything about a program when you are applying for internships that require that knowledge.

Before taking most multimedia internships, I'd suggest you have some type of knowledge using Avid, Final Cut, Photoshop, After Effects and all the MS Works programs. It can be as in-depth as physically using these programs at school, or just reading manuals and watching tutorials on the software. It is of the utmost importance to know something. Most internships will require that you have some experience with that, and they will be very disappointed if the person they chose to intern has no experience or knowledge of their software.

We all know Scripps has Photoshop and Final Cut available (as well as MS programs) to their students. Go out and take photos or shoot some video and get some experience working with these programs. You'll be thanking yourself when you are asked to do these same tasks at your internship.

I do not know about the availability of Avid or After Effects at school, but there are great tutorials and guides that will at least walk you through the basic tasks. That is usually all most publications will want. As an intern, you are there to learn to run with these programs. They hope that you have learned to walk with them already. It doesn't take much time to practice with these programs. Getting the basics comes very quickly. As you get more time with them, you will find that the programs are not as difficult as they once seemed.

And, hopefully, with some practice, you will look like a pro at your internship. Well, maybe a semi-pro.

The Epiphany

2009-02-26T12:04:00.001-08:00

There will be a moment in your first internship where it hits you. You start out knowing a decent amount of what you are doing, but not quite all of it. You ask questions and nod to show your understanding (even if you really don't understand it that well). After awhile, you ask less and less questions. You begin to start trying to figure out how software or equipment works. You soon are actually able to figure out how everything works.

And then eventually you stop having to try to figure things out. You know how the things work. You can handles doing tasks that once seemed impossible. You even begin to speak the lingo.

That moment, though I think was achieved weeks ago, has finally hit me. I don't ask a question about how to upload a new graphic or splice and cut away footage to use later. Those things have been pounded into my brain. I can even have a normal conversation with a photographer or videographer from another publication about technical aspects of the job.

The moment hit me when I was converting files to be uploaded to one of our sister video players. We couldn't find one of the files so I told my superiors I'd check archives and then do a reverse ingest of the file and convert it to the correct format. I then would drop the new file into a program called "Cyber Duck" and go to "Maven" to upload the new files. Yeah, two months ago my head would be spinning trying to remember each and every step. Now, it takes five minutes to do all of that.

My video editing skills have improved immensely. We use Avid video software at the Enquirer, and it can be a harrowing program to use at first. It would take me an hour to correctly lay an audio track when I first started. Now it takes a matter of minutes. They've told me I have natural ability to tell a story, but my technical side had to catch up. I think it finally has and I've been able to produce some great material.

Let me just tell you, when that moment finally hits you when you realize you actually know what the hell you're actually doing -- there's no better feeling in the world!

Tip of the Week: Be Positive

2009-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

We all dream of going into an internship to get opportunities to be treated as a staff member immediately. This may not always happen right away, if at all. The important thing is to not get discouraged because this could bring your morale down. The people that work around you may see this and remember that in the future when they need someone to step up and produce.

We are trained to be professional journalists and we should carry ourselves as such, whether we are fetching coffee or covering a big story. Even if your internship is not all that you are hoping it to be, make sure to stay positive. Your colleagues will remember that about you when they are writing recommendations for you in the future.

I have been lucky to have worked with a publication that has given me the opportunity to step up on more than one occasion to get my own stories. But there are days when I'm doing things that most journalists would not be enthusiastic to complete. I still treat it as I do everything. I give my all and complete the project as I am told and ask for more work. I am never negative about the work I am given because they know they can count on me to finish a variety of tasks.

I know it's an old motto but it's true: don't bite the hand that is feeding you.

The best type of days

2009-02-18T09:45:00.001-08:00

So, I know I was going to blog yesterday about my day but it was one of those days where I couldn't really find the free time to write. And those type of days are, in fact, the best kind of days. I love having one thing to do after another. It keeps my mind in the game and it keeps my creative juices flowing.

We began shooting the "Women of the Year" videos yesterday which has been pretty interesting. You really meet some great women that have done a lot of good things to help out the community. It took a lot of preparation to set up these, overall, very simple little pieces. You have to set up the proper background, sound and lighting. I'll tell you what, lighting is truly the most important piece to a video. You would not believe how much time we spend fussing over the lighting when we are in the studio. They also make a big deal about the way in which the cables are put on the floor. They want them wrapped in a certain fashion. They told me, "If you can wrap a cable correctly, you'll always have a job somewhere." I find it hard to believe that if that is my only talent, though, that the job I have will be very prosperous.

After setting up the studio, I was put on an assignment to get video of the Cincinnati Bengals stadium, Paul Brown Stadium. So I got my gear and headed out to different parts of the city to get as many different views and angles of the structure that I could get. I went to an area called Devou Park, which is an absolutely breathtaking part of the city. It's elevated thousands of feet over the city and you get the best view of Cincinnati that you will find anywhere (I guarantee it). When you go out on a video shoot on your own, make sure to get more than one shot from every angle just to give yourself or the editor a little freedom to pick from a selection. After my distance shots, I pulled up next to the stadium and got shots all around the place. As somewhat of a novice to video I find it hard sometimes to picture what I want to get from my shots but I think I have gotten better at it.

I arrived back at the Enquirer Building after my shoot just in time to assist with two "WOTY" video shoots. It truly is fun to be able to listen to these women talk about what they do and why they do it. The videos have looked great so far as well.

The next assignment involved having to ingest and begin editing raw video of the Cincinnati Reds' first day of spring training. One of our photographers is down in Florida covering the event and has been sending us tape after tape for us to put videos together. It's really cool to see how close of access the team gives our photographer. He is one of the more known in the field in Cincinnati so they really give him free reign to do his work.

Finally, I was sent four videos to convert from .wmv files to .flv files to be put on the Cincinnati.com Web site. So I did that and put together thumbnails and descriptions of each video.

By that time, it was already 6 p.m. and ready to head out. Like I said, it is amazing to be able to work all day and have nine hours fly by in the blink of an eye. Those are the type of days I hope to have when I finally find my "real job" after college.

Keeping Statistics

2009-02-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

So today was one of those days when there wasn't a great deal of news stories going on in Cincinnati. When these kind of days come around, there are plenty of things to do to catch up on other work. One thing that always seems to never end: keeping statistics for the Web site.

Yes, that is one great thing about the Internet. We can analyze the stories people are most interested in reading about and make an attempt to increase stories of that type. Of course, since we are a news publication we can't just make the news but we can come out with feature stories or focus on other news stories that increase interest. It isn't quite an exact science yet, but some day it will be.

Well, like I said, today was one of those statistic days. I had to put together a portfolio compiling every video watched since 2006. I then had to put together total views for each year as well as views per video. Yeah, exciting stuff. But they have to get done and that's what the intern is there for. We complete the stuff that no one else has any interest doing.

So, nothing too exciting today but that happens. I did help set up the studio for the "Women of the Year" shoot that takes place tomorrow. So I should have a pretty interesting post to provide tomorrow. I must be getting to bed because the life of an intern at a news publication begins pretty early in the morning.

Tip of the Week: Be humble.

2009-02-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

As we all know, we are very lucky to get such a great journalistic education at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. We will come out of school with a great education that could put us at an advantage among other schools. It could. But it does not mean we have the experience to flaunt anything we have done during our college years. This is my first installment of "Tip of the Week," and I feel this may be the most important as you are working an internship.

Going into your first internship can be intimidating. You may also feel as if you are overqualified for an internship depending on the size and popularity of the publication you are working with. Let me tell you this to bring you down from cloud nine: you are not overqualified for any publication during your first internship. Do not go into your internship as if they should be throwing rose petals at your feet or bowing as you walk by.

In fact, expect them to not really treat you any different than anyone else. They may not even treat you that well. There could be a chance, depending on your internship, that you will be the lowest level of life in the building. So don't go around tooting your horn, so to speak.

Go in with an open mind and an open heart. Be ready to take on any project, even if that project involves just making copies and getting coffee. The internship is THE most important part of your college education. It is the best type of education you will get. Don't blow it by acting like you run the place.

Remember... YOU'RE the intern

2009-02-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

When you get to work for a place that treats you as if you are a staff member and not an intern, you begin to get used to acting like a staff member. But of course, every now and then, they will give you a couple assignments that bring you right back to earth. That is when it dons on you: you are the intern; the bottom rung; lower than low.

That happened yesterday for me. I worked my normal shift, getting into work around nine and working until five. I shot a video and helped with the editing and cataloging of videos for most of the rest of the day. Normal work, right?

Well, this is where the official internship role showed up. From six till nine last night, I had to record a board meeting for "Enquirer Media." Lets just say I went into journalism because business and board meetings were not my cup of tea. But, as the intern, these are the kind of things you have to do. I even went back to the Enquirer last night to edit the audio cast and email it to all the board members. I didn't get out of there until midnight.

But hey, these are the things you have to do to stand out. I've already received emails from five of the board members thanking me for the effort. They said they really admired my work. That's why I do those things. Getting the attention of the board is something that could really be beneficial in the future.

So, if you are still griping about all the grunt work you have to do as an intern, relax. It'll all be worth it once we are working our dream jobs.

Man on the Street Interviews

2009-02-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

As promised, I want to discuss a little thing called the "man on the street" interview. These can be some of the easiest, or hardest, interviews to do. This basically involves having to randomly go up to someone and ask them a question. These can prove to be very difficult if the videographer is shy or hesitant to go up to random people. It is important to be able to get over that fear because a majority of the interviews that take place in this field are usually "man on the street" interviews.

Yesterday I did a "man on the street" interview to gauge people's reactions to President Obama's first address to the country. I went up to about 30 people and was able to get 11 quality answers. This percentage really is not too bad. There have been times when it has taken more than that to get even a few good answers. It really all depends on the people and the question. Some days it just seems that people are not in the mood to answer questions. I was actually chewed out for the first time in a "man on the street" interview about a week ago. I hadn't done anything but approach the man, but he must have been having a bad day. Of course at the time, it really did shake me up, but I know that these kind of things will happen again so I got over it fairly quick.

The only advice I can really give with these types of interviews is to be friendly and engaging. By letting these people know that they can be part of a great video can give them incentive to lend their voice. It is also important to look at a person before you approach them. A lot of the time you can see by their demeanor whether they will even be worth the effort.

These are my thoughts on the "man on the street" interview. They can be a blessing and a curse but always stay optimistic about them.

Some thoughts of the first half of my internship

2009-02-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

This should have been something I should have started earlier. I am aware of that, but I will start from the beginning recapping anything and everything I have done during my internship with The Cincinnati Enquirer. I will attempt to update this every single day in an attempt to make up for lost time. I will catalog everything I have learned and everything that I still need to get better at.

Let me first explain the opening days of my internship. I was very nervous to begin working in a real-world work environment. I didn't think I was ever going to be able to calm down enough to be a productive part of the team. They made sure to get me ready. My very first day there, they gave me a camera and directions to a location where I would be doing my first shoot. Now, to be completely honest, I hadn't had much experience with camera work before this internship. I have learned that there are many more things to know about camera work than just to point and shoot. For example, I have learned that you should always hold your shot for 10 seconds. Always let the motion happen in front of you- don't try to make things happen by overworking the camera. For the most part it is good to have nice, tight shots of people. Always fill the entire screen. These are just a few of the things that I have learned.

Luckily a photographer went along with me on my first shoot or I think I may have come back with a lot less than what I needed. Michael Keating, a photographer for the Enquirer, gave me very blunt, constructive criticism. He told me angles I should be getting and and ways to go about shooting the event. Many people would shy away from constructive criticism, but I revel in it. I know that I am no expert by a long shot. I love being able to work with people that have tons of years of experience to tutor and instruct me.

Well, I need to run but I will be sure to recap more of my internship tonight. I'm about to go do a "man on the street" video at the moment so I will share some of my thoughts on those type of videos later.