Apparently there's supposed to be an exit interview before the internship is officially over, but since December 10 has come and gone, I've already thrown in the towel. Yesterday's Spin Burger piece was it.
There was a girl who came in for her interview last week who had to do the same little test that I did back in August--the one with details about an incident involving a runaway pack of dogs, which you were supposed to turn into a news article. Colleen was sure to remind her that she had thirty minutes. Thinking back, I can't tell how much they're judging content and how much they're testing your ability to write under pressure. I'm pretty sure mine sucked, but at least I got it done in under twenty.
I remember my first couple of days being really worried about meeting everyone. Not that I didn't want to--it was that I really wanted to. I saw in these people paths toward my future. Connections. References for future interviews. I had suddenly surrounded myself with very smart and ambitious people. So when I was sitting at the intern table, sometimes with other quiet interns, sometimes alone, I'd always be aiming for eye contact with the employees, hoping for some interaction. It felt like the whole reason I was there.
And then I wrote my first article about the "Taste of History" event at Sutter's Fort.
That thing was ripped apart entirely. I had to re-do interviews. I had to dive deeper in my research. I had to figure out menus, recipes, chef names, sponsor names, and every other fact I could find out about this single charity event. My paragraphs were highlighted with corrections and sentences crossed out entirely. Questions from my editors were put in (parenthesis) asking me for information I hadn't gotten.
It was then that I realized my focus wouldn't be on socializing--my concern would be figuring out how to write like the reporter Sacramento Press wanted me to be. No long paragraphs--short, quick sentences. A little bit of personalization is encouraged, but without giving opinion. Take lots of photos. Get lots of interviews. Use a couple big words. This was not going to be anything like my college creative writing workshops.
I definitely learned how to write like a reporter, but I've yet to master it. The creative writer within me was constantly fighting against the voice-less tone of my articles. I learned by trial and error. I'd do something wrong once and fix it immediately and never do it again. There was a good amount of self-direction demanded by this internship, and I was proud of myself for meeting the challenge. What I know I still lack is 100% confidence (I'd say I'm at about 75%). So more practice should help. I can't decide if journalism is a life path I want to follow. Why shouldn't it be? I liked it, didn't I?
I do wish I'd gotten more badges.
In total, I wrote 32 official articles.
Most liked:
(18) Councilman walks out of chicken discussion
(9) Local businesses show voter appreciation this Tuesday
(8) River City Food Bank opens door to new location
(7) Richard Simpson shares film of Sacramento's historic skid row
(7) New clothing boutique open on Capitol Avenue
Most commented:
(31) Councilman walks out of chicken discussion
(11) Chilly weather no concern for 17th Run to Feed the Hungry
(9) Richard Simpson shares film of Sacramento's historic skid row
(5) Allan Hida shares experience with Japanese internment camps
(4) River City Food Bank opens door to new location
Most disliked:
(-6) Mex 200 brings comedy, dancing, heritage to Sacramento
(-2) Homeless forum tackles community concerns about homelessness
(-2) District 5 candidate Jay Schenirer leads City Council race
(-2) Global Work Party aims to provoke positive changes
(-2) Political collectibles show to highlight Jerry Brown
Most memorable:
5. Madeleine Albright's talk at the Mondavi Center
4. The workshops
3. The Kings game
2. The intern appreciation dinner at Lucca's
1. The joy of typing "My name is Chris Fryer and I'm a reporter with the Sacramento Press" as the opening line of every e-mail
Dane and Mariel were the only other interns I really got to know at all. Nice people. I hope the best for them in their future, sure that they're just as clueless as I am.
As for other staff--the people I looked up to so highly in the beginning--I didn't really get to know any of them. There just wasn't enough time. I think Brandon and Colleen liked me, overall, and I doubt they'd have anything but nice things to say about me--especially for a beginner with a full-time job. And I got a few good moments with David Barton, the chief editor. Didn't really move any further up the ladder than that.
It ended quietly. I figure the exit interview will be next week sometime.
I'm looking forward to some legitimate days off.
- Left to Fry
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