The environment in the Chicago
Reader's newsroom is pretty quiet. People come in and do their work without a
ton of interaction between each other. It's odd, it's a stark contrast from the
Michigan Daily newsroom where people are chatting all the time. It's probably
the result of having so much content and such a small staff at the same time;
there is constantly work to be done and quickly.
Still, the staff was very receptive to me and was eager to
have me be involved. I worked most closely with Mick Dumke, a senior writer who
I think I’ve mentioned in previous posts. While I always had to be proactive in
asking for new opportunities, Mick was always willing to get me involved and
have me pitch story ideas.
Throughout the internship, I got to know Mick and the rest
of the staff much better through the Chicago-wide media softball league. The
Reader plays once a week against teams from the other news organizations in
Chicago (the Tribune, Wall Street Journal’s Chicago branch, NPR, etc.). It was
a great way to connect with the staff outside of work and made it easier for me
to approach them when we were all back in the office.
The Reader actually held an intern lunch where we could pick
the brains of the staff about journalism as a profession. As plenty of people know,
journalism is a rapidly changing industry and there are some grim opinions
about the future prospects for young writers. The staff very honestly told us
about their low pay and tough hours. However, they stressed that they love
their jobs and said if we feel the same way that we should absolutely pursue a
career in journalism.
It was very helpful to hear from the staff and talk to them
so candidly about the job. I’ve learned that if I do choose to go into
journalism, it will be a lot of tough work and that I have to be very
dedicated.
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