The First Time Out

I felt a lot of anxiety reporting for my first story. Seeing it in print motivated me to get over my worries 

and began my love affair with newsgathering.

Image by Brandon T. Bisceglia.

Stories for the first issue of Horizons were assigned on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Since Housatonic Community College would be closed for President’s Day on Monday, Feb. 18, the Publications class would not meet again until a week later. By then, working drafts would be due.

The day after the assignments were given, I thought about the amount of time Pub I students would be on their own with their stories. I thought about my own early experiences on the paper. That evening, I sent this email:

Hi, Pub I Students:

I hope you have had success in your early reporting for your assigned stories.

I know this can be a difficult process, especially your first time out. Dave, the other editors, and I have all been through the same experience. Please don't hesitate to contact any of us if you have questions or problems. You can find our contact information on the Spring 2013 Horizons Staff Contact List.

Although we've talked about it in class, it's worth mentioning again that the earlier you get started, the easier things will be. There are often bumps in the road, even for the most experienced of journalists. So don't expect to get everything done at the last moment, and don't expect your work to be perfect. Reporting is something that can only be learned through practice, and that learning never ends.

Whatever happens, don't get discouraged. You have a team to support you.

Good luck, and enjoy the weekend!

I remember my first reporting experience. I wrote two stories my first time out. The first was a fairly standard story about the parking problems that perpetually plague the college’s garage. The other was a story about a show featuring Russian artists at City Lights Gallery, located a block away from HCC in downtown Bridgeport. I still think the headline was clever, if a little wordy. It read, “From St. Petersburg to Your Doorstep: Four Russian Artists on Display at Bridgeport Gallery.”

It was a warm, sunny afternoon on the day I walked in the gallery to cover the story. There were few other people in the gallery. I watched a man behind the counter from the corner of my eye. He must be in charge, I thought. I should talk to him.

Before doing that, I looked at each piece in turn, taking down  notes from the information on the labels next to the works. After I’d worked my way around the periphery of the room, I snapped a few pictures of my favorites.

I should talk to the man.

But I wasn’t ready yet. I was not particularly savvy when it came to social matters, and was completely uncertain about what to say. I had a list of questions with me, yet I couldn’t think of how to approach the first step: introducing myself. In my head, I rehearsed different wordings for what I would say.

I wandered over to a table covered in literature about upcoming shows and rifled through those for a few minutes. Then I made my way to the front desk, where there were some art-related trinkets and postcards on display. I looked through those to buy myself more time.

Eventually I gathered up enough courage to talk to the man. There was nothing else to look at, and given how long I’d spent in the gallery already I could not bear the thought of leaving without meeting my primary objective.

My anxiety turned out to be unwarranted. He was both polite and forthcoming. By the time I left, I had a number of useful quotes for my story. Elated at my success, I went home to begin writing the article.

I still have moments before talking with someone new when I feel a pang of the same social anxiety I felt that day. I’ve learned to ignore it, though. Over the last several years, I’ve had to approach hundreds of people to answer all kinds of questions in many different circumstances. Not all of those experiences have been under friendly circumstances, but nothing has ever happened to justify any hesitancy on my part. Talking with people for stories has taught me a lot about how to act in other social circumstances, both formal and informal. Basic interviewing skills have broad applications, from business meetings to personal conversations.

The first time, though, is always the hardest. I knew that many of the Pub I students would be finding that out for themselves during the week they had off from class. So I let them know that just because they were on their own did not mean they had to do everything alone.