I’m Here…So Why not

Never in my life would I have found myself in a mud pit with “rednecks” driving
ATVs over hills while I dodge landmines (cow dung) trying to get a closer look. But that's what I got a chance to do.

This internship has given chances to do a lot of things I never thought I'd do. It's given me a love of nature. I went to the beach for the first time my first week here and I’m planning to go fishing for the first time as well. Each story puts me in an unfamiliar situation. Each one encourages me to try something new.

This week I wrote a story about a “don’t feed the pelicans law.” I have never seen a pelican up close. I had to go to a marina where this boat docks, and a fisherman by the name of Graham Reed fillets their fish, bags them in ice and gives them to the customers. It was cool to see how fast he does it and the crowds of pelicans looking for the scraps. I also saw him tackle a pelican, not to hurt it, but to remove a hook caught in its right breast (awwww).

It was cool. Surprisingly, he gave my photographer and me a bag of filleted fish that he was given. How cool is that?I’m ready for a fish fry. Oh yea, I going to try to take swimming lessons. I'll keep you posted.

Out of the Ordinary Day

I went into work today wearing cargo shorts, a T-shirt and a pair of New Balances, ready to report -- right?

Wrong.

Usually I wear something like a collared shirt and dress slacks, but today was different. This week I was working the business section. My assignment today was to shadow Laura, who reports on the tourism industry. She does a blog when traveling to new tourists spots in the area.

Today we were supposed to go to a new hiking trail dedication. Unfortunately, the email she said she sent me never came.

So there I was, in the office in cargo shorts, looking unprofessional, wondering where she was. I finally got in touch with her. It was 10:45 a.m. We were supposed to meet up 15 minutes before that. I Mapquested her directions, hit the road, and, of course, got lost. Twice. By the time I got to the trail, the tour was over.

But we hung around as she attempted to find wireless service in the wilderness. Afterwards we took our own tour along the trail. Needless to say, it was hot as the dickens. (Sorry I have to censor myself. lol.) This is the type of journalism I want to do.

On a side note: It was funny to see everyone’s face as I walked in today. There were squinted stares and sly comments. Many didn’t know I was going out to the trail today so they though I was, well... getting a little too comfortable. Even my executive editor was acting kind of funny. Which is weird, because there are plenty of reporters who come in everyday in jeans and tee shirts or shorts and tee shirts. It just reaffirmed that -- HEY, I am an intern, and I am expected to maintain certain decorum. One of those: “I haven’t made it yet” moments.

A senior writer actually came up to me and said, ‘If I didn’t know where you went today, I would of thought you were losing your mind. Soon you’d be reclining with your feet on the desk saying, ‘I don’t feel like doing that story today.'" It was funny. But not really, because it made me realize how under-the-microscope we are in the newsroom. Back to the slacks and dress shirts tomorrow.

Covering the Humble "Beat"

Most young journalists have spent the majority of their time in the campus newsroom. And so, we have, the Student Journalist Ego.

Think about it: Campus newsrooms are devoid of strict deadlines, giving writers the OPTION of writing stories. And so when the big news story IS eventually written, the student journalist is praised up one side and down the other by peers and professors alike, which can cause student journalists to become --- well, big headed. (And that’s without adding an internship to the resume)

But then you enter a real newsroom. And the individuals in that newsroom are not your peers, are not those professors who say, “It’s OK if you can’t write the story today..." These are mavens. They have been doing it longer than you by a long shot. At times they will help you out with pointers and tutorials. But that’s when you need to dilute that ego and take a big piece of that humble pie.

I’ve already had a handful of those moments. An editor tried to tutor me on how to use a digital camera. Well DUH! Then there was the editor who applauded me when I decided to shoot and edit my own online videos ... ummm, I already have five under my belt. There’s nothing wrong with relearning things you already know. It allows you to perfect the craft. Also, newsrooms journalists are more inclined to give tips and points to those open to their guidance as opposed to those who think they have made it...

So be humble. Because You haven't made it YET!!

Our Greatest Fear...

I had a three-day weekend after only two days of work. With that short vacation, I was able to meditate over my first story being an A1 centerpiece, my first front page story EVER. But instead of a feeling of triumph, I was scared.
How could I make it to the front page already?
What do I do now?
As they say, once you're at the top, there's no place to go but ... down. I'm not saying this front page was going to be the pinnacle of my internship, or even my journalistic career, but it set the bar fairly high, fairly early. All of a sudden the next 10 weeks looked like 1,680 hours of chances to disappoint my editors. The pressure is on.

A Sign of Things to Come

On May 19 I headed from Tallahassee to Fort Myers, a six-hour drive. When I made it to town around 10 p.m.-- CRASH!!! I was in a head-on collision. My car totaled, my body in tact. I;m not a theologian, but I at least know the warranty on prayer lasts at least six hours.
By Wednesday of that week, I finally got my rent-a-car. And as I drove from the hospital home, I was pulled over by the cops. According to them, I "looked like someone." They asked for my ID, and asked me if I had any brothers with the last name Isaac. When they were assured I was the person I was and not the other guy, they told me “stay out of trouble and have a nice day." Thursday May 22: My first day of work. I met all the editors, sat through meetings and was given two stories. The first was about the high gas prices and how they would affect Memorial Day traveling and summer plans. When I picked up the paper Saturday, my story was the A1 centerpiece.
An eventful week. Which I took as a sign that my summer was going to be a memorable one. Oh yeah -- that Saturday, I went to the beach for the first time. Ever.