fshorr's blog

Versatility. Quality writing. Confidence. Tenacious reporting. Patience.

Four facets. On paper, they seem simple to achieve. In reality, I don’t know that I could truthfully say that I possess sufficient quantities of them all.

But after absorbing the advice from our guests Greg Lang and Katarina Luketich, it has become evident to me that, in order for success to emerge on my horizon, I soon will.
Panicked? You could say that I am.

Unlike Luketich, whose boldness and courage I respect tremendously, I have not yet reached the point where I feel my skills merit many post-undergraduate job opportunities. However, contradictory as it may be, I’ll be the first to admit that the prospect of packing up for a middle-of-nowhere town is fantastically unappealing.

After all, I ventured to Boston from Texas. Returning to similar circumstances would almost feel like a failure.

Which, of course, it isn’t. It’s a stepping stone – a respectable and necessary one. Still, I find myself unable to displace my longing to bypass it.

I wonder if soon, the avenues around the traditional highway of journalism, in both print and television, will be circumvented. After all, sports media outlets such as Bleacher Report and SB Nation are providing people of our age opportunities to showcase their work on a national scale. Similarly, outside of sports, far-reaching companies like Buzzfeed and Complex are hiring young talent straight out of the gate.

The nature of the work options available to us, too, has possibly shifted the well-worn path. Bill Simmons’ pioneered couch reporting and Katie Nolan’s comedic, biased vlogging has sparked a legion of new perspectives on the means by which one can contribute to the sports conversation.

With social media and the nature of virility and popularity, virtually anyone can forge their own way, much like former guests Joon Lee and Jared Carrabis have.

Even Lang conceded that, given a talented enough writer/reporter, large market outlets such as the Boston Globe would consider a candidate with non-traditional experience – a former published blogger with no small-paper experience. Considering the mass shift to an online world, and the evolving styles of writing, it isn’t all that surprising.

But it isn’t quite there yet. As much as I’ll admit his validation of such a trend was precisely what I wanted to hear (particularly as someone aspiring to bridge that gap), I acknowledge that the credibility of these online outlets has not quite reached the point of seamless (or semi-seamless) transition into a paper such as the Globe. While there will inevitably be some who successfully make the transition or even invent their own brand of writing or reporting, they will be in the vast minority.
And perhaps that’s OK.

Based upon Luketich’s tale of transition, I’ve come to a realization that experiences hold value outside of simply reinforcing an existing skill set. Even SportsCenter’s Rob King experienced a mid-career swap when he moved on from his cartooning aspirations.

In fact, I believe that, before even graduating, I have become enlightened to other possible avenues for myself – namely, advertising.

“It’s important to give everything a chance,” she said. This summer, by interning at an agency, that’s precisely what I’ll be doing.

Because whatever I pursue, I want to ensure that it’s what I truly want. As Luketich explained, taking less-resistant winding paths as a substitute for more strenuous, direct roads does not always lead to the same outcome.

For quite some time, I assumed that, should I be meant to pursue journalism versus advertising (or vice-versa), I could always make a shift. Should I have an interest in broadcasting, I could swap over from writing. But as evidenced by Luketich’s friend, locked into a producing position when she’d rather be reporting, that most likely will not be the case.

Regardless of the route, one thing is abundantly clear: it isn’t about us.

Forging long-term relationships with sources, explaining the value we bring to employers… from newbies to veterans and anywhere in the country, it seems that our biggest priority will be catering to those we need (including our audience) – a sentiment echoed by our guests as well as Professor Shorr. People tuning in or reading deserve the best as well.

Which, in a sense, recycles my earlier points about beginning as a big fish in a shallower pond. It isn’t about me, and particularly not about my ego.

“Embrace being low man on the totem pole,” said Lang. And if versatility truly is the name of the game as he so conveyed, then it seems as if being low man will be the ideal way to garner that quality.

In fact, after hearing from Luketich, it’s apparent that the intermediate phases which await us are meant to be ideal ways to garner many of the aforementioned qualities.

“Your first job won’t be your last job,” said Lang. Although I, like I’m sure many others, have far greater aspirations than local coverage, I recognize that its value cannot be overstated.

Stepping stones serve to provide us safe passage to our ultimate goals, and while I would love to jump over them, I have no intention of tumbling all the way back down.

When I was looked through Katarina Luketich’s resume and experience during her time at BU before class, I thought it looked eerily similar to mine.

Both Luketich and I have been a sideline reporter for Boston Neighborhood Network, rinkside reporter for BU hockey, sports intern for WHDH Channel 7, and reporter/producer for butv10. So when Luketich told our class how prepared she felt when she took her first job, I immediately felt relieved. If she had the same experience I have and has been able to succeed, then it gives me confidence that I can do the same.

I have never been a small town kind of girl. I grew up in a suburb of Connecticut with a pretty large population. I spend my freshman year at the College of Charleston and left to come to BU because Charleston was too small. Now, I will be lucky if I can live in a city as large as Charleston when I graduate, and I’ve come to terms with that.

Before my senior year I never thought I would want to move to a remote area to work in a small market. I figured I could get my foot in the door at a bigger station and be a production assistant and move my way up there. It wasn’t until this year that I really decided that my passion is on camera reporting. Being able to tell visual stories and going out in the field to interact with people definitely beat sitting in an office and stacking a show to me. I never would have known that though without the experience I gained at my internships and classes.

Now, I am excited to move to a small market and further my experience in reporting. Luketich said that many of the other reporters hate living in a small town and it shows in their work. Having a good attitude about working in a small market almost will allow you to move on to a bigger market more quickly. If you have a good attitude, you’ll create better packages and newscasts that you can send on to bigger markets down the line. Also, as Timmy said, small markets allow reporters to learn how to create relationships with players, coaches and people in a small town. Creating and keeping these relationships are crucial at any level, and being able to start out in a smaller town is beneficial.

Our other guest, Greg Lang, also started out at a small paper and believes his experience there was valuable. He said he never imagined that he would be the assistant sports editor of the Globe, and that just further demonstrates how every job is a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Lang also highlighted the importance of letting potential employers know what you can bring and how you will make their lives better and easier. I will definitely be bringing this piece of advice to any of my job interviews from here on out.

This seminar reminded me of something Dalen Cuff said a couple weeks ago; “Follow your passion. You can suppress it as long as you want but in the end it’ll win out or you’ll be miserable.” This quote really echoed with me and it is definitely relevant to anybody who wants to be on air or a producer, but is nervous about moving to a small market. For me, I’d rather follow my passion now and move somewhere new when I’m young than stay in a city, have years go by and always wonder to myself “what if?” So this seminar definitely reiterated for me that moving to a small market is beneficial.

As someone at Channel 7 told me, “Think of it as grad school!” But at this grad school, you get paid.

I walked out of last week’s sports seminar class, where Katarina Luketich and Greg Lang spoke to us, feeling hopeful. To me, the biggest take-away was this: start small and it will benefit you.

Katarina mentioned that she learned everything she needed to know for her job in the BU program. She also noted that she did cop out and do some of the easier stories for class assignments, like activities on campus or using friends as interview subjects. And I have to admit, I’ve done the same. So to see her thriving in her career as an anchor in a smaller market makes me excited to know that a successful, enjoyable career is indeed attainable with the skills we acquire at BU.

Greg talked a good deal about the opportunities available at smaller papers and how to apply the experience and skills you have to a smaller market. He also said that at larger papers, it’s good to develop a kind of specialty to set you apart from the rest. I think smaller markets are the way to start developing these specialties. Not only do you have the reign to do things you wouldn’t be able to do in a larger market, but you are getting exposure to areas of news you may not have been familiar with before. And you might find that you have a particular interest in something you never knew about before. This might become your specialty.

One last thing I took away from seminar was that in our first job, we probably won’t be doing one specific job. We will most likely be juggling multiple jobs. I think that as long as the benefits of the job overshadow the sometimes hefty or widespread workload, then it would all be worth it.

While I know all the jobs not only in sports journalism, but in nearly any field are in the middle of nowhere, I’ve moved so many times in my life thus far that I’m not ready to do it quite yet. I love Boston—which comes as no surprise I’m sure—and plan to stay here for a while doing whatever job I can land within the city limits.
As I’m sure smaller markets are great places to learn a craft, I think smaller companies in a big city are also a good way to go, and a good way to exercise your creative freedom and make mistakes. Just like in any profession, we as seniors can’t expect to land the perfect job out of college, but I don’t necessarily think we need to pack our bags and head for Kansas. We just need to be patient. Just because we’ve worked so hard for the past four years at BU does not mean the work is done. Our first job is only the beginning of a presumably stagnant career we all have ahead of us.
Naturally, we all know that getting your start is all about who you know—which is why I don’t necessarily think it’s out of the question for someone in our sports seminar class to land a journalism gig in Boston instead of Mississippi out of college. We’ve gotten to interact on a personal level with upwards of 15 working professionals, some of which one of us was bound to make an impression on. The field of communications—PR and journalism alike—is all about who you know and exercising those connections. Which honestly, isn’t too difficult. If you respect everyone you come in contact with, and do your work well, people will notice, and people will vogue for you.
Though Greg Lang and Katarina Luketich raved about all they learned in a small market—I think we should be able to shoot for the stars and not settle for the no-name market. But this might mean going for a job you never would have considered.
I recently had an interview with a man who was a sports editor for the Daily Times Chronicle years back, and in the interview he expressed his concern with the interview question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” because thinking about where you want to be in the future closes your mind off to opportunities you otherwise would have taken—he for example, ended up working in tech PR. It sounds like Lang said something along the same lines last week advising our class to “go with the flow” because now is the time to take risks and see where life takes us.
With the semester winding down and graduation fast approaching, I’m ready to take my next step in my life, and mark my words, it will be in Boston.

It might be different for me as a graduate student then for an undergrad. I’ve already lived in the “real world” for a few years. I’ve lived many other places than my hometown and state. I know what it is like to have to have two extra jobs and scrounge for quarters in the couch to pay for jobs.

So going to some small town in the middle of who- know’s- where USA is alright with me. Katarina Luketich frankness about her salary was nice to here. That is not a lot of money. But it let’s be realistic, this is her first job.

So what I took away from Luketich and Greg Lang is two things: luck and confidence. I’ve heard the word “lucky” tossed around a lot when professionals have talked in many of my classes. “I was lucky I ran into this person……”, “Luckily, it just fell into my lap….”. So many instances, and in Lang’s case this applies slightly, coincidence and knowing the right people have made people’s careers. I don’t know if I feel negatively or positively about this trend. But either way I think it demonstrates it never hurts who you keep in contact with, make contact with and always capitalize on the smallest chances.

Secondly, be confident. I think I need to really trust that what I have learned here in this program is a sufficient building block for a career. That is scary. Like I’ve said, I know what the “real world” is like. And when you leave that nice, coddled, cocoon of school you better be confident in your school set. Luketich really pushed me to have faith in the courses I have took and the skills I am learning. So far, I have learned that journalism requires some natural talent but most of it is applying your knowledge and skills as best you can.

So here is to being confident that something will give me a small, lucky break somewhere down the road and to being confident in what BU has taught us.

“What are your plans after graduation?”

This is probably the best and worst question to ask a graduating senior depending on their situation. It’s similar to that time when you were deciding on college and your family wouldn’t stop nagging you about what school you were choosing.

So, here I am again with decisions to make. What am I going to do after graduation? Well, I still have no idea, but it was a relief knowing that Katarina Luketich had no idea either until 10 days after graduation. That’s all it takes. One call and it was off to Biloxi, Mississippi.

I always thought broadcast journalism was what I was going to do, but for a while now I’ve been on two paths simultaneously; journalism and higher education. Now I’m stuck at a crossroads. What passion do I pursue? What if I take the wrong path?

“Don’t limit yourself by what you’re thinking right now, what you want to do. Go with the flow a little bit. I would encourage you to be someone who’s willing to change direction…”

Hearing this advice from Greg Lang helped me put into perspective that no path is the wrong path. Every decision you make is a step toward the future. Right now I know that I want to stay in Boston if I can, so I guess that’s putting journalism on hold for a little bit. I’m not too worried about getting rusty because the fundamentals are there and I still plan on perfecting my craft in journalism while pursuing higher education.

Before I plunge into a world of instability and low income, I want to establish myself as a young working professional and pay off some of my student loans. It may come as a surprise to people who have known me for a while and my dreams of become a reporter, but things change. People may say I’m making a mistake or I’m doing this backwards, but one thing I know for sure is that this is my future and I have the ability to make it into what I want it to be.

Right now I am in the process of interviews for higher education positions and it’s been an exciting time for me. The pieces are coming together and it’s allowed me to feel less stressed with life after graduation. I’m looking forward to what life has in store for me and the rest of my classmates.

I think Boston University has prepared me for the real world. I’ve embraced every opportunity that BU has had to offer; now it’s my time to use these skills to shine.

It’s safe to say I’m in the midst of a quarter life crisis. I am graduating from the school that I love, in a major that I love, with people that I love. The last four years have actually been the best of my life, and in a few short weeks, all of that is about to change.

Next fall, I won’t be an undergrad anymore. I’ll be a graduate student focusing on my broadcast journalism abilities in a master’s program, while trying to juggle playing my fifth year of college soccer. I am starting to have that “Did I make the right decision” feeling- just like four years ago when I graduated high school.

So, what did I do? I called the only person who knows how to calm me down. My mom.

And, of course, she was able to put things into perspective for me because she is the best person on this planet. (I may be a little bias)

I told her about our last seminar and what Katarina Luketich said about her first real job as a broadcaster. I told her how worried I was about making enough money post graduation to live on my own, about how competitive the market is, and that I didn’t know if I could do it.

Her reply: A smooth sea never made for a skilled sailor.

I sat for a second and listened to her talk more about her experience after graduating from Syracuse and immediately moving to Boston. She didn’t know what her plan was, but that she obviously made it out OK. Then I thought of Katarina and her experience moving all the way to Mississippi and having to learn how to budget money, while finding her passion for news reporting.

After talking to my mom and reading the comments, in particular, Anna’s experience as a graduate student, I realized that the saying is true. If we all had jobs waiting after graduation in big markets, we would never learn the little things. We hear Professor Shorr say it all the time: we will learn the tricks of the trade in smaller markets, and he is right. We won’t just be in front of the camera. We’ll be cutting, writing, producing, and doing standups all on our own.

Every journey has a starting point, and ours is an ocean. The harder we work, the more we grind our way through the tides, the easier the swim becomes. Eventually, if we are determined and committed, we could end up on the shore, of New York, Boston, or California.

Now, after reflecting and taking a breath, I feel relieved. We have to realize that hard work eventually does pay off, and like we talked about, you’re never stuck in a profession. Go after your dream even if it doesn’t go exactly the way you plan it. Take chances and take risks- jump in with both feet.

A stormy sea makes for a damn good captain.

Like timmy, wasn’t sure at first

I agree with professor Shorr, and many of the speakers we’ve heard from this semester, that we may have to just deal with moving to somewhere remote. I also agree that this type of move can ultimately be what’s best for us as young reporters, as we’re afforded more leniency and can practice through trial and error.

As far as moving to somewhere remote, personally, I don’t have a problem with it. I’m a small town guy and love tight knit communities. I love cities too, but I’ve spent so much time of my life deep in the sticks that, while leaving would be hard, I’d be well equipped to deal with life off the grid.

Everyone shows up to college or grad school with this dream idea that school is their ticket to the big, flashy jobs that will validate all this money / time / effort that they’ve put in over the last few years. And, like Timmy said, I was a little unsure at first when it was made clear to me that the reality is you’ll probably have to go some where random. But as the year’s gone on, and I’ve spoken to and heard from numerous people who’ve worked in these small markets, I feel comfortable and, to some extent, excited about the idea of working off the gird for A while.

BUT

You should absolutely approach your job search with the idea what everything I just said, and that everyone has told you, is total bullshit.

Sure, you may not get that job at the globe or ESPN. But you need to try like hell to do it anyway. It doesn’t matter the profession, if you don’t at least take the time to apply to these types of big gigs, then you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Sure, you may not be ready, but who cares.

I recently made it to the final round of interviews for a job as a paid, credentialed Red Sox reporter at Comcast Sports Net. It’s not ESPN, but it’s a pretty damn good start for someone out of school.

Journalistically speaking, and from an experience standpoint, I’m definitely not qualified for a gig like that. But through meeting the right people and networking, I was introduced to the opportunity, and I let my passion for the Red Sox and willingness to learn lead the way, and it almost got me the job. In fact, if just one random, more experienced person from out of town hadn’t stumbled upon the job, I probably would’ve gotten it. All because I said screw it, let’s try this.

I have every intention of pursuing these types of jobs as my time at BU progresses, but I’m also aware that I need to be sending out feelers and applying to places out of town, incase I need a backup.

Especially for print people, the avenue to the job you want is a little more realistic, even more so given our adeptness with technology. Jason Mastrodonato, the Sox beat guy at the Herald, worked high school dayside at the globe (an easy job to get if you just e-mail / show up), got an internship with MLB that’s really not that complicated to get either, plus allows you to work remotely, then took a step up to mass live because he was ready, then made sure he killed it, and got the job he dreamed of.

That took more hard work than luck, on his part. Which all of us are more than capable of.