Thanksgiving Thanks

In honor of Thanksgiving, I want to take time to reflect what I am thankful to have in my life.

- Health: I have no problems that can prohibit me from doing what I want to do
- Being able to do what I love and study what I love: Not everyone knows what they love and sometimes cannot do what they want to do
- Reliable car: My life is busy and I love that I have a car to keep up with my life
-  A loving husband: I have someone who thinks I am the greatest thing in the world and will do anything for me - He encourages me, pushes me, and I love him just the same
- Being able to attend the top school for my degree: So many people apply, I was one that was accepted
- Having a way to make money: I can provide for myself and my husband
- Being a military wife: At times its hard, but I love a challenge
- Having a house, husband, and dogs: George - Whiny but I love it; Niblet: You're so happy and carefree which makes me happy; and Daniel: My heart
- Knowing God: I am saved!
- Playing the violin
- Family that are alive and well
- Food and shelter
- Video games: Love playing and relaxing that way
- Friends: Couldn't do it without you
- Computer and cameras
- Clothes and shoes
- Organization skills
- People who fight for my freedom

I am thankful for everything. I am thankful I am who I am, what I have been done, and what I will be able to do. For those that don't understand me, be thankful you are not me.

Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy family, food, and friends and I encourage everyone to find what makes them thankful for their lives - Be the change you wish to see in the world ~ Gandhi.

Trust in Journalism

Trust is the friend." - Unknown

Simple but important quote.

Trust is important in any job, any setting, any relationship, and any setting. Trust builds a network and a bond between people. People are great assets. When you do not build that trust, you miss out on valuable information.

In school, I recently did a role play between the law school, PR department, and journalism.  The role play was about a bunch of lawyers who were representing a case regarding a medicine company who did not clearly label the risks of the drug. The lawyers presented their release and the journalists (the group I was in) asked questions. Our questions often came off as deceiving. We seemed to come off as an attacker but yet we were trying to find the truth.

We did not get to talk before hand so our trust was limited. We barely knew each other and had to go off initial impression.

There will be times you do not get to know your source before the story. More often than not, you will do stories that you do not get to know people. So how do you build trust?

Trust is important because you can build negotiations skills, you can know the source is telling the truth, you build a relationship, and the source and the journalist can understand each other better. These may get you better information and a better story.

Always start with your simple questions and be friendly and encouraging. Always begin with How is your day? If a source says they are having a bad day, be human. Ask why and how you can help. Even ask if the source would rather meet another day if your story will let you.

As you get the relationship established, ask those harder questions as the interview goes on. If you begin tough, you scare the person away. If you notice the source is having trouble with a question, encourage him, rephrase the question, and let him now you are listening. Listening is a hard technique. Not only do you prove by a head nod but you must rephrase and offer encouragement. If a person feels you have their best interest, you will get the best story. And they will let you put those heartfelt moments on camera because they feel they can trust you in crafting their story.

And if you can and will be working on a story that will take weeks and months to produce, try to build that relationship. Meet without the camera a few times. Coffee, lunch, or whatever you can do to truly know your source. Get to know them. Your story quality and journalistic ability relies on it.
Now once you establish this trust, it is important to craft the story using the correct portrayal. Make sure you understand what a person is saying. For example, say I was doing a story about Devon Miller (made up character for purpose of example) who lost a home in a tornado. She is sad, mad, and confused about her loss. She says that God must have punished her for her actions. Don't say: Devon Miller is sad she can't trust God... She didn't say that. She said she was mad and sad at something, not necessarily God. Clarify and make sure your story will want to make your source want to do another story in the future. And make sure your viewers understand and can trust that you gave them the best and correct portrayal. Because if your source isn't happy, worst thing she can do is call your boss and your boss makes you publicly admit your error - there went your trust.

Don't lie. Always tell the source what you are doing. If you are interviewing her because you need information about a bad choice a company made, do not just say I want to talk to you about the company. Tell her / him the full plan and keep no secrets. Trust is ruined by lies and secrets.

I can go on about trust. I can also go on about the art of crafting a good story. I cannot stress the importance of trust in any interaction.

Journalism is a people business. We serve the people. We interact with people. If we cannot trust our people and the people cannot trust us, we have failed at our career.

The Missouri School of Journalism. A Leap of Risk.

Risk. Scary, motivating, a test, progressing, change...

Growing up in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado my entire life, I applied to colleges around the country not knowing my decision if I did get into my schools of choice. Would I stay in state with my family and what I knew and loved? I love Colorado. Every season, there is beauty and something to do. Summers were spent hiking to the top of peaks and winters would be spent zooming down those same peaks on skis.

I hated the University of Colorado as it was huge and not what I wanted. I had stayed on campus over the summer as part of a pre-collegiate program but just didn't feel like it was the place for me.

I got my acceptance from Missouri in the mail. The top journalism school had just accepted me into their program. I had no idea how my parents felt about me going out of state, even though they would not help me pay for my education. I did not even know I felt. I spent weeks reflecting and although took a huge risk without visiting Mizzou, I was going to pack my bags from a major city to a rural farm setting. Well Columbia is not quite rural but it certainly was not the big city life I knew. Little did I know, my decision would prove worthy and even favorable.

My aunt and I packed up her car and off we drove me to college Fall of 2009. I was a freshman. Not sure what to expect and I was ready to explore a new place.

I arrived and stayed in the cheapest and oldest dorm that Missouri had. What was neat about that dorm was I would be the last person to stay in it. They were going to tear it down after this year. As a result, we were able to paint and do anything we wanted to at that old dorm.

Just as I got settled down, I met Daniel, my soul mate. While I didn't expect to be married in college, I just went with the flow of the situation. We grew together for the first year and after deep discussion we decided it was right to go ahead and marry.

I learned that Missouri allowed me to gain in-state tuition and residency if I paid for the first year out-of-state. That first year was a pinch but surprisingly was just as expensive as CU Boulder in-state. I was not losing money by making my decision. In the end, I actually saved more once I gained in-state tuition. I was going to a better school for my degree and it was a great value.

I also knew my risk had a pricey tuition but other than that did not come with much cost. I knew if I hated the experience, it was a transfer to another university and it would all be okay. I weighed this option in choosing Missouri. And a once in a lifetime chance to graduate from the leading journalism school was too much to turn down, even if I moved farther East than any of my family ever has. I learned risks were not that bad.

I went to all my classes and had my first nights on the town. The small town life was different and I miss city life but I still love the experience. And I loved my classes and professors and being a Tiger! I am graduating a semester early and cannot see what risk moving to San Diego, California may provide me, as that is where my husband will be stationed in the navy. Who knows, I will become the next TV Star reporting the news everyday.

I am thankful for my grandpa who actually made this college dream possible by helping pay for tuition. He helped me along with student aid which made this all possible. Before him, I had applied to scholarships upon scholarships, while although good, was competitive and after hours of time, I may only receive one. My parents screwed me over until Daniel as they made too much money to qualify for federal aid and did not help pay for school, but they still claimed me on those taxes. In the end, marriage proved beneficial in this aspect also.

And it's all because I took a risk. One that proved worthy.
--