One of the experiences I had
while I was in this program was an assignment in which I had to interview a
journalist. When I was first
presented with the project I became very nervous at the idea of interviewing a
distinguished journalist in the field.
What if I can’t find a journalist to call me back? What if they are
impatient with me? What if I froze in the middle of the call and didn’t know
what to say? I also was very
unsure as to what the purpose of the assignment was and what I was supposed to
be getting out of the experience.
Well in the end I realized that there is a lot to gain from this
experience and I’ll tell you why.
Throughout this program so far,
we have been taught the importance of building good relationships and the importance of networking in Public Relations.
Our future job will be to communicate with particular audiences on
behalf of an organization to help build stronger relationships between the
two. One of the most effective and
important ways we do this is through our contacts with the media. This means that journalists become very
important figures in this process, since we may have to talk to them on a
variety of subjects and provide information to them about the organization we
are representing. We have to get used to the idea of talking to people we may
not know, even though they may intimidate us or we may be nervous, because this
will be a part of our job in the future.
Also, It is never too early to start networking for future contacts, and
this is why I believe that this project is a very important one in our program.
So, I went out of my comfort zone
and actually ended up interviewing two journalists because I felt that this was
the perfect opportunity to start networking as I mentioned earlier. This was not necessary at all, but I figured
that it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to an additional journalist in the Hamilton
community so that I have more connections in the future. One of the journalists was from CBC
Hamilton and one was from The Hamilton Spectator. I actually found that although they are working from
different places, their experiences and thoughts about the profession were very
similar, and were both very happy to take the time to talk with me and answer
my questions. They were both very welcoming and kind and made the experience
really fun overall. I got to
practice my interviewing skills as well as do a little bit of networking for
the future.
One thing that is really
important to consider before you take on this assignment is that journalists
are very busy people. They have
deadlines that they have to meet on a variety of projects. When you do find someone to interview,
remember that they are taking time out of their very busy day to help you out,
so respect that, and be prompt.
One of the journalists I ended up interviewing was only available to
conduct the interview within the same minute of me initially contacting
her. It is very helpful to already
be prepared for the interview before you even start contacting
journalists because of circumstances like the one I had.
After
the project was finished, and after having a discussion with other classmates on
their experiences, it seems that I was not the only one who had initial
concerns about the assignment.
However, in the end it became clear that everyone felt that the experience
was very beneficial and rewarding overall. Some people felt that the contacts they made are ones that
they will continue to stay in contact with in the future when needing a contact with the
media. Some also felt that by
breaking out of their shell and being forced into a situation that they were
not completely comfortable with, it has made them more prepared for the ‘real
world’ in their future careers.
In the end I realized that
interviewing a journalist was not as scary of a process as I thought it was
going to be. Although I did have
to do something that was a little out of my comfort zone, the skills that I
gained from the experience outweigh the little bit of anxiety I had when
initially dialling the phone.
Then it is time to congratulate yourself on a job well done!
Sincerely,
Alley
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