17th October 2008
Deborah Owen

Writers seem to think that finding a job as a reporter is hard. Granted, it may be in some areas, but reporter jobs are more abundant than you may think. Maybe you're just setting your sights too high.

When some people hear the word "reporter", they picture someone trotting in and out of a major news conglomerate and spilling the beans on an adulterous President, unveiling "Watergate", or changing into Superman in a phone booth. Reporting is not a glorious job. In fact, it's hard work. A reporter is defined as "a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories." That title brings it down to the common person doing a mundane job - that will someday get them somewhere.

If you live in the city or suburbs, the chances are good that there is a reporter's job waiting on you less than 20 miles from your house.

Almost every local newspaper is hard up to find a sports reporter, and/or someone to cover PTA or political meetings, as they pertain to the local government. And if, by chance, there are no openings there, you can make your way into print by covering traffic accidents in the area and finding odd news.

For example, I once saw a man skiing. What made it a newsy article was that his skis had wheels on them, and he was skiing on dry pavement in the middle of town! On another occasion I saw road equipment sitting in front of someone's bedroom window, bulldozer tracks across the yard, and a broken fence where it had entered. That was a story! On a third occasion, I saw a sheriff's car flip upside down as it tried to round a corner too fast. All of these things were news items that no newspaper would turn down.

In addition, there is always a place for articles on unusual hobbies and crafts. For example, while on vacation in the Rocky Mountains, I saw awesome statues that were made out of iron and wood. It blew my mind to think of a genius who lived in the boonies and sold intricate merchandise to tourists in his spare time. What a story that would have made. (Hubby wouldn't wait on me and it was a long walk home.)

The main thing you need to know about being a reporter is that most reporting is time-sensitive. If you report on a car accident, or PTA meetings, you have to work the story up that night and have it at the news office in the morning. (And, btw, call the newspaper ahead of time and ask them how they want pictures submitted. Digital pictures taken on a 35 mm camera are usually acceptable. Always submit pictures. The newspaper will pay you at least $5 per picture, and more often than not, a picture will get your story on the front page.) No, you won't get rich selling to small town newspapers, but that's how most people break into print their first time.

When you write for a newspaper, always have a notepad, pen, camera, and tape recorder in the back seat. Finding a reporter's job isn't that hard, but living up to the expectations of a reporter is.

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