Student Journalist: Help or Hinder?

(Image from collegemedimatters.com)




On Friday, my work for the CBC website was posted on cbc.ca.

I was proud to see my work online, but when I read my byline (Ward and candidate profiles by Kim Lawson, a journalism major in the Creative Communications program at Red River College), I started thinking about the pros and cons of being a student journalist and how they helped and hindered me over the course of finishing the assignment.

The Benefits of Identifying Oneself as a Student Journalist

1. You become more approachable. Some people find you less threatening if you're a student. Perhaps they feel they are less likely to judge their answers, because after all, students are still learning. They don't know everything.

2. Some people feel like they're doing a good deed by doing you a favour. They know you aren't getting paid. You're completing an assignment to try and do well in class (and isn't that what every parent wants their child to do?). They feel a sense of responsibility to help the students of the world. By talking to you, they do their good deed of the day.

3. If you screw up, it's a great card to have in your back pocket! "I'm sorry, I'm new at this. I'm just a student." Then look at the pity that crosses those faces!

The Pitfalls of Identifying Oneself as a Student Journalist

1. Your credibility goes out the window.

2. High profile figures (like politicians) automatically put you last on their priority list. They often want to talk to you, but not if someone more important comes along. Be prepared to be rescheduled on... multiple times. Or just flat-out not answered.



So in summary, being a student worked well for me when I approached the regular citizens of Winnipeg. Most of them were friendly and patient with me and tried their best to answer my questions. But when it came to the politicians, I definitely wasn't a priority and I could tell. It took weeks to get replies, if I got them at all. I felt like a pest for the number of times I had to call and email some people to get a response. I don't like feeling that way.

But student or not, you have to get the job done. That's the life of a reporter, and I'm looking forward to being a journalist, sans the student.