We Get By With a Little Help from Our Friends

Is a blog that hasn’t been updated in eight years still a blog? Let’s say yes. It’s a shame not to have updated this blog in lo-these-many-years, because many good things have happened…along with some not-so-good things like, say, a pandemic. All these said, The Skyline View has not only endured, but flourished.

Through the last several years, including during the pandemic, The Skyline View continued to win awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, the Associated Collegiate Press, and the California News Publishers Association. Our reporters have gone on to work locally and such places as Politico.

But an interesting phenomenon has happened the past couple of years. Unlike in the two decades prior where we would have a healthy mix of new and returning staff members, in the last three out of four fall semesters, we have had a completely freshman staff that has never been in a newsroom before. These tenacious students have literally walked in the room and been dubbed editors before they even knew what a lead was, let alone a “lede.” They have had to learn everything–and we mean everything–in a very short amount of time.

And that is exactly where we are right now. The students put together their first print issue of the semester, after publishing for the past eight weeks online as they learned the ropes, with nominal knowledge of InDesign, but a ton of spirt.

Still, getting the paper to the printers on this first go-round would have been an even more difficult task than it was if we had not had the help of alumni who allowed themselves to be on speed dial. In road our former EIC (now at UC Berkeley), our former opinions editor (also at Berkeley), our former sports editor (now at SFSU), and two other former editors in chief who are now in the working world. We even snared a former editor who is not officially on staff this semester (yet 😉), but is on campus. They lifted morale, but more than that, they passed on so-called institutional knowledge to our new staff and helped get them through the night. Thanks for a little help from alum, the Fall 2023 staff will be able to see their work in the physical form this week.

Feed the Beast: Finding Ideas to Write About

Personalizing your Google News can help you find story ideas.

The Skyline View staff frequently runs into a problem that perhaps other staffs run into as well.  As in they are constantly trying to find ways to “feed the beast” that is their online and print publications, yet they frequently find themselves running out of fresh ideas.

What they haven’t yet learned is that ideas abound.  Every time they speak to another person, they have potential ideas staring at them in the face.  Sure, some staffers are better at this than others.  These staffers recognize stories when they come across them.  But others haven’t worked that muscle enough.

These ideas and resources can help:

• If you have a Google account, personalize your news for several categories that pertain to your publication.  For example, TSV staffers add “California Community Colleges” to the categories they want to get news on when they are at the Google News page.
• Follow up on stories you’ve already done.  Whatever happened to that professor who was signed up to bike across the U.S. for AIDS research? Did that fellow who was charged with car theft on campus ever get convicted? Every story can beget more stories.
• Read other publications and localize the topics they cover.  Has another news site done a story on their campus’s readiness for a natural disaster? Take the story idea and find out what your campus is doing to prepare.
• Make it a habit to read blogs like Higher Education News/Inside Higher Ed.  You’ll find out what the issues are on campuses across the U.S., many of which you can localize to your own campus publication.
• Read 1 Million Story Ideas for Student Journalists.  ‘Nuff said.

Obviously, this is just scratching the surface on how to get story ideas.  How do you feed the beast?

The New Staff of The Skyline View

Upper row from left: Jordan Sweidan, Michelle Kelly, Will Nacouzi
Bottom row from left: Haider Mashal, Josh Collier, Reynaldo Garcia

Congratulations to the new editorial board of The Skyline View: 

• Editor in chief: Will Nacouzi
• News editor: Michelle Kelly
• Opinions editor: Josh Collier
• Features editor:  Haider Mashal
• Entertainment editor: Jordan Sweidan
• Sports editor: Reynaldo Garcia

These editors will lead the largest staff TSV has had to date.

ACP National College Journalism Convention: Feast of Ideas

Over here at Skyline College Journalism, we’ve been gorging on the buffet of journalism ideas from the 2013 ACP National College Journalism Convention.  While we cannot possibly give you the feast that Dan Reimold offered with his College Media Matters post, 100 Things I’m Learning at Journalism Interactive 2013: A Somewhat Live Blog, here are 10 things we learned and are hoping to implement, ranging from convergence journalism to page design to managing staff:

1. Start an above-the-fold gallery.  We already have a front-page gallery in the Skyline View newsroom. But while we know readers don’t see the whole page until they pick up the paper, designers and editors need to be reminded of this.  Ron Johnson, Indiana University’s media director, suggests putting up just what you see above the fold. What happens to that front-page layout when you only see the top?
2. Fire the bums. “Journoterrorist” Michael Koretzky doesn’t mess around. If you have a staff member who is missing deadlines, disrespecting people, and otherwise sucking the life out of the room, man up and fire him or her. Because if you don’t, he or she will bring down the rest of the staff. With the bad apple gone (and the example set), standards and expectations will be higher in the room.
3. Implement a two-graf deadline.  Our reporters sometimes don’t make their deadlines.  Often those missed deadlines really mean the reporter hasn’t even gotten started.  Maybe he doesn’t know who to contact.  Maybe she is not clear what angle the story should take.  Rather than offer reporters more time, suggests Koretzky, offer them less.  Make them turn in the first two grafs shortly after you assign the story.  Two grafs is less intimidating than the whole first draft, and editors will see what the problems are upfront, be it an incoherent lead, a lack of an angle, or procrastination. Whatever it is, the editor can help sooner rather than on deadline.
4. Run it big. We’ve always talked in the newsroom about the dominant art of the page being twice as big as the next piece of art.  However, sometimes staff gets a little gun shy about running photos big, mainly because our staff lacks photographers. (Hey, if you’re a photographer, come see us!) Ron Johnson’s answer to whether or not you should go big with photos that aren’t that good? Run ’em big anyway and one of two things will happen:  Either your less skilled photogs are going to strive to get better or your publication is going to attract more skilled photographers who see that your publication gives ample space to images. That’s win either way.
5. Play, experiment, make mistakes (and then move on).   More than one speaker advised students to experiment with their design, story ideas, and the like, while in college.  Your job won’t allow the same freedom you have now to try new things, not just with how your publication looks, but with the kinds of stories you do. Politico’s Michelle Quinn, one of four keynote speakers over the weekend, likewise encouraged the audience to acknowledge when you’ve made a mistake and then move on.  Experiments and play have lead to new story-telling ideas, too:  Students heard from Hack/Hackers and Storify co-founder Burt Herman and animator/editorial cartoonist Mark Fiore, both of whom have taken traditional content to new places.
6. Make friends with white space. Have you checked out Ron Johnson’s Tumblr page yet? (See hyperlink above.)  You’ll know why at least one adviser may be dreaming about page design.  White space gives your eyes a break, but it also highlights what you want readers to look at.  And you know what?  You do not have to run in the print paper every story that gets filed.
7. Ask your readers.  More than one person talked about getting onto campus to ask students what they were thinking about, what was working on campus, and what they were struggling with.  Ask for two reasons:  First, you’ll get story ideas, and second, you’re more likely to produce stories that are actually going to get read.
8. Go mobile.  Now.  Iowa State’s Charlie Weaver emphasized that it’s not just digital first, but MOBILE first.  On what device are you reading this blog post yourself?  (If you’re reading this online, we’d still wager your mobile device is nearby.) We need a mobile app for The Skyline View.  Look for it soon!
9. Share ideas. Don’t steal things (specific page designs, quotes, etc.  Duh!).  But by all means, share with and be inspired by others. Look at good work.  Network with your fellow advisers or your fellow student journalists.  Together, you can solve a lot of the issues your publication faces.  
10. Tap the experts. In the session conducted by SFSU’s Rachele Kanigel, we talked about bringing in experts not just for workshops, but also for things like critiques of the paper after publication.  Or take your students on a tour of the local city paper.  (On tour of the SF Chronicle, our students were able to sit in on one heck of an editorial meeting the day after the Virgina Tech massacre.  Some of the students even ended up in the paper.) One other way to tap the experts? Go to conventions like this one.  Delicious!
    

Flier for the Skyline College Journalism Department

Check out our new flier for the journalism program here at Skyline College.  Classes begin this Monday, August 20.  Come on by!

NBC Miami Now Home for Skyline View Staffer Brenda Cancino

We caught up with former Skyline View staffer, Brenda Cancino, who now works as the news video editor at NBC Miami. She generously gave her advice on how to get a job in TV news.

Brenda Cancino now works for NBC Miami as the news video editor.

Describe your job. I am in charge of editing news packages, VO’s, VOSOT’s, NATSVO’s, pictures, and basically everything pre-taped on the news show. I work on the 11 a.m. daily show, which includes performances, interviews, entertainment, and even a cooking segment. On my evening shift, I work in the 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscast. All of my editing is for the local news station; therefore, my packages and VO’s don’t always make it online.
What skills are needed to do your job? To survive in my position, it’s vital to be calm, concentrated and detail orientated. Reporters turn in their footage and packages literally 2 minutes or in the beginning of the show. As an editor, you have to remain calm, concentrate on what you are doing to avoid mistakes, and pay attention to all little details. The last thing you want to do is to miss an error on air. And, of course, as if time isn’t enough pressure, ALWAYS expect the computer to crash!!!!

What do you like best about your job? My favorite part of my job is to be able to see my finished product on TV. Since I am doing TV news, video is extremely, if not the most important! I like how important my work is, and although not always credited, it feels good to know that without me, that video would not have made the air. I also like the fact that I can be as creative as I want to tell a story! After a looong semester of media aesthetics, I can now actually use it!

What tips would you give to students who hope to do a job like yours someday? My best job tip would be to always stay on your toes! If you are looking to score a job, you should always be ready to STEAL the position. It is true, getting a job in TV news is all about timing; therefore, you should always be ready in case that time comes. After four internships, I can truly say it’s very easy to get lazy and let time [go] by without taking advantage of your access to the station. But you have to show them you really want to be there. I know it’s hard because there is no pay involved, but it’s a way of paying dues!
Your resume must be a priority. Make sure you use keywords, like rundowns, scripts, VO, VOSOT, names of programs!

What advice do you have for Skyline College journalism students? As a former Skyline View staffer, I would recommend to start early! There is not time wasted if you are interning. That way you will find out what medium you want to go into. Also, the most important: Practice writing! It is a must. Attend JACC and try to do as many workshops and meet as many people as possible. Oh, and don’t forget to follow up!!!!! Last year I went to a convention and met several Telemundo producers. I didn’t think much of it. Little did I know, NBC owns Telemundo and we share the same building; now I run into him all the time, and he is willing to help me out!

Journalism at Skyline College Fall 2012

As we approach the fall 2012 semester at Skyline College, perhaps you are considering a journalism course. Good idea! Why? There are many reasons:

• All people need some journalistic training in this era of social media, whether you post reviews on Yelp or upload video or photos to sites like YouTube.  Since we all are potential citizen journalists, we all need the training.
• You’ll increase your writing and communication skills.
• You’ll get UC and/or CSU transferable units.

The course that is the bread and butter of the program is Journalism 120:  Writing and Reporting for the Media.  Whether you are a journalism major or not, this course will teach you to write concisely and with accuracy.  You’ll learn such things as:

• How to interview someone so that they will talk to you.
• How to write captivating, informative leads that will get your stories read.
• The difference between writing for a newspaper and writing for broadcast.
• How to shape a news story, how to use quotes, and how to write balanced, fair articles.
• The difference between a news article, a feature article and an opinion piece.

You’ll also be introduced to social media and multimedia skills, skills that are a must-have for many careers, not just journalism.

Want more information?  Check out the course schedule at the Skyline College website.  We hope to see you soon!

Advice from an Intern: Skyline College Students Join the Comcast SportsNet Team for a Season

It’s a common conundrum for journalism students: To get a job, you need to publish, but you can’t publish unless you have a job.

Rich Estrada (left) and Joe Barrack spent the spring semester interning at Comcast SportsNet.

That’s why if you are planning a career in journalism, working for your campus publication and securing an internship before you graduate are musts.  Two staffers this semester took this advice to heart, working both on The Skyline View and interning at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.  The pair did everything from writing, cutting and editing sports highlights to running errands.

Now that their news production internship is wrapping up, Estrada had some time to answer questions about his experience:

What characteristics or qualities does a person need to do your job or get where you are? 

Be Self-motivated

It’s very important to be self-motivated. I cannot stress punctuality enough. Everyone notices you so show up and work.

Come Prepared

It serves an intern to come to work prepared. This sports station emphasizes local organizations and therefore knowledge on those teams help you develop a mental cue of what needs to be done. Before coming into work, I would check start times of games, look at opposing teams rosters (usually to see if any players have local ties), develop an encyclopedic knowledge of team history, and focus in on the possible storylines I can address when writing highlights and voice-overs.

I had to learn many of the anchors’ tendencies and keep them in mind when writing. For instance, [one anchor] tends to pause and emphasize key words so I usually write less and allow him to either ad lib or catch up to the teleprompter smoothly.

Be Proactive

Be outgoing and proactive. Talk to the editors and discuss the direction of the highlight prior to the game. Help out the marketing team when they send e-mails asking for additional help. Shadow some people around the newsroom for a few hours. Help the production team stage manage during shows. There is so much you can learn at CSN/NBC and its a shame to waste a semester not taking full advantage of it.

What’s your best advice to Skyline College journalism students?

Make Sure You’re Ready

If you have trouble showing up to class on time, getting your assignments done, or find yourself sitting around doing nothing during production nights [on your school paper], do NOT look for internships. You would be the intern that leaves the wrong lasting impression. Mentioning the internship on your resume would be pointless. (It may even be a disservice to you if you have reoccurring issue you weren’t willing to work on.)

Stand Out

Stand out for the right reasons. Internships are about networking and having someone you can contact when the time comes to apply for jobs. It’s a very competitive industry so you should be ready to compete.

Both followed in the footsteps of two other Skyline View staffers who were also CSN interns, current social media editor Terence Chin, and former editor Brenda Cancino, now at NBC in Miami.