Sunday, March 24, 2013

Flakey staff members common, but easy to combat



It’s 9 p.m. on production night and the issue is still a few hours away from being sent to the printers after hours of layout design, proofreading and writing articles at the last minute to fill space. Exhausted and frustrated, you continue to stare at a backlit computer screen, hunched over the keyboard, wondering what you did so wrong that you ended up in this predicament.

Every college editor's nightmare on production day
by: Laurenjmapp


Saturday, March 9, 2013

Time management difficult, but doable

When you're a student, time management is always an issue, but a student journalist feels this crunch even more. Newspaper deadlines, homework, work, commuting to and from campus, your social life and sleep are all swirling around each other in a ridiculous frenzy of radioactive waste, so without properly balancing your schedule you can get exhausted, burnt out, sick, or - even worse - miss out on the college experience.

Friday, March 1, 2013

How to fight off evil [interview] butterflies



As you sit there, across the table from your interviewee, it may be difficult to combat the massive flock of butterflies that suddenly decided to inhabit the inner pit of your stomach, but don’t worry, you’re not alone.

It is natural to be a little nervous the first time that you conduct an interview for an article: you’re sitting there, talking to a complete stranger about a subject that you’re not all that familiar with, and trying to sound both intelligent and interested. Gosh, that’s a mouth full!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Photographing food best done in natural lighting



In today’s digital age, especially with news organizations downsizing, it is important to have more than one skill-set within the field of journalism. As such, if you’re looking to become a food writer, it is not only necessary that you be able to write about food in an informed and entertaining fashion, but depending on the news organization that you’re working for, you may also be required to take photographs to go alongside your articles or blog posts.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Balancing life as a student journalist difficult, but possible



Becoming a journalist may seem like a dead-end career choice, but with mass media evolving and growing at a rapid rate, it is becoming ever more important to pursue this field of study.

There are many books and websites out there to help the budding, college journalist, but very few sources show the firsthand experience in navigating college as a journalism major. As you begin your career studying the history of the field, it may be hard to transition between being a student, joining the campus newspaper, having a life, and balancing it all.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Firehouse in North Park to celebrate 14th anniversary




Inspired by the blockbuster hit “Swingers” in the 1990s, a revival of classic swing dancing continues to be popular amongst San Diegans. While classes are offered around the city, one of the most prominent places – especially for newcomers in the Lindy Hop community – has been the Firehouse.