小编和小记

小编和小记有很多共同点:都是女的，都是四眼，都是小个子，短头发。最重要是两个都是新鲜人。小编当编辑三个月，小记三月份到岗。两个人凑到一块，有了很多笑话。


理想
小记是个有理想的好青年，有一次聊天，小编问：
“你的理想是什么？”
“我要做一个调查记者！”
小编肃然起敬。
“那你怎么实现呢？”
“我每天看新闻！”
小编……

打电话
小编告诉小记，做好记者一定要亲自去采访。于是小编给了小记一个任务，去采访国外华商。
这是小记的第一个采访任务。小编事先给小记写好采访提纲以及采访对象的电话号码。
小编等了三天，没有音讯。
小编走到小记桌前，问她：
“采访的怎么样了？”
小记说：“我还没打电话。”
“你在干什么？”小编问。
“我正在积累足够的勇气去打电话。”小记严肃地说。
小编……

打电话二
第二天早晨，小编看到小记，准备继续鄙视她。
但是两眼红红的小记兴奋地告诉她，自己已经打了电话，凌晨四点才睡觉。
小编问为什么要那么晚睡。
小记说：“我晚上11点回家后用skype打电话采访，说了很久。”
小编很为小记的精神感动，但是也很奇怪为什么小记不提前在单位打电话。
小记认真地说：“单位用电话卡太贵了，我要省钱。”
小编崇拜中。

打电话三
再过一周，小编在编辑稿子的时候，需要小记补充采访，于是在msn上给小记发去问题。
仅仅过了五分钟，小记就传回了答案。
小编大吃一惊，“你现在打电话采访这么轻松了？”赶紧求教秘诀。
小记得意地说：
“我每天都练习打电话。”
“怎么练习。”
“我跟小陈（做小记斜对面的另一个四眼小美女）都不说话了，我打电话给她。”
小编更加崇拜中。

口水
小编是个爱说、爱吃的小瘦子。
每次人家问小编减肥的秘诀。
小编都自豪的说：“我从来不减肥，所有的食物都从口进入，然后化为口水从嘴排出。”
但是小编发现自己从来没有说过这么多话。因为她每天唠唠叨叨给小记讲各种基本知识，怎么写采访提纲，问问题用什么口气，如何写引用，如何写导语等等等等。
有一天，小编觉得自己像一只大热天跑了十公里的哈巴狗，吐着舌头对坐在旁边的帅哥小编悲叹：
“我的口水用完了。”

来不及
离截稿期还有一天的时候，小记突然告诉小编，自己可能无法写稿了。
“为什么？”小编惊恐地问。
小记说，因为自己有好几个任务。
小编这才知道，小记虽然是新兵，但是她比任何一个老兵都要忙。她要做好几篇外刊摘编，要帮别的组做摘编，要写网络稿。在紧张的发稿周期，小记再度发扬国际主义精神，又要帮别的组写稿子。
“好吧，那我来写吧。”小编说：“你就整理录音就可以了。”
当天深夜，小记又告诉小编，自己来不及整理录音了，因为稿子还没有写好。
于是，第二天，帅哥小编和四眼女小编之间发生了这样一段对话：
“你在干什么？”
“我在帮小记整理录音。”
“为什么？”
“因为小记来不及干活了。”
“为什么？”
“因为小记要帮别的组写稿子。”
“为什么？”
“因为别的组来不及干活了。”

问问题一
小记第一次采访回来热血沸腾，对小编说：
“这（采访对象）是一个真正干事业的人。”她意犹未尽地说：“我学到了很多东西。”
小编看完采访整理，遗憾地对小记说：
“你被对方操纵了。”
小编指出精明的采访对象回避的所有重要问题和细节，然后问小记：
“为什么没有问呢？”
“我忘记了。”小记羞愧地说。
小编开始念叨，从如何问问题，到如何保持客观、中立、清醒的头脑，到作为记者必须具有批判主义思想以及具有批判主义思想的才是知识分子等等。
小记头脑发涨，反驳道：
“难道你就没有忘记的时候吗？”
“当然有！”小编说：“所以我每个问题都必须问到才结束采访。重要的问题甚至以不同的方式多问几遍。”
“难道你就没有佩服对方很好的时候吗？”小记又问。
“我每次采访都对对方敬佩不已，”小编在小记惊讶的眼光中继续说：“一采访完我就不敬佩了。”

问问题二
小编一边给小记整理采访录音，一边爆笑。
原来小记吸取上次采访的教训，开始对每一个问题穷追不舍。
但是由于小记故意压低天生的小女生嗓音，以法官式和纪检干部式审讯方式提问时，就显得非常有趣。
从录音中听出，小记的逼问显然让对方哭笑不得，甚至开始结结巴巴。
但无论如何，小记得到了所有答案。
“很好！”小编在表扬小记的时候，不忘提醒小记在采访时候可以保持真我，同时尊重对方，反对以审讯方式采访。
第三次采访回来，小记对小编说：“我这次很温柔的。”
但是小编还需要小记做更多采访，小记感到有些为难。
“不行，一定要逼问。”小编说，想了想，补充道：“温柔的逼问。”

欺负
小编和小记每次对话都引发周围一阵笑声。在饭桌上，小编和小记再度对垒，引起全场关注。
“她欺负我。”小记忿忿称。
“她怎么欺负你了？”
“她骂我。”
“她怎么骂你了？”
“她说，你不要再搞我了。”
哄堂大笑。
饭后，小记语重心长地对小编说：“你没有当过领导吧。”
“怎么？”小编警惕地问。
“所以要我来刺激你，激发你的领导潜力啊。”
小编……

professional diary

Today is my last day at The Inquirer.
First, my story about Asian banks was published two weeks ago. It was published on the frontpage of the Business Section. Bill Marimow, editor at The Inquirer wrote a letter to me. In his letter he said "Your insights into the cultural differences between the two cultures made for excellent reading, and I loved the material on safe deposit boxes."
I am happy that he liked the story. I fighted for the assignment and it took me almost one month to finish it and another month to publish it. Finally I made it.
I got letters from my readers and congratulations from my colleagues. But the most interesting thing I have done during this week is my video brown bag seminar. I made a presentation with five video I made about Philadelphia Inqurier, based on my interview with Bill Marimow, Brian Tierney, Bob Moran, Jennifer Lin.
Making video is very time consuming. I worked so hard that my eyes could watch so that I had to avoid to use computer for three days.
It was hassle before the presentation. Because the computer in the meeting room cannot read my files. My laptop cannot recognize the projector. Finally Jeff at online desk helped me to convert my files into wmv 10 minutes before the begining of the presentation.
They smiled and laughed.
I uploaded all the video onto Youtube.
Today Bill Marimow came again and said he like the video.
This afternoon I said good bye to the newsroom. We had a large cake. People gave gift. Bill Marimow said I not only contributed stories but also bring high spirit and energy into the newsroom by running all the way. I told them it was my happiest period during my five year career.

professional diary

Last week was my first week at online desk. Most of my job was observing. It sounds boring but in fact it was very interesting and inspiring. I went to the office at 6:30am and observed Peter Mucha, the online reporter at the Inquirer working. I shot him with my camcorder, took notes and asked a lot of questions. Then I wrote a report to my colleagues in China. They were shocked. How could he be so productive!
Peter wrote four stories from 7am to 11 am. He also did other things, including recommending top stories, checking website and fixing online news.
Comparing to the online desk staff in my newsroom, Peter enjoys three advantages:
First, he has the power to decide what, how and when to write and publish his stories online. He controls the whole process which is shared by reporters, editors at online desk, editors at other desks and managing editor in my newsroom.
Second, as a 20-year veteran journalist and also a pioneer in online journalism, Peter can write, edit, interview, producing html codes and drawing pictures. He is perfect for online news. We don’t have staff like him. Though young journalists in China are also good at Photoshop or Adobe software, they lack the printed experience. Who is the 20-year veteran journalist in my newsroom? Only our editor in chief and number editor director.
Third, Peter has much more access to material, sources, information he need to work. For example, he can easily find pictures from Inquirer’s database. We are still building our database.
All these advantages show the gap between American newspaper industry and Chinese. What could we do? Steal Peter from the Inquirer?
I believe there must be a solution and that is why I am here.
Another thing I am doing is editing videos. My personal research project is online journalism in American newspaper industry. I have interviewed a lot of people here and also took a lot of videos. Now I need to edit them and put them online.
AFPF asked me to share my experience with my colleagues in China by holding workshops when I am back.
I already go further.
I opened a weekly column named observing American media on Caijing’s website. I have written about 20 stories about the transformation of American media. So all my readers and colleagues learn what I learn here at the same time.
In the beginning I took videos just to show to my colleagues after I am back. But my editors said they can publish them on Caijing’s website. I maybe one of the first Chinese printed reporters who tell a story with a video.
I am so excited!
Reporters at the Inquirer took video after long time training while I shoot the first minute I got a camcorder. I could get such a great opportunity not only because I get the support from AFPF and Inquirer but also because I am in a turning point of American newspaper industry.
God opens a window when he closes a door. The old saying is the best description of today’s newspaper industry.
I just finished a series of stories on the multimedia reporting of three reporters at the Inquirer. I plan to write a story about the online desk. I will also write a long story about Brian Tierney, the publisher of the Inquirer. I will also interview people at Philly.Com on marketing and advertisement.
After I finish the Inquirer series, I will begin the Washington Post series, which is about the paper side, the dot com side, the production side and also Sabrina, the third party’s opinion.
Then I will discuss other newspapers like NY Times and Wall Street Journal.
I believe the column could continue after I am back.
Some journalists who attended such programs said they had been very lonely and home-sicking in the last month of their fellowship. I am not.
I am still eager to learn andI am still happy. The only thing that makes me unhappy is that my magazine cancelled my 10-day vacation. I waited for five years for a 10-day vacation!
To me, it is difficult to combine work with vacation. I am too busy here. Every day I work from 10 am to 6 pm at the office and then I work at Starbucks from 7 pm to 9:30 pm and go to bed at 11 to 12 pm.
The positive side of my busy agenda is that I will not have much problem adapting the huge burden of work in China when I am back.

my professional diary

Last two weeks I was very busy. The first week I went to New York with Aresu for a Study trip. The second week I finally finished my story on community banks.
The trip was productive and enjoyable. We spent a pleasant night with Stephen Baldwin , a member of the big friendly family who choose me as the 2007 Baldwin fellow. We enjoyed the best Indian food I have ever had. He shared with us his experience in different countries across the world. We also agreed with the idea that press is too powerful.
The next day we had a brief interview in Wall Street Journal, a wonderful talk with Jonathan Landman, the deputy managing editor at NY Times at their brand new building, a fantastic tour at Bloomberg.
The third day we went to JP Morgan. We talk with a researcher there and visited the trading room that generates huge money everyday.
It took me pretty long time to finish the bank story. It was a little bit harder than the work at the city desk. I had to take more initiative to get assignment and also write a more complicated story. But I love it. Because it is the first story that reminds me of the work at Caijing in China.
Most of work I have done here is very easy. But reporting banks makes me nervous, which is exactly what I need. I need pressure to be more productive so I can learn more.
Besides I finished the list of books that I will buy for my newsroom. I send letters to my colleagues and asked them to give me the name, link, price of the books they want and the reason why they need them. After our editor in chief approved the list I sent it to Katie. And then I realized that I asked them in the way that Susan asked me!
I learned a lot here not only from working but also from observing how people are working in newspaper, community, government and organizations.
For example, I didn’t like to write training plan or essay or diaries. As a journalist, I like freedom more than discipline. But I realize these “boring papers” force me to reflect and help me to set up my own agenda which is the key to the success of a program like AFPF.
Why?
Because the American newspaper industry is changing now. If you don’t set up your own agenda no one will set up one for you. Taking initiative to get more bylines is not enough. As professional journalists, we would get bored after writing many stories for several months. If we don’t know what to do next, we would be in the bad mood, homesicking, regretting for working too hard and having less fun.
Before I went to the States, my number one goal is to show a good journalist who reports in her own language can also be productive in an English newspaper. I want to show it to both my colleagues in China and also people in the States so that more journalists like me can have the great opportunity to learn the world which would finally benefits Chinese readers and Chinese society. If all the fellows are from English newspapers or international desks, what they learn may only benefit a very small group of readers in their countries.
So I have to be productive and I know I will absolutely learn something. At least I can learn how to talk and write in English. To my surprise, I learn far more than that.
Tomorrow I will transfer to online desk. I hope I can learn the operation of the online desk and make more video. I will continue my column “Observe the American newspaper industry” at Caijing.com. The column will continue after I am back to China since I have interviewed so many people here and have so many interesting stories to tell.
My mood is still very good not only because I am busy but also because the Inquirer provides a warm environment. I have many friends. Every weekend I am invited by some friends for B.B.Q, game, video shooting or other activities.
After a tour in New York, I have to say that the newsroom of the Inquirer may not be the most fantastic one. But it is the most informal one.

My Professional Diary

Last week I focused on my new assignment on banks and my personal research project on the transition of the American newspaper industry.
My new assignment is about how banks serve Asian community in Philadelphia. I interviewed two banks and will continue to interview two more banks next week. The assignment is very interesting because we don’t have community banks in China.
After I finished the story about Chinatown Arch, I found that working in the Inquirer was not difficult to me at all. One important reason is they didn’t give me deadline story. Then I was worried that I might be worse at reporting and left behind after I go back to China. I worked so hard to interview people at different newspaper partly because I wanted to sharpen my interview skill.
Now I know I am wrong.
If I don’t work here, I cannot gain my understanding about American society, which is more significant than practicing interviewing skills. I want to know more about the developed operation of American society so as to help me better understand China’s development.
At the same time, my personal research is going smoothly. I interviewed Jim Brady, the executive editor of Washingtonpost.COM, and learned a lot from the energetic and fast speaking man.
Another piece of good news: Jonathan Landman, the deputy managing editor of the New York Times and Bill Grueskin, the deputy managing editor of the Wall Street Journal agreed to talk with me.
Though I already talk with an editor at the Wall Street Journal off the record, I need to talk with people of higher position to have a big picture of their online operation. I also need on-the-record interviews to share the knowledge with my readers.
Another good news is, I will start my trip to NYC on 22 July and visit Mr. Baldwin who chose me as the Baldwin fellowship winner. Without the help from his mother and him, I can never have such a fruitful experience here.
Actually what I learned here is far beyond my original expectation.
To tell the truth, I suspected the quality of journalism education in the States before. Caijing has some reporters graduated from Columbia, Missouri, Stanford and Berkley. Though they are all good reporters, I attributed it to their personalities more than education abroad. I met some reporters graduated from the States. Usually they have perfect English, poor Chinese writing and no local knowledge at all. That is why I wanted to study by working and applied for this program.
I learn that American education institution does know how to help journalists and they did help me a lot at the seminar at Poynter. I read the book on coaching twice and I am still reading it.
I learn a lot from Julie Busby and Tom Ginsburg who always encourage me and respect my idea.
I also change my mind that Americans only care about themselves. People in the Inquirer do care each other and are always generous.
As for my work at Caijing, last week my editor at Caijing asked me to write more for my column. I even received a letter from China Journalist, a professional publication on Journalism in China. They wanted me to write a story about multimedia reporting.
Everything is better except my grandmother’s health. She got panacea cancer this February. I have taken care of her at hospital for one month before I went to the United States. Then she got better after a surgery. However, last week the blood test showed something wrong. At age of 88, she can not survive another surgery or any aggressive therapy. I was worried so much that I could not eat or sleep.
I began to learn that life is limited and beyond my control when I was 10 years old. As a journalist my father reported the war between Vietnam and China in 1980s. That time I was in primary school. My classmates used to sit around me and cry: Lou Yi, your father is dead! Your father is dead.
I never forget that day though my father finally came back as a hero.
I know one cannot control everything in her/his life. But I try my best to be happy everyday. I want to make use of everyday to learn the world and share with others. That is why I become a journalist.

My professional weekly diary

My professional weekly diary
During the last two weeks, my work at the Inquirer was harder while my work at Caijing was thriving.

I didn’t do much at the business desk. It is my fault.
First, I didn’t show my editor my capability. Since I did well at the city desk, I am confidant that I can do well at the business desk too. I don’t think language will be barrier at all since I interviewed and wrote in English well at the city desk. But I didn’t let my editors know my confidence so that they had difficulty looking for a “right story” for me.

My second mistake is that I didn’t take initiative to get assignments. I focused on my own research project: the transition of the American newspaper industry. I was busy with interviewing journalists in and outside the Inquirer, including editor of WSJ.Com, deputy managing editor of the Inquirer, the first video reporter at the Inquirer, the first blogger at the Inquirer and others else.

Today I talked with my editor at the business desk and finally I got an assignment. I felt confidant and excited again.

On the same time, my work at Caijing is making rapid progress.

First, my column at CAIJING.COM is popular. People read my stories and then go to my blog at the Inquirer.

Second, my editors like my blog at the Inquirer and asked me to translate them into Chinese and publish on Caijing’s website. At first my editor at Caijing even didn’t agree me to open a blog at the Inquirer!

Third, my editor agrees to put my video on the website. So I can not only share my experience with AFPF fellows and Chinese colleagues but also with my readers across the world! I am so excited that I can show the newsroom of the Inquirer, the most beautiful newsroom in the States to my Chinese readers!

Besides work, I am also working on arranging a workshop for myself and my other fellows. I don’t want to spend my entire research fund on books. But I cannot find appropriate workshop here. So I decide to make my own.

I design a workshop agenda, including interviews with people from three newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Philadelphia Inquirer) and one news agency (Bloomberg), a tour and an interview in Wharton Business School, tour and interview in JP Morgan, city tours of American’s first capital (Philadelphia) and the power behind the throne, the economic capital (New York City).

I also invite other fellows join the workshop. Though we are working hard to write stories, byline should not be our ultimate goal. We come here to learn and share with others. We can not leave the States without a tour in the most important newspapers and the most important cities.
Let’s go!

Be yourself

How to put your name as a byline?
According to American’s culuture, I should be called Yi Lou. Because my last name is Lou and my first name is Yi.
However, I was always called Lou Yi in China. Actually my last name and first name have never been split before. I even used Louyi as my name when I first introduced myself to my colleagues in the Inquirer.
To Chinese, last name is very important. It tells the story of people’s families which may go back to thousands of years ago.
To show respect, Chinese only call senior people (both by age and position) by their last name. For example, you should call your uncle John Zhang ”uncle Zhang” but never his first name “John”.
To people who are at the senior position we also follow the same rule. If John Zhang is your director, he is usually called Director Zhang even he is younger than you.
So what about journalists?
Most of newsrooms in China follow the same name rule. Maybe even stricter. They call senior journalists “Teacher”. Because Chinese think writers or journalists are better educated intellectuals and Chinese respect education.
I was often called as “Teacher Lou” when I received calls from readers or young journalists in China. But most of them called me “Lou Yi” after they met me and found I was only a young girl with naïve eyes and acne.
Caijing where I am working with is very different. In our newsroom every one call each other’s first name just like Americans. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because most of the people in the newsroom are young or because our editor in chief, the best reporter in China, is always energetic like a young girl and never wants others to warn her of her age.
However I am unique in my newsroom. Some Chinese characters has the same pronunciation but means totally different. Unfortunately my first name Yi has the same pronunciation of another word “Yi”——means aunt. I am too young for people to call me aunt and show extra respect.
Therefore I am Lou Yi for 30 years and I wonder if I need to change myself to Yi Lou?
I tried to introduce myself as Yi Lou but felt very uncomfortable. I even thought of having an foreign first name so as not to feel weird.
Here I do the same job in the same way; wear the same clothes and eat quite the similar food (from Chinatown) as I did in China. Why should I change my name?
I asked myself and wondered what other Chinese do in the States.
“How do you call Yao Ming? ”
“Yao Ming.”
I know Yao is the famous basketball superstar’s last name and Ming is his first name.
“So call me Lou Yi.”
That is why byline is Lou Yi in the Inquirer, just the same as the one on the English version of my stories at Caijing.
Be yourself and be proud of yourself and your culture are the same as, or maybe more important than to learn to adapt yourself to another culture.
And tell you another thing of my name. Every Chinese name has a meaning. Lou means house and Yi means safe. Visit my blog and feel safe, safer and safer.