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.
2007年7月31日星期二
2007年7月14日星期六
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 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.
2007年7月9日星期一
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!
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!
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