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.