How the media works: Story wanted. Any story. About anything

“It could be anything that you think people should know about but not a story which is really PR or promoting a cause or organisation. Please remember that nobody else should be covering the same story.”

They have a strange idea of sourcing news in the Easter suburbs. Too much chocolate in their system, I reckon.

I’m a postgrad j-student at UTS and when I saw this on Source Bottle yesterday, my first thought was that anyone this lazy didn’t deserve to be a journalist. My second thought was that anyone this lazy will never actually be a journalist.

“My second thought was that anyone this lazy will never actually be a journalist.”

Heh postgrad, you obviously haven’t worked in the biz yet. That’s exactly what most journos are like.

Az I think that’s a pretty unfair comment. Which news media have you worked in? Seven years in print has shown me that there’s a mix of people, as in all professions, but most people are working harder than ever due to lower staff numbers.

Cam, I think Az was joking, and as they say, anyone without a sense of humour will probably struggle to be a journalist.

Dani – My thoughts exactly.

Very funny!

Actually Az, I ‘ve spent the last decade working in PR, corporate affairs & politics, so I speak from experience in saying that while most journos appreciate being given info / comment, they rarely repeat it intact, especially not if there’s a crisis or controversy (which is why so many people get paid to do issues management & crisis comms)

And my brief stints in the the media biz have taught me there’s a huge difference between the pressures of being a working journo, writing/producing to tight deadlines and being a student who has several weeks to produce and file a 300 word or 3 minute story. My $0.02

I seriously hope Az was joking, too!

Having worked in journalism and PR, corporate comms I empathise with journalists and understand the challenge re lack of time – I agree with Dani. Journos do what they can under extraordinarily tight deadlines.

I recall days of putting out 72 page or 60+ page mags with a team of two, writing the entire mag, attending 3-4 events/launches per week not including international and interstate conferences and subbing the magazine in a day. I’m sure it’s no different today – probably worse.

On the flipside, I don’t think PR or corporate affairs is any easier, with the chasms that exist between what a client thinks is ‘news’ vs the reality of the story…and the tasks of managing clients’ expectations etc etc.

There’s my 2c worth! Have a great weekend everyone.

This student is using social media to find news stories. What on earth is your problem? I am QUITE sure that whoever it is, will use this as just the first step. As for lazy journalism, please read Spinning the Media and stop picking on students who are just starting. There was nothing unethical about the student’s request. As lecturer to all first years at UTS, I’m glad whoever it is has the initiative to use social media as a first step for newsgathering. Tim,of course, it would be terrific if you came and gave some guest lectures on social media, its uses and abuses. Yours devotedly, Jenna Price, UTS Journalism

The other thing is that students are really fantastic at analysing the work of other students – those who come with PR stories to class soon realise they need to find something else. There is a long distance from cat’s request for information of any kind and the final story the student will post.

Still, thanks for revealing the name of the student. Cat, you say?

Oh, anonymous, you are too amusing, if not very observant. The sourcebottle post was from catinatree and I abbreviated it. As far as I know, I have no students called after animals of any kind. Nor even a Nonny Mouse.

Jenna, I want to be your friend. That sass and wit is so endearing!