Quality? Quantity? Is one truly better than the other? Hard print news papers used to need approximately three seconds to answer this question, and rightfully so. I mean, who wants to read sub-par journalism? Clearly it’s Quality… Right?
Just about every head of every news paper publication across the globe had the same reaction when the internet arrived on the scene; they chuckled, glanced at their company’s $35 million annual gross income, demanded a fresh cup of coffee from their office assistant, and went back to their daily lives. Get online? Hah… crazy talk.
Go find a major paper without their web presence as a main priority.
Go on, I’ll wait.
These dinosaurs of the news paper industry acted just as frantically as the rabbit once they realized that, although I may claim to wait for a blog reader to figure this out, money will not. News papers get their financial backing primarily from advertisement revenue and, let’s face it, eyes are NOT on papers over coffee and crumb cakes at the kitchen table anymore; they are on smart devices.
Buffalo Rising embodies this concept. Being a purely online publication since day one, they have been proving the existence of new ground for the art of journalism by finding and perfecting the balance of old school quality versus new school quantity.
My frequency of publication has been steady since the beginning of the semester, requiring a good amount of effort but please don’t allow me to talk up my task’s technical diffficulties; it’s really something any journalism major who’s a senior should be able to do. However, I have recently experienced a shift in content.
Originally, I was sent press releases, as well as information for a media contact about an event coming up in the Buffalo area. I would research more about the event myself, versus being the dreaded intern that literally regurgitates a press release on the page, and try to make some sense of the event for the reader. I feel that’s what we do. I mean, can you imagine giving a reader your raw notebook? Hah. Even if your hand writing is impeccable (not the case personally) you can’t expect them to enjoy it like they would a story. We have to take this onslaught of facts (and sometimes not facts!) and synthesize the threads into a strategically woven blanket. If it has holes, fill them in. If it doesn’t keep you warm, go back and find out why; it’s a process.
As of late, I have been given a story that requires my going out and interviewing numerous people I’ve never met before, a lengthy amount of live note and multimedia gathering, and a heavier focus on the truth of the matter, not the fact of the matter; all of which I can handle and am doing just fine.
I think maybe my eyes were opened when I was checking my email, already contemplating the number of tabs I was going to have open by the end of whatever story was within my supervisor’s incoming email message and, with one click from my middle finger, I realized all I had to do was reach out to a man named Joe Galvin; the rest is history.
If you are interested in my story, because I have clearly given you so much detail about it, just follow the link to Buffalo Rising’s website, make it a bookmark or favorite, and check it multiple times a day until it shows up. Scroll down the main feed all the way until the beginning of September and you’re bound to see my stories. If not, that’s fine. I won’t take it personally. Heck, if you’re lucky I might just include links to some of mine right here, right now.
😉
To say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my internship at Buffalo Rising thus far would be an understatement. I’ve had eleven stories published, all fully equipped with by lines and extremely limited edits. My supervisor, founder of BR, is also great. He’s told me he looks forward to reading my work, not to mention that he usually doesn’t hire interns to begin with, but if there is one thing I have learned from this experience so far it would be that balance is key. *This was originally my introduction*
The Nickel City Ruby Conference
The BreadHive Worker Coop Bakery
#Balance
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