This spring I began the pursuit of finding an internship for the summer. Journalism majors are required by the School of Journalism to complete 240 internship hours before being able to graduate. I figured now was the time to get this done if I wanted to graduate with my class next year.
Portfolios were assembled and mailed out to almost every newspaper in western Montana. I didn’t know where my path would lead but as long as I could get quality reporting experience it didn’t matter where I went.
It didn’t take long before the Missoulian expressed interest in having me as a summer intern. I was excited to work for a large newspaper and it was my hope to do stories on a variety of topics.
Things got underway three weeks ago and I really had no idea what to expect. I just decided to take things as they came and report to the best of my abilities. The experience has been fantastic and everybody at the paper has been extremely kind to me.
The range of stories I’ve covered has been quite astonishing. Some of the stories I’ve done include: a new UM scholarship, naming a peak in Glacier National Park for a former employee, the Missoula Moose Lodge turning 100 and a high profile embezzlement case.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to interview a local sailor who is deployed on the USS George Washington in the Pacific Ocean. Everyday definitely brings something different to my desk and I love the surprise each story provides.
I’ll be posting my articles here weekly after getting the first few weeks up.
There is much ahead this summer in addition to my internship. I have a few road trips planned with the first taking me to the Vancouver Pug Gathering at the end of July. Hopefully if all works out, I’ll be North Dakota bound sometime in August.
Stay tuned and I’ll do my best with keeping my updates current.
Mark
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Resurrection
My blog has been out of action for many months and I figure it’s time to give things a bit of a jumpstart. I’ve been extremely busy these last few months, as I have transitioned into the world of professional journalism. To start things off let me begin with a brief summary of spring semester.
The bulk of this past spring was devoted to my Public Affairs reporting class. I must admit it scared the hell out of me to take the class after hearing the amount of work involved but I dove in headfirst anyway.
This class takes green student journalists and gives them the tools needed to succeed in the professional world. We met twice a week and were expected to file a weekly beat story in addition to whatever else we were covering. I choose to cover the city beat and it was a great way to learn about the inner workings of local government.
We also were required as a class to cover the regular Monday night meetings of the Missoula City Council for a month. It was a little crazy at first trying to file a story on a midnight deadline but it got better as time went on. City council meetings for the most part aren’t awful exciting but they do have their moments especially when public controversy is involved.
When our council duty was over, we were briefly exposed to the world of criminal justice. I learned how to access court documents and got the chance to cover the wrap up of a felony domestic violence case. The case was cut and dried because the defendant entered a plea agreement. I liked being in the courtroom but the case I chose to cover was over in three minutes. It was shocking to have things end so fast but it still was an invaluable experience.
During the semester I covered a variety of issues ranging from an epidemic of potholes in Missoula to medical facilities banning legally registered patients from using medical marijuana. There is a funny aside to the marijuana story.
This story was difficult because most facilities wanted to remain tight lipped on patient policies but that didn’t deter me from doing my job. Anyway, I visited a particular nursing home in town and the administrator was not very happy with my prying questions. I was quickly asked to leave the facility or the local authorities would be summoned.
I found my experience of being kicked out of a nursing home to be a hilarious case of irony. Reminds me of challenging authority back home but hey thats a story for another time!
The other highlight of Public Affairs class was getting a piece published in the school paper The Kaimin. I probed the failure of the University of Montana to follow updated regulations to the Americans with Disabilities Act concerning concert and event ticketing for folks with disabilities. Click to view the article: GrizTix not in compliance with new ADA regulations
I greatly enjoyed this course and it prepared me to take my journalistic skills to the next level. Our professor was amazing and I’ll definitely take his kernels of wisdom with me throughout the rest of my career.
Probably my favorite class this spring was Print/Web Design. I didn’t know how much work this class would be but it was worth every bit of effort.
This class introduced me to the digital world of professional printing and it was quite an intense learning curve at first. There was so much to learn and we had to throw all our preconceived notions out the window.
We used Adobe InDesign for all our work and it was great to learn many new skills. I worked hard on learning the software and I completed a wide variety of assignments. Some of these included newspaper layouts, a journalism portfolio, advertisements, a tabloid newspaper cover and other assorted projects.
The final exam required us to design a multi-page magazine layout, which implemented many of things learned over the semester. I put together a fictional dog magazine called Woof and the end product turned out great. If I can figure out how to do it, there will be a copy of my magazine here on the blog.
My trio of journalism classes was rounded out by Media Law. You may think this would be a boring class to take but I found it to be quite interesting and informative.
The class was broken up into discussing the different facets of law affecting the media. Topics ranged from media access and libel to obscenity and free speech. Hopefully I’ll never need to put many of these legal principles into use but it’s important to know what my rights are as a journalist. It’s hard to inform the public without having these protections in place for the media to use.
I enjoyed the part of class where we got to participate in mock trials dealing with certain parts of the law. Each person in the class was assigned to a group and we took turns acting as judges and lawyers representing different cases. Cases were spread out through the semester so it wasn’t too overwhelming to prepare for our particular roles. We also had to write legal briefs, which weren’t tons of fun but it was educational to research legal cases and precedents.
The semester was pretty taxing on me but everything worked out beautifully in the end. I was able to nail down A’s in all my courses and this made every late night worth it. My goal each semester is to work as hard as possible and let the chips fall where they may.
It’s hard to believe I only have a year of school left but at least my hardest semester is over and done with.
Mark
The bulk of this past spring was devoted to my Public Affairs reporting class. I must admit it scared the hell out of me to take the class after hearing the amount of work involved but I dove in headfirst anyway.
This class takes green student journalists and gives them the tools needed to succeed in the professional world. We met twice a week and were expected to file a weekly beat story in addition to whatever else we were covering. I choose to cover the city beat and it was a great way to learn about the inner workings of local government.
We also were required as a class to cover the regular Monday night meetings of the Missoula City Council for a month. It was a little crazy at first trying to file a story on a midnight deadline but it got better as time went on. City council meetings for the most part aren’t awful exciting but they do have their moments especially when public controversy is involved.
When our council duty was over, we were briefly exposed to the world of criminal justice. I learned how to access court documents and got the chance to cover the wrap up of a felony domestic violence case. The case was cut and dried because the defendant entered a plea agreement. I liked being in the courtroom but the case I chose to cover was over in three minutes. It was shocking to have things end so fast but it still was an invaluable experience.
During the semester I covered a variety of issues ranging from an epidemic of potholes in Missoula to medical facilities banning legally registered patients from using medical marijuana. There is a funny aside to the marijuana story.
This story was difficult because most facilities wanted to remain tight lipped on patient policies but that didn’t deter me from doing my job. Anyway, I visited a particular nursing home in town and the administrator was not very happy with my prying questions. I was quickly asked to leave the facility or the local authorities would be summoned.
I found my experience of being kicked out of a nursing home to be a hilarious case of irony. Reminds me of challenging authority back home but hey thats a story for another time!
The other highlight of Public Affairs class was getting a piece published in the school paper The Kaimin. I probed the failure of the University of Montana to follow updated regulations to the Americans with Disabilities Act concerning concert and event ticketing for folks with disabilities. Click to view the article: GrizTix not in compliance with new ADA regulations
I greatly enjoyed this course and it prepared me to take my journalistic skills to the next level. Our professor was amazing and I’ll definitely take his kernels of wisdom with me throughout the rest of my career.
Probably my favorite class this spring was Print/Web Design. I didn’t know how much work this class would be but it was worth every bit of effort.
This class introduced me to the digital world of professional printing and it was quite an intense learning curve at first. There was so much to learn and we had to throw all our preconceived notions out the window.
We used Adobe InDesign for all our work and it was great to learn many new skills. I worked hard on learning the software and I completed a wide variety of assignments. Some of these included newspaper layouts, a journalism portfolio, advertisements, a tabloid newspaper cover and other assorted projects.
The final exam required us to design a multi-page magazine layout, which implemented many of things learned over the semester. I put together a fictional dog magazine called Woof and the end product turned out great. If I can figure out how to do it, there will be a copy of my magazine here on the blog.
My trio of journalism classes was rounded out by Media Law. You may think this would be a boring class to take but I found it to be quite interesting and informative.
The class was broken up into discussing the different facets of law affecting the media. Topics ranged from media access and libel to obscenity and free speech. Hopefully I’ll never need to put many of these legal principles into use but it’s important to know what my rights are as a journalist. It’s hard to inform the public without having these protections in place for the media to use.
I enjoyed the part of class where we got to participate in mock trials dealing with certain parts of the law. Each person in the class was assigned to a group and we took turns acting as judges and lawyers representing different cases. Cases were spread out through the semester so it wasn’t too overwhelming to prepare for our particular roles. We also had to write legal briefs, which weren’t tons of fun but it was educational to research legal cases and precedents.
The semester was pretty taxing on me but everything worked out beautifully in the end. I was able to nail down A’s in all my courses and this made every late night worth it. My goal each semester is to work as hard as possible and let the chips fall where they may.
It’s hard to believe I only have a year of school left but at least my hardest semester is over and done with.
Mark
Friday, December 31, 2010
Indian Education
The nice thing about attending a liberal arts university is you get the chance to take classes outside of your major. This past fall I took my first Native American Studies class and while it was a challenging the course was rewarding. The class dealt with the post-reservation era in Montana and taking this class was partially for enjoyment. I also took the class to explore the complex issues affecting Montana tribes and this will hopefully make me a better rounded journalist.
Dr. Beck, the chair of the Native Studies department, taught the class and his wealth of knowledge made learning very interesting. We explored the history of each Montana tribe and the contemporary issues playing a role yet today. It was nice to spend time on each tribe and I was surprised at how complex many issues were. Issues relating to water rights and tribal self-determination were especially complex.
During the semester our class gave team presentations on each reservation. We had the individual responsibility of covering an issue unique to our specific reservation. I addressed the epidemic of Indian suicide on the Fort Peck reservation, which is located in Northeast Montana. It was difficult subject matter to tackle but I felt it was a critical issue to understand. My research was quite extensive and this allowed me to put together an awesome PowerPoint.
There are few classes I hate to see end but this was certainly one of those. I learned an incredible amount and have a much greater respect for American Indians. This spring I’m taking another Native Studies class and it deals with the portrayal of Indians in American cinema.
I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2011! The year ahead looks to be very exciting and I look forward to sharing it with each of you.
Peace… Mark
Dr. Beck, the chair of the Native Studies department, taught the class and his wealth of knowledge made learning very interesting. We explored the history of each Montana tribe and the contemporary issues playing a role yet today. It was nice to spend time on each tribe and I was surprised at how complex many issues were. Issues relating to water rights and tribal self-determination were especially complex.
During the semester our class gave team presentations on each reservation. We had the individual responsibility of covering an issue unique to our specific reservation. I addressed the epidemic of Indian suicide on the Fort Peck reservation, which is located in Northeast Montana. It was difficult subject matter to tackle but I felt it was a critical issue to understand. My research was quite extensive and this allowed me to put together an awesome PowerPoint.
There are few classes I hate to see end but this was certainly one of those. I learned an incredible amount and have a much greater respect for American Indians. This spring I’m taking another Native Studies class and it deals with the portrayal of Indians in American cinema.
I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2011! The year ahead looks to be very exciting and I look forward to sharing it with each of you.
Peace… Mark
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Merry Christmas!
You may have thought my blog was lost in the digital abyss but it is very much alive! The busy fall semester of 2010 is in the books and it was a satisfying experience academically. I’ll begin things here by recapping my start in the professional program at the UM School of Journalism.
I was excited to begin my foray into online reporting but the prospect scared the hell out of me a little too. The class turned out to be a great experience and I had the opportunity to work on a collaborative project for NewWest.net Our class explored food/agriculture issues unfolding in the Rocky Mountain West during the semester. The group I was part of tackled agricultural decline and attempts to revitalize the current situation.
I covered the history and impacts of agricultural decline in eastern Montana and Colorado. It was a daunting task to construct this story but I had tremendous luck in gathering informative sources. The whole story process was invaluable and I was quite happy with how everything turned out.
Our class had five groups that explored different areas of the food economy and our work will appear on NewWest.net, an online news source covering issues in the Rocky Mountain West. It’s exciting that NewWest is giving us the room to run a 5-day series on their web site. I’ll put my story up here when it appears.
My other journalism class was less exciting but it taught the basics of print editing and the extensive AP style method. The experience was tough but in the end I developed skills that will serve me well in the future. I learned that editors do a ton of work and it is something I respect but really don’t have a passion for. Personally I find reporting to be where I would like to focus.
I took a Native American studies class, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more on that after Christmas.
Recently I discovered a new social media tool that is a cross between Facebook and Twitter. It’s called Tumblr and I really like the simple format it uses. I’ll use my Tumblr page to put up stories & photos I find interesting along with some lighter stuff as well. You can view it by visiting: http://markboatman.tumblr.com/
Well that’s it for now but I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Have a safe weekend and I will return in a few days with a wrap on the rest of the fall semester.
Peace,
Mark
I was excited to begin my foray into online reporting but the prospect scared the hell out of me a little too. The class turned out to be a great experience and I had the opportunity to work on a collaborative project for NewWest.net Our class explored food/agriculture issues unfolding in the Rocky Mountain West during the semester. The group I was part of tackled agricultural decline and attempts to revitalize the current situation.
I covered the history and impacts of agricultural decline in eastern Montana and Colorado. It was a daunting task to construct this story but I had tremendous luck in gathering informative sources. The whole story process was invaluable and I was quite happy with how everything turned out.
Our class had five groups that explored different areas of the food economy and our work will appear on NewWest.net, an online news source covering issues in the Rocky Mountain West. It’s exciting that NewWest is giving us the room to run a 5-day series on their web site. I’ll put my story up here when it appears.
My other journalism class was less exciting but it taught the basics of print editing and the extensive AP style method. The experience was tough but in the end I developed skills that will serve me well in the future. I learned that editors do a ton of work and it is something I respect but really don’t have a passion for. Personally I find reporting to be where I would like to focus.
I took a Native American studies class, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more on that after Christmas.
Recently I discovered a new social media tool that is a cross between Facebook and Twitter. It’s called Tumblr and I really like the simple format it uses. I’ll use my Tumblr page to put up stories & photos I find interesting along with some lighter stuff as well. You can view it by visiting: http://markboatman.tumblr.com/
Well that’s it for now but I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Have a safe weekend and I will return in a few days with a wrap on the rest of the fall semester.
Peace,
Mark
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