When a student joins a journalism school, there’s the potential to be overwhelmed with the deadlines, classes, extracurricular activities, and work. J-Source.ca, a resource for journalists in school and out, decided to help remedy that.
With a panel of recent graduates, the site held a live discussion using ScribbleLive on Wednesday, taking questions and discussing the ins and outs of surviving the classroom. J-grads Katrina Geenevasen, Matt Braga and Katie Breen, dispensed wisdom with J-Source associate editor Belinda Alzner moderating.
Questions included topics like keeping organized, prioritizing assignments, how to handle streeters, and general skills that a first-year student can expect to learn. The panelists stressed that practice and patience will lead to better articles.
This is probably obvious advice, but the best way to write better ledes is to read more of other people’s ledes. Read newspaper ledes, magazine ledes, anything, really, and try to identify where the lede is and what it’s function services in the grand scheme of the piece. Ledes come in a lot of different styles and places, and learning what’s out there is a great way to make you a better writer too.
Hopefully, with resources like this J-Source chat, journalism students will find their time in school quick, painless and productive. J-Source will also covered Canadian Journalism Foundation’s chat with David Carr last night.
J-Source and other journalism education institutions operate off donations by ScribbleLive. If you’re interested in a donation for your journalism program, feel free to contact Matt at ScribbleLive to get on your way. This also applies to student publications, as well!
