The 2010 SPJ Reporters Institute was a great experience. Not only did I learn from some of the best in the journalism industry, but I met and interacted with roughly 30 of the best young reporters around. Below, one guy’s take on what we learned and what it means to the future of journalism:

Session 1: FOI and document-driven newsrooms, with Charles Davis (Executive Director, National Freedom of Information Coalition)

Davis’ main point was simple: journalists should constantly seek documents. Why? Simply put, they can be the backbone to countless big stories. And, best of all, they don’t pick favorites. They don’t speak in soundbites. They are what they are, and they say what they say. It is up to the journalist to get them. This means making FOI (Freedom of Information) requests all the time, even when the data isn’t something the reporter is aggressively seeking for a story. At the very least, filing FOI requests keeps both the reporter and the records-keeper sharp, and it lets agencies know that they need to be aware of the press. And in a day and age where more and more red tape seems to keep information obscured, watchdog journalism is as important as ever.

Session 2: Ethics, with Adrian Uribarri (SPJ Ethics Committee member)

The biggest thing I can say about ethics after this session is that it’s good to have others in the discussion. Put another way, no one has all the ethical answers, which is why newsrooms need to communicate. How does one cover a star athlete in a rape case? Should the press accommodate the government when they cry, “national security?” These and other questions come up on a regular basis, and it’s up to the reporter to act with a solid ethical compass. A good start is the SPJ’s Code of Ethics, but it’s also up to newsrooms to develop good, working policies for their specific coverage areas. Ultimately, all journalists should be aware of why they’re doing something, not just that they’re doing it.

Session 3: Diversity in the newsroom and news world, with Kenny Irby (Poynter Director of Diversity)

Like with ethics, the issue of diversity is best discussed with large, diverse groups. Because there are no easy answers. From the session with Irby, the key points a young journalist should know are:

• Diversity is not just about race — differences in education, religion, sexual orientation and other areas matter, too
• We are NOT in a post-racial world, despite many advances. That means that many divisions still exist along lines of color
• It’s important for reporters to go into “different” areas, areas in their community they are less comfortable and familiar with. There are stories there, and ignoring them is doing a disservice to your coverage area
• Don’t be afraid to talk about race, or other issues of diversity. No one will get anywhere without discussion

Session 4: Multimedia and the “all-platform journalist,” with Stacia Deshishku (CNN Director of Coverage)

Learn as much as you can, and don’t be afraid of FlipCams. In a nutshell, that’s what this presentation was all about. At CNN, a transition is being made to incorporate more “all-platform journalists,” essentially jack-of-all trades who can do all of their reporting from a car or coffee shop. Gone (to a degree) are the days of the big news team and the bulky satellite truck. Young reporters who embrace new skills will be valued. But don’t worry if you don’t know “everything” now…Deshishku said CNN was surprised to learn that most of its APJ applicants DIDN’T know everything, indicating that we all have weaknesses and things to learn. In CNN’s case, training the APJs in the areas they lacked was the solution. More and more newsrooms may be going this direction, with an emphasis on training young journalists before throwing them into the wild. From someone who was essentially thrown into the wild, I can only hope this will become reality.

Session 5: Writing tips, with Dr. Roy Peter Clark (Poynter vice president and senior scholar)

First, let me say that Dr. Clark is one of the more engaging speakers I have ever seen. Especially because he plays a mean rock ‘n’ roll piano. But he knows a thing or two about writing, too. His big point was that word order matters. In particular, the words right before periods and at the end of paragraphs matter, because these areas are “hot spots” that stick with readers. An example, from Macbeth: “…the queen, my lord, is dead.” Notice how this sentence could have been worded in several different ways (“the queen is dead, my lord;” “my lord, the queen is dead”). However, Shakespeare made sure to put an important item at the beginning of the sentence (“the queen”) and the most important item (“is dead”) at the end. This structure can be applied to longer sentences, and it serves to keep the reader engaged. (Clark was one of my favorite presenters, and I could go on and on about his suggestions. However, this is a blog post, so I don’t want it to get too lengthy. I will say he has a book out that discusses his writing tips in detail.)

Session 6: How to get story ideas, with Lane DeGregory (reporter at The St. Petersburg Times)

Another one of my favorite sessions from SPJRI, largely because it was so useful and because DeGregory is so personable. Her tips are simple, but effective: talk to strangers, read the wall (where fliers reside), sit the bench (people are worth observing), make unique friends, celebrate losers (they often have more compelling stories) and (my favorite) — hang out at bars. These are just a few of her many tips, but the theme is clear: people, the everyday variety, are your sources. The world isn’t all about politicians and celebrities. If you’re willing to listen, folks on the street corner have great tales. And great tales often can be linked to bigger picture issues, which always makes a journalist happy.

Thanks for reading. I’d love to see your comments on anything here.

As you may know, SPJ’s Reporters Institute recently wrapped up. The institute gave 3o-some young journalists a chance to learn from some of the industry’s best, as well as from each other. I will be posting an entry soon that will recap each of the sessions and, hopefully, give you some good tips. However, in the meantime, I encourage you to get in touch with any and all of us. Like you, the group is young and passionate about journalism.

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=125571107462698&ref=ts (you won’t be able to join, but you can definitely get in touch with young journos in your area)

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/journalistnate/spj-reporters-institute

And to prove we’re not scary people:

Attendees of the 2010 SPJ Reporters Institute (yours truly is back row, fourth from left, in the blue shirt. Meet me at http://twitter.com/mrosemn)

Young journalists are faced with a lot of obstacles and situations. I thought it would be a good idea to talk about situations that we might face on a daily basis in the newsroom. While some situations are only things I’ve been warned about by college professors, I’d like to start posting a situation and discussing the best ways to handle it. Together we can survive, one newsroom at a time.

Today’s situation is called “Who’s the boss?” Has anyone experienced a power struggle in the newsroom? The old reporter at the corner desk who barks out orders like they’re the editor? I once thought it was usually just the reporter who’d been at the office the longest, but I don’t think that’s always the case. If you’ve experienced this, how did you handle it?  Did you listen to your fellow reporter? What do you think is the best way to handle it? Do you think it has something to do with age or time in the business?  Sound off!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend! Stay safe! J

Our fearless chairwoman Aiesha Little recently won first place in the news category of the 2010 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards, a statewide competition sponsored by the Press Club of Cleveland. Little’s piece, “…Because That’s Where the Money Is,” appeared in the February 2009 issue of Cincinnati Magazine and tells the story of a college student who robbed a bank to pay his tuition. Good work, Aiesha!

(If you’d like to submit an item for Good Work Wednesdays, email it to aiesha_little(at)yahoo(dot)com)

The SPJ’s Reporter Institute, which is designed to train young journalists, wraps up tomorrow. If you haven’t done so already, check out the Twitter hashtag #spjri for live tweets from me (@mroseMN) and others as the conference unfolds.

Also, sometime after the institute, look for some video from a Q and A with Kansas University Knight Chair and SPJ member Pam Fine on this blog. The session was designed for young journos to fire away with questions regarding the industry’s — and their own — futures. More on this to come.

So far, we’ve gotten good sessions on ethics, FOI, media diversity, new media and writing fundamentals. I will highlight some of the points that have stood out to me, regardless of session, below. Check back later (when I’m less exhausted) for a more extensive recap.

Without further ado, some quick thoughts, from the minds of Charles Davis (FOI), Adrian Uribarri (ethics), Kenneth Irby (diversity), Stacia Deshishku (new media, “multi-platform” journalism) and Dr. Roy Peter Clark (writing skills):

• On the subject of FOI, make records and other documents your friends, and get them before you ever have a story idea or a deadline
• Send FOI requests regularly, if for no other reason than to keep your sources — and you — sharp
• Diversity encompasses race, but there’s much more than just race involved. Look for cultural, educational, social, etc., differences and gauge whether your coverage fairly represents your community — all of it
• Be prepared to be a “multi-platform” journalist. But don’t worry about knowing all the skills off the bat…many of your peers need training in one area or another, too
• Ethics are best worked out in a group setting, with lots of discussion. Oner person CAN’T know all the answers to ethical questions
• When writing, pay careful note to words at the end of sentences and, especially, at the end of paragraphs. These areas are “hot spots” that draw a reader’s attention
• This type of word emphasis can be applied to Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other platforms that are generally viewed as less formal. Make your writing jump, whether its in 140 characters or 20 column inches

Sorry if this was a bit scattered…just trying to put some quick thoughts up. When I recover from my whirlwind travels, I’ll post more in-depth wrap-ups of some of the areas above.

Today’s public service announcement: Make sure you follow Mike Rose (@mroseMN) and Nate Miller (@journalistnate) on Twitter using the #SPJRI hashtag. They’ll be telling you all about what’s going on at this year’s Reporters Institute for young journalists. For more info on the event, go to www.spj.org/ri.asp

Journalists are a cynical bunch and as such, we tend to focus on the negative. Well, here at “First Draft,” the Generation J committee members will be doing our part to encourage young journalists who excel in their craft. For the first Good Work Wednesdays post, we check in with writer Jaclyn Trop, who recently had a feature on the hunt for an eccentric identity thief published in The Boston Phoenix. Good work, Jaclyn!

(If you’d like to submit an item for Good Work Wednesdays, email it to aiesha_little(at)yahoo(dot)com)

First, allow me to briefly introduce myself to First Draft readers: I’m Mike Rose, a young journalist calling Austin, Minn., home and, in a week, an attendee of the SPJ’s Summer Reporters Institute. Along with Nate Miller, I will be doing some blogging during the institute, trying to provide some good tidbits of journalism knowledge. I encourage you to check it out.

Now on to some food for thought: I recently read this MinnPost Q and A (written by Minnesota Daily alum and all around good guy, David Brauer. For the record, I’m a Daily alum, too) with the Star Tribune’s CEO, Mike Klingensmith. Brauer and Klingensmith touch on a number of subjects, but the one I wanted to highlight for this forward-thinking blog is the idea of paywalls. As the name implies, a paywall would make some editorial content restricted to free loading readers. Klingensmith’s concept is that those who do want to ante up for “better” content can do so and pay accordingly. This “metering” idea would allow those looking for only quick headlines to browse for free, but would make the newspaper some money when readers view exclusive investigations and the like.

That, of course, is the theory behind the idea. But would it actually work, especially in a two paper area like the Twin Cities, where the competition (the Pioneer Press) could remain 100 percent free? Klingensmith seems to think so, but I’d love to hear what YOU think. Is this a viable option for newspapers looking to figure out the online enigma?

P.S. Part II of the Q and A is here, if you’re interested.

About a year and a half ago, I gave the following advice to a young professional who wanted to break into journalism. Given the changing landscape of our field, do you think it’s still valid? What about it is still good and what needs to be reworked?

1) Write, write, and write some more. Start a blog about something you’re really interested in. I know a guy who only blogs about The Beatles. The Beatles, as musical icons, are intrinsically linked to every aspect of his life and it shows in the care he takes with writing about them. Make it meaningful to you and the writing will be meaningful to others. If you’re interested in music, go to live shows and write reviews. Write the reviews short. Write them long. Just write them. Experiment. Write every day; set daily deadlines for yourself. Keep in mind that a blog of this nature isn’t to necessarily draw millions of readers, but to work on your writing “voice.” I’d say do it as a journal and not for the world to see, but some internship coordinators take well-written, thoughtful blog entries as clips/writing samples when “traditional” clips/writing samples aren’t available. No one’s going to give you a chance to write if you haven’t demonstrated in some form or fashion that you already know how to write.

2) Learn different aspects of multimedia. By the time you graduate from grad school, simply being able to write more than likely won’t get you a job. Journalism is moving to the Web. Learn to shoot and edit video. Learn how to create podcasts. Know how to do the basics in Flash and Dreamweaver. Know how to use social media. Whatever you do, do it well. The more you know, the easier it will be to position yourself as the candidate outlets want to hire.

3) Hone your voice by reading the work of good writers. Writers don’t operate in a vacuum. Reading good work begets good work. If you want to be in magazines, you must read the annual editions of The Best American Magazine Writing. If newspapers are your thing, read the annual editions of Best Newspaper Writing. Part of finding your voice comes from knowing what has and hasn’t worked for other writers.

4) Get involved. Join some associations. There’s the Society of Professional Journalists, the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, the Native American Journalists Association, and the Radio Television Digital News Association, to name a few. There are so many associations out there. It doesn’t make sense to not be involved with those that fit your needs. Establishing relationships in the field goes a long way in helping you achieve your goals.

5) Know that you’re getting into a field where your earning potential is stunted from jump. You will have to take a vow of poverty to be in this business. Don’t be surprised by that. People don’t get into media for the paycheck. They get into it because they want to tell good stories (and see their names in print).

The bottom line: Don’t wait for someone to hand you an opportunity you can create yourself. You have to take the initiative to make your dreams come true. That means when you get to grad school, you write for the school newspaper, magazine, yearbook, online venture…whatever’s available, you do it. If writing is what you want to do, take—and make—every opportunity possible to help you get to where you want to be. It may not pay off immediately, but it will eventually pay off if you’re serious about it.

I’ve been on LinkedIn for two years now and in that time, I’ve gotten quite a few requests for endorsements—from former interns, current interns, freelancers, former co-workers, etc. Some of them I’ve endorsed. Others? They go straight to the archive, shelved to never be heard from again. Some of these requests don’t make sense. If I’ve never edited or fact checked your work, or we’ve never shared a work space, what do you expect me to say about you? (Some people say you shouldn’t endorse someone unless they endorse you first; I don’t know if I agree with this, but whatever floats your boat, right?) To me, an endorsement is the same as a reference or recommendation; if I can’t truly say why you’re a good worker/person, I don’t want to spend any time trying to think up a reason that probably won’t ring true. Gen Jers: How do you feel about endorsements? Do you think they’re helpful? In the long run, do they really mean anything?