WAVERLY, Ohio — Traveling to report on a story sounds glamorous and Netflix documentaries make it look oh-so tantalizing.
It is neither. Traveling is hard work. I sure made my share of faux pas and errors this first day back into the throes of reporting here in Pike County, Ohio. I share my flubs here in the hopes you take away a tip or two to inform yours:
Take more than one pen and a couple notebooks. You will write a lot. Bring a highlighter as well as you will need to quickly highlight/annotate your notes for deadline writing. I needed Post-it notes as well.
Bring water. Always take water. And a snack or two. I joke that in this business that you never know when you might eat, so be prepared. I forgot both today and got caught on a necessary Zoom call over lunch, so nothing to eat until 5 p.m. I learned that the court will allow a closed water bottle. I bought one today.
Speaking of court rules. I learned today about another court rule: No entry into the court once the jury and judge have been seated. This was new for me. It meant I missed a couple hours of in-courtroom testimony. Know the rules. Keep a copy of the rules/orders.
Make friends in the media room (this relates to above). I ventured down to the media room to listen to testimony on the live stream, only to discover the box I had my ear buds in was empty. Thank goodness for CoJMC alum and dear friend Patti Gallagher Newberry who shared hers.
Think on your feet. The SIM card in my phone fried mid-day, which meant I could not text or call folks who were not on iMessage. It was frustrating, but it wastes energy, so better to put that energy toward a solution. I found a Verizon store (thank goodness there was a store here) and managed to get a new SIM card and installed it this evening. Problem solved.
Don't be afraid to ask. I thought I knew how to thread my tweets. I didn't. I asked. Now, I learned how to compose threaded tweets.
Even with all the missteps of today, I managed to fill a notebook of newsy tidbit and have a lot to write for a story.
In the meantime, as you begin to venture off to report know that no one is perfect and we all continue to learn.
Questions for students:
What questions do you have for me?
Do you think covering a court is one of the hardest things to cover? Do you ever get confused about what is going or forget to write something down or write something down that you don't need to have in your notes.
When covering a court case and taking notes have you ever missed writing down an important quote? Since you can't record the trial how do you fact check yourself?
Would you recommend something like a checklist that you run through every day before going in? Is there a place online or in the courthouse beforehand that would be helpful in learning the court ules for a specific area?
Do you have to write one tale a day or several? How many stories must you produce each day? How do you approach other media professionals? How do you train yourself to push yourself outside your comfort zone as a journalist?
What tips do you have for students looking into court reporting?
Has it been hard readjusting to the life of a reporter and then having to come back to Lincoln?