by Lauren Schuler
Staff Writer
The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
Jaguar Times staff writer Lauren Schuler sat down with Associated Press reporter Samantha Hendrickson to discuss a day in the life of a journalist. In her own free time, Samantha comes in every Monday to teach The Jaguar Times' Journalism and Broadcast class the do’s and don’ts about Journalism.
Q: What is your typical day like as a journalist?
A: “I wake up in the morning and usually start around 8:30 a.m.. I will catch up on Morning News from my colleagues and then I also look at news around the state from different outlets. After that, I have a morning meeting with the Associated Press global team. Journalists from all over the world tune into a zoom, and we talk about the news for the day. Depending on the day, I might have some meetings, I might have a check in with my editor. I'll try to set up some interviews with different sources, depending on what kind of story I'm doing and I also might do some writing. What I really love about [journalism] is that it's different every single day.”
Q: What do you look for in people's actions or responses to things happening like events that make you want to interview them?
A: “I think it often depends on what their job is, so I want to look for a public official's comment on something that is happening because they are the people that represent us in politics and in the statehouse, at the state level for government or at the national level for government. I look for people on the street who are talkative and who seem open and want to have an opinion about things. That’s a little bit of trial and error. Especially if you go to something with a big crowd like a protest or you're trying to look for somebody on the street. People don't always want to talk to you, but you do look for kind of an openness and a person who is willing to get chatty because we do want to know what a ‘real person’ thinks about what's going on.”
Q: What is the typical or main area that you choose to stay around when you're doing news and stories?
A: “I cover anything that comes out of [Ohio’s] statehouse, such as bills and laws that are being proposed. So I typically stay in the political arena and then how those bills affect real people.”
Q: What was the switch between going from college journalism to real life journalism like?
A: “There's a lot of freedom in college journalism, because you're all students. You get to choose what you write about a lot of the time, but people don't always take you as seriously, but that can also be an advantage. There's kind of a power to being underestimated. When you go to a big name newspaper, like the Associated Press, people expect a lot more from you and there's a power that comes with that. If I say I work for the Associated Press, the majority of people in the room are going to know who that is, but their expectations of me are going to be higher. Sliding under the radar is not really an option. It does give me privileges and access to things that I might not have otherwise. So while I'm underestimated in college journalism, it's its own superpower, but they both kind of have their downfalls a little bit. I would say there's a lot more responsibility [in the Associated Press] and a lot less room for mistakes.”
Q: How do you feel about coming into Bradley and helping our journalism class grow as individuals and as a group?
A: “I love it. I think it's so fun. I have so much fun with you guys every Monday. It’s been really exciting to see how you guys are applying those lessons. You have great questions and that always feels really nice for me because it means that you guys are engaged and you want to be here. I'm super nerdy about journalism, so to pass on that nerdiness to you guys, it feels great and I'm hopeful about the next generation of journalism students.”
Q: What is your most favorite and your least favorite thing about being a journalist?
A: “My favorite thing about being a journalist is that I get to learn constantly about anything that I want to. It is so rewarding to be a constant student. I think the beautiful thing about journalism is that I can talk to people who are smarter than me and I can talk to people who have lived more life than me. While I am writing in order for other people to learn about them, I'm also learning myself. Editing is probably my least favorite thing, but it's there for a reason. Also interviewing condescending people really sucks but overall, it's so worth it.”
Q: Have you ever been called in for an international story?
A: “I have not been called in for an international story, but I have been called in for a lot of national stories and those are always really interesting. For example, I'm doing a story right now that has an international focus but it's not necessarily international, because it has to do with the possible first Somali candidates in the Ohio legislature. We have two Somali candidates from two different districts. One of them is running unopposed. So she's pretty much a guaranteed first Somali legislator in the House of Representatives for Ohio. Then there's another man who is running and that's a really big deal because Columbus has the second largest population of Somali individuals. I've been really excited to write that story and just hear so much about the immigrant journey, and how much work they've put in to get there and how revered they are by their communities for being able to represent them after fleeing the [Somali] civil war, and being born in refugee camps and all of these different things. It's been really cool to see that international journey that they've been on to get to a place like Columbus, Ohio, so I feel really excited to be a part of that journey, even if it's just a small piece.”
Q: While in the process of a story, have you ever met or ran into a really important or famous figure?
A: “I've met governors from several states. So it's not super famous and mainly the famous people that I've met have been political figures. So I've met the governor of Wisconsin, the governor of Minnesota, and Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota. I've met the governor of Ohio several times and his wife, Lieutenant Governor, that kind of thing. My dream is to meet first lady Dr. Biden. I have had so many ‘almosts’ with her. I have had a lot of almost-meetings with famous people but mostly it's been those political figures. It is very interesting. These people hold a lot of power over a state, they make a lot of decisions.”
Q: Would you ever consider being a journalism teacher in the future?
A: “I think I would love to be a journalism teacher in the future. I'm not sure at what level but I love teaching. I've always enjoyed education. I almost became a teacher. But then I really, really loved journalism so I think I would consider it, but it would be far in the future.”
Q: How has being a journalist impacted your life?
A: “It's impacted every single part of my life. I think it's made me more open. I think it's made me more empathetic. I think it has made me more knowledgeable. I think I'm able to recognize patterns and injustices and systems in a way that I would not have otherwise and I think I'm a better person for being a journalist.”