Life-Saving Hacks for Journalists and Writers
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Many people think news reporting and writing are easy occupations, but it’s actually more difficult than the average person would think.
Journalists are constantly contacting sources or vice versa, filing stories by the deadline and even keeping an eye out for newsworthy topics on social media. These are what make journalism so exciting because you’ll never know what is out there.
While it is an exciting world, the news is often chaotic, so it’s easy to get the story-making process unorganized. Of course, having your “reporter’s notebook(s)” is essential, but there are other tips for keeping organized throughout the week. These are some of the hacks I have learned and heard work for journalists and their productivity!
A Planner is a MUST!
A big calendar may be resourceful and all, BUT a weekly planner will help you keep organized with events, interview timing, and other important meetings. I’ve been using a planner since high school, college, and as a young professional. I also like to color-code my schedule because it helps me remember certain occasions or priorities. Not only that, color can grab a lot of people’s attention to something as well. Bonus: planners’ stickers will brighten up your schedule and can mark something important. Plus, they’re cute, too.
You can get a nice planner at Target, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls at a low price and with creative designs!
Contact *NOTEBOOK*
You read that right.
A contact NOTEBOOK, not a contact/address book, which is a book where you put your sources or network contact information in. I learned from a journalist friend of this life hack and my writing process has gotten SO much better! Whatever stories they are planning for the week, they would write down who to contact and where to grab information or comments from. Here’s how to organize the “contact notebook”:
In a random empty notebook (you do not have to be glamourous with this), note down the stories you need to write for this week. In each story, write down the contact information of the sources or officials to contact and arrange an interview with. After you’ve interviewed them at a certain time or place, then simply check that contact off.
In this way, it’ll help you to be more organized and keep track of your contact. Therefore, making the writing process easier!
Clear Makeup Bag for TV Journalists
While I do not see myself being a TV reporter anytime soon (sorry mom), I’ve had some friends who worked in local news stations and taught me some tricks of the trade. One of my friends worked with a gorgeous TV reporter and to look presentable on camera fast, she would carry her makeup in a clear resealable plastic bag.
I know what you’re thinking…it sounds gross. BUT HEAR ME OUT!
TV reporters are sometimes in a hurry and do not always have time to sit down and do their makeup and hair. In order to look camera-ready, they do not have time to rummage through their bags for their makeup, so with a clear bag, they see everything inside.
You can get these clear makeup bags I found at Target here.
Voice Memos or a Voice Recorder on Phone
I can never remember any source's quotes or statements, so I record them to get their exact quotes. I used to use the video feature on my iPhone, but I discovered my iPhone has the Voice Memos app feature. I have not looked back ever since. It captures ONLY the person’s voice and the background noise is kept to a minimum. It’s pretty easy to use! Once you open the app, press the red record button at the bottom. Once you press pause, it’ll show up on the top of the page.
To beginners in journalism, I highly suggest audio recording your interviews. There are many different apps for your phone to help you record audio! Depending on your state laws, there are some states that allow one-party recording–meaning you don’t need to ask permission to record someone.
Coupons in Newspapers Can Do No Wrong
I sound like one of those ‘coupon moms,’ but reporters do not make a lot of money and I love a good deal, especially when I see those ads stuck in the daily newspaper.
Plus, I can always grab a free newspaper all the time, so the daily ads appear in between the sections pretty often. Never throw those junk ads out, they can get you something you need at a low price! :)
Of course, what may work for me or other journalists, may not always work for you. In fact, before publishing this blog post, I created a thread on my Twitter handle asking what hacks journalist use. Definitely try all of these out when you can and let me know what you think!
Til next time!
–Paula J.P.