Hello to all our incoming journalism students! You're going to have the time of your life. This welcome package contains tips, tricks and pointers for your career Carleton. Over the next four years you’ll grow academically and socially. We can’t wait to meet you.
The Carleton University Journalism Society (JSOC) is a student-run organization dedicated to fostering a community through activities and events, and providing student representation. We hope this package provides a fun way to guide your upcoming year and genuinely help you adjust to the program.
If you have any questions at all, ask me! I'm Isabel Harder, JSOC's VP (academic) for this year and a third-year student in journalism and law (journo, for short). My email is JsocVPAcademic@gmail.com.
My job is to connect with students and organizations all year long. If you have any questions about JSOC, Journalism or campus in general, send me an email. I’ve got two years of experience at j-school under my belt, have written for both Capital Current and the Charlatan (edited for the latter, too), and have even worked as a residence fellow. If you need anything, I am here to help.
So, what's in your welcome package?
- Study tips (surviving j-school 101)
- How to find a story
- Veteran advice
- Tech & tools
- Getting to know Ottawa
“When you see something interesting — or a change in something — make a note to yourself. A business closes. A new one opens. Or, kids all wearing the same thing. Then, look it up. You get in the habit, you find stories.” - Micheline Maynard, a senior editor at Here & Now
- Read the news! This seems like an obvious one, but you can almost always pick out new angles from ongoing stories. Our favourite sites include the New York Times, Ottawa Citizen, and CBC News.
- Think about your interests! Is there anything you can apply to a current issue?
- Reach out to non-profit organizations to see if there are any issues they're working on solving.
- Check out Google Trends for recent search trends. See if there’s a topic you can dig deeper into.
- Do your own research. Find recent reports online and see if you can create a story with them. Statistics Canada is an excellent source for this, they publish news briefs frequently.
- Sign up for press releases. Check out the Carleton Newsroom for school-related news releases, reach out to local businesses or organizations and ask to be added to their mailing lists (the National Gallery and other art galleries have very neat news releases).
- Use social media to help! Facebook events or groups, Twitter, online webinars, city websites or tourism pages are great places to spot events. Post your topic online and ask if anyone knows a source who could help. Having group chats with your peers will help. (Just remember not to interview your friends for your stories!).
- Keep in touch with sources you've spoken to before. Follow that artist on Instagram, maintain rapport with that activist, you never know when they could be doing something interesting again.
Christianna is an accomplished fourth-year journalism student with publishing credits in Capital Current and the Ottawa Citizen. She is also the features editor for the Charlatan. In this section she provides tips you will 100% need in J-school.
1. Record interviews and use timestamps
If you record your interviews and take timestamps for good quotes, it will be easier to find them later on. *But always make sure you are legally allowed to record something.
2. Use programs like Otter.ai to help sift through your interview recordings
Programs like this will transcribe your recordings for you, but always double check them because they are not 100 per cent foolproof.
3. Have a final interview question
Finish your interviews by asking your source “would you like to add anything” or “is there anything that I didn’t ask that I should have”.
4. Be formal when contacting a source
Make sure to use professional and formal language when sending emails and speaking on the phone. This shows your sources you take your work seriously.
5. Follow-up with sources
Following-up with sources will make them feel appreciated and will help you maintain a relationship with them, which becomes useful for future projects.
6. Start off an interview by asking your source to spell their full name and title
This will minimize the risk of spelling names wrong. As a rule of thumb, if you are ever uncertain how to spell something, you should ask your source and then verify through a reliable online source.
7. Look put-together for your interviews
Fix your hair, wear office-casual clothes, come prepared etc. This will show your sources that you are professional and take your work seriously.
8. Use all means possible to contact a source
This includes phone, email, and various social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook Groups, Instagram, LinkedIn, DMs, etc.
9. Be personable with your sources.
Though sometimes you may have a strictly professional relationship with your source, it is important to be friendly and kind. Start conversations with them and ask about their day and life. Most times these type of conversations will lead to information you either need for your story or potentially another story idea.
10. Be in the know
Read and educate yourself about current events, so that you can discuss any current topic.
11. Research before interviewing a source
It is important to know who are interviewing. It will also impress your source because it will show them that you appreciate them taking the time to speak with you.
12. Ask for feedback and be open to criticism
It is alright to not know what you are doing. Professors and classmates will respect you for asking questions and wanting to improve.
13. Ask your journalism friends/classmates to edit your articles
Always get them to use the Track Changes or Suggesting option in either Word or Google Docs.
14. Read over your articles 3 times
Once for grammar, once for style and one final check.
15. Find your passion
Write about a variety of topics and step out of your comfort zone. This is how you find what topics you are passionate about.
We asked some other seasoned Journos what advice they would give to first-year students:
"Always start looking for sources the minute your story is assigned. People you may think are reliable will cancel, ignore your emails, or simply say 'no' to an interview, so it's important to give yourself time to pursue a backup plan."
-Pascale Malenfant, fourth-year
"Still try to communicate with your classmates and profs outside of class! They can be a huge help throughout J-school, and having a good relationship with them could also be beneficial once you graduate."
-Miranda Caley, fourth-year
1) As soon as you start your first reporting assignment, you're a journalist. A source is more likely to answer you if you introduce yourself as a freelance journalist instead of a student. Unfortunately, there's this way of thinking for some sources that an assignment for a class is less "worthy" of being interviewed for as opposed to a freelance story. Plus there's always the chance that your instructor will think you wrote a great piece and encourage you to pitch it to a publication!
2) Never be afraid of hearing "No" from a source. It can often be intimidating when you have a really great idea or you want to interview someone and you're afraid of being rejected. All levels of journalists face rejection throughout their career, but if "no" is the worst thing you can hear, just go for it because it's better than not knowing. A lot of times people actually would love to talk to you and you'd never know that unless you ask.
-Devon Platana, masters of journalism graduate, former TA
You will become a flexible, multi-media capable journalist in the coming years! Here are some wallet-friendly career starters:
Every Carleton Student is entitled to a free Microsoft Office license through their Carleton e-mail. Be sure to claim it!
The industry standard, and it's free. You will likely use every single one of the programs at some point in your schooling, even if it seems unlikely.
Office includes Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, Excel, and much much more.
(Hot tip: Microsoft OneNote is actually a very practical note-taking software!)
Need a way to record audio that isn't just your phone? Try Otter.ai.
Otter is a voice recording software that works from your desktop or a mobile app. It also helps with transcribing interviews (just be sure to listen back to your recordings for accuracy!).
One of the best things about Carleton is its location. Ottawa is incredible and vibrant, if you know where to look.
Where to eat:
- Ollie’s (on campus, have bachelor viewing parties every Monday, what else is there to say)
- Landsdowne (a little pricey, but they have anything you want AND a weekend farmers' market)
- Pure Kitchen
- Kettleman’s (24/7 bagels… need we say more?)
- Suzy Q donuts (they have vegan options, too!)
- Gongfu Bao
- Orto trattoria (authentic cacio e pepe)
- Elgin St. Diner (for great milkshakes & poutine)
- Zak’s Diner (they put booze in milkshakes if you ask them to)
- El furniture warehouse (cheap food for broke students)
- Magic molecule
- Stella Luna (the priciest gelato, but it’s worth it and they’ll do an affogato without looking at you weird)
- Tavern on the falls (the VIEWS)
What to do:
- National Arts Centre (Canadian talent and concerts, both irl and online)
- The National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of Nature are free on Thursday evenings!
- Carleton University Art Gallery (admission by donation, and on campus)
- Picnic in Major’s Hill Park
- Kayak on the Rideau Canal
- Skate the Rideau Canal
- Sail the Ottawa River
- Nordik Spa in Chelsea
- Mooney’s Bay beach
- Feline Cafe in Hintonburg
- Dow’s lake and the arboretum (excellent for walks and cute picnic dates)
Where to party:
- Flora Hall Brewing
- Heart and Crown
- Byward Market (patio szn baby)
How to find more events:
- Eventbrite will be your best friend this year! For both online and irl events.
- Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) and Rideau River Residents’ Association (RRRA) will have events all the time! Check their socials (Instagram, especially).
- Carleton's Student Experience Office often runs events, even after frosh.
How to get involved in journalism:
Since you're heading into journalism, be sure to join clubs. University clubs and organizations can provide good early training, experience, and portfolio growth (and are excellent spots to make friends). Here are our favourite publications (on-campus and off) that to get involved in if you're a budding journo.
- The Charlatan
- CKCU FM
- HerCampus Carleton
- The Glebe Report
- Capital Current
- The Ottawa Citizen
FOR MORE ON J-SCHOOL, LIVING LIFE AS A JOURNO, EVENTS, OR JUST GETTING THROUGH SCHOOL REACH OUT TO JSOC! GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
Credits:
Created with an image by CoWomen - "untitled image"