Renewed commitment

When I arrived in Nashville, I was scared.

I found myself weary about the future of journalism, about why I still wanted to pursue it, and wondering if maybe I was on the brink of insanity for wanting to plunge into this industry despite all the warnings.

That’s no longer the case. And I know I'm not alone, thanks to the training, laughs and fun I've had in eight short days. Even though I'm more sleep-deprived than ever, I'll never forget this experience. I'll use the information I've learned and communicate with the friends I've gained for the rest of my career. I can return to Oregon with a new sense of purpose for myself and my newsroom. I've said this over and over, but now I'm armed with the tools and the energy to be a great intern and an even better journalist.

I'm going to volunteer for everything I can, work on audio and my photography in my spare time, and make sure every story I tell is fresh.

It may sound corny, but I'm also going to keep the little pieces of energy from each of you close to my heart, where it belongs. Thanks for the inspiration.

Thanks, Grandma

What does a pregnant 59-year-old great-grandmother have to do with journalism?

Everything.

The great-grandmother, with the help of Colleen Fitzpatrick, a career coach with the Chips Quinn Scholars program, retaught me that beneath it all, accuracy is everything.

In a small-group critique we dissected a story of a pregnant 59-year-old great grandmother. The main problem with it was that there was no verification behind it. No doctor to speak to the pregnancy. No husband, either. The bad news is that the story by The Associated Press actually ran in newspapers. The good news is that it's a perfect lesson for a beginning journalist: don't just take anyone's word.

Through this and other exercises in our small breakout groups with our coaches, I've been reminded of what to do in my internship and definitely what not to do.

This will be my fourth internship and I feel more prepared than ever to enter the newsroom in Bend, Ore., on Feb. 2. I know what my goals are and I have solid, clear ways to execute my success. And it's all because of a great-grandmother.

The Five Freedoms and Me

Freedom of religion, speech and the press. The freedom to assemble and to petition. Now I'm part of the 3 percent of Americans who know the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment — and I know them by heart. I am part of that special statistic thanks to First Amendment Center Founder John Seigenthaler and USA Today Editor Ken Paulson's First Amendment refresher. I was also reminded about the importance of breaking down statistics, of showing the faces behind the headlines -- or should I say, RSS feeds.

Amidst the crazy "media carnival" of news surrounding us, it's easy to forget about the basics, such as the First Amendment or why we're here in the first place: to tell stories. Whether it's RSS feeds, Twitter, or Facebook, we have more information to sift and sort through than ever before, which is both frightening and exciting to both a journalist and media consumer.

Today has helped me put this information overload age into perspective. The bottom line is quality. No matter what the medium, stories should be relevant and engaging. Instead of writing follow-up stories, we as journalists should push stories forward, advancing them in fresh and innovative ways. It's about deductive reasoning, and what medium works best. The key, said Val Hoeppner, multimedia manager at the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, is to make sure that people aren't statistics. Although I might be part of many statistics – including fresh Chipster, and now, First Amendment aficionado -- I never want someone to mistake me for a number. I expect myself to do the same with anyone I cover, in whatever medium I choose to cover them in.

Bring on the long days!

Excitement is the first emotion that comes to mind when I think about the week ahead. Not only do I expect to make great connections with the Chip Quinn Scholars and staff members of the program, but I'm also hopeful for what many of the staff members and seasoned reporters were telling us on our first day --- a life-changing experience. Besides a great overall experience, I plan to work hard to solidify my satisfactory multimedia skills and get as much out of the training as possible. Bring on the 12- to 14-hour days. I'm up for it.