You're always guaranteed controversy and confrontation on the blog written anonymously by ranting blogging hack Playing the Game.
Most of the time his rants are filled with gems of advice for those naive, dream-eyed wannabes eager to make it in newspapers. But most, he says, will end up blubbering back to Mama puzzled why they didn't make it, or deluded by the truth they just didn't cut the Mustard. The truth hurts.
But occasionally, amid the comments section of his blog, there are sensible pieces of advice from 'those' who are truely filled with the passion and determination, and 'talent', to succeed. It's good to hear those who are in it, telling those who want to be in it how to get into it, but it's also nice to hear those who want to be in it, telling those what it's like from the other side of the fence from time to time. So if you're a wannabe, these requests on your first day of workie experience seem reasonable.
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One writes this: "As a new trainee who did their fair share of work experience, a few requests from the other side of the fence: 1. Try to get some idea of what we can do early on. Differentiate between a 16-year-old forced to come by school, and a hungry hopeful with real passion, flair and skill. 2. Have something for us to do when we arrive. Gives you a chance to assess our skills immediately and gives us a chance not to sit there like a lemon. 3. Have a chair and a computer for us (seriously, not always the case). 4. Empathise. You were there once. Be friendly. Maybe learn our name. 5. We know you're busy, but don't bitch and moan about the how understaffed you are and i) not give out anything to do and ii) not listen to our ideas. 6. You're right some workies will never get near a newspaper. But some will. Some in fact will go on to be brilliant journalists. If we are able, you are getting a free worker to plug some of the gaps you keep bleating on about. 7. Don't make us beg for by-lines. That's demeaning. If we do a good article, which would normally get a by-line, reward us with one. You're not paying us, the least you can do is write our name at the top of a story. 8. Be wary. Some of the journalists I came across as a workie were terrible. So you got a job when getting into this field was much, much easier than it is now. Some wannabe journalists are talented, driven and tech-savvy. Don't patronise us. 9.Don't be dicks. At one national newspaper, I overheard a team of senior feature journalists laughing at how they dangled shitty assignments in front of workies to watch them beg. 10. Don't letch at the girls and ignore the guys. In fact, don't letch at the girls full stop."We know you're busy guys, but these requests seem reasonable. I've been on my fair share of journalism work experience placements in the past. In fact, suffice to say, I was given more to do on work experience in a foreign country on a small publication, than in any British newspaper newsroom here. You can only twiddle your thumbs for so long.
Thomas L. Blair is a sociologist and political blogger on the Chronicleworld 'for creative renewal in Black Britain and Afro-Europe'. His work is honoured in the British Library's archive of "social, historic and culturally significant web-based material from the UK domain". He won top prize in the blogging competition on The-Latest.
Sumantra Maitra is a freelance journalist from Mumbai, India. He is a correspondent for All Sports magazine, and a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Examiner. He has written articles for news website Merinews.com and other regional publications. Sumantra runs a blog at DailyWorldWatch.wordpress.com. He provided exclusive eyewitness reports for The-Latest on the Mumbai bombings of 2008.
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Heidi Kingstone has spent time in Afghanistan reporting for a number of publications. Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, The Spectator, The Sunday Times and other international journals. She has also reported from places like Iraq, Rwanda, Lebanon, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya. Heidi is The-Latest's Editor at large.
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