A verb or not a verb, that is the question

I chose to minor in professional editing in college, so I'm one of those people who find reading a chapter about semicolon usage to be joyable and the difference between who and whom to be more fun of a challenge than Sudoku is. So when we were given a mini grammar lesson at orientation, to remember that "intern" is a noun and not a verb, I quietly chided myself: "Oh my God, I've been using it as a verb all my life. Why has no one ever corrected me?"

Mental note: "I must, must, must remember this!!"How exciting it was, a new grammar rule.(Hopefully a group of journalists won't find that comment above to be as nerdy as my non-journalism friends would.)

But in an interaction with Merriam-Webster, this excitement quickly turned to confusion:

Main Entry: in·tern

Pronunciation: 'in-"t&rn, in'

Function: transitive verb: to confine or impound especially during a war - in·tern·ee /(")in-"t&r-'nE/ noun- in·tern·ment /in-'t&rn-m&nt, 'in-"/ noun

Main Entry: in·ternPronunciation: 'in-"t&rn

Function: intransitive verb: to work as an intern

Not only is intern a verb according to M-W, it could be both a transitive and an intransitive verb. Uh oh. I contacted my other favorite internet friend, consultant Google News,who tells me to "search and browse 4,500 news sources updated continuously." Perfect, will do. The word "interning" went into the search box and out spouted this:

Results 1 - 10 of about 142 for interning. (0.34 seconds)

I skim through to find if there are any big name papers, not that they're necessarily always grammatically correct, but you know. Dallas Morning News has an article with "I'll be interning at a local TV news station..."

The Tennessean --whose managing editor (my lovely dinner neighbor) might be just as big of an ice cream fan as me, or dare I say, an even bigger one -- used the sentence: "While a student at Belmont, Smith spent nine months in Chicago interning for Winfrey's...." in a recentarticle.

A search at nytimes.com brings up over 100 articles that use the word "interning," most of which are used as verbs. So maybe, just maybe it's OK to say that I'm very, very excited about *interning* at The Orange County Register next month?

Hmmm, Dick Thien, can you confirm? :)

-- Cathy Tran, Spring Scholar, The Orange County (Calif.) Register and the University of California-Santa Barbara
... who still has lots to learn about grammar!

Editor's note: Dick Thien says that the English language does change. If a word is used enough, it becomes acceptable. There are many sources on language. The dictionary is always the most authoritative source. (But do read John Bremner's Words on Words.) Webster's New World Dictionary (Third College Edition) lists "intern" first as a noun. Until it lists "intern" as a verb (not a transitive verb), it's not acceptable usage. Have fun working as an intern at the Register.

On the multimedia bandwagon

Today, I had an epiphany. It’s time to get my butt in gear and jump on the multimedia bandwagon. After hearing the fascinating presentations on the changing environment of the newsroom, I realized I must learn all that I can about multimedia. I need to learn about blogging, audio and video feeds and maybe even podcasts. Although I have a general knowledge of these, I do not know how they work.

It’s intriguing to see how fast the newspaper business is changing, but it also is intimidating. I don’t think I truly realized the extent of how connected the Web and the newspaper are until the presentations of David Ledford (executive editor, The News Journal, Wilmington, Del.) and the former Chipsters. As soon as I get home, I’m going to view the disk Ledford gave us and look into how to learn more.

On a different note, I was little surprised that I share the same opinion on the death penalty as Kenneth Starr. I don’t know why I'm surprised. I have little knowledge of him, other than his connection to the impeachment of President Clinton and the Monica Lewinsky scandal. I don’t believe we should abolish the death penalty, but I do believe it is in need of restructuring.

I also agreed with Starr when he said that one of the only real defenses in death penalty cases is self-defense. There are just some people who can not be rehabilitated, although the percentage is probably small. The problem is knowing who can be rehabilitated and who is incapable of change.

To end on a happier note, I loved talking with the former Chipsters and career coaches over lunch. (Career coach) Mary Ann Hogan, (alum) Sue Stock, Robbie Morganfield (of the Diversity Institute) and (alum) Kristen Go gave me so many helpful tips about generating story ideas for my county-government beat that I could have cried. I didn’t, of course, because that simply would be unprofessional.

-- Maria Miranda, reporter, Madera (Calif.) Tribune and California State University-Fresno

Free therapy

If I sum up this day in one word, the word would be "awakening." My appreciation for journalism awakened today for the first time in a month. I feel like everything that happened today renewed my spirit for journalism.

One of the most profound things I heard today came from Mary Ann Hogan, our career coach. In our last session, she had us sit in a circle and confess our fears. Everyone has the same fears. We all fear the pressure of deadlines, fast-paced newsrooms and expectations, etc. My fear, of course, is not living up to the expectations of my editors and to my own expectations.

Mary Ann said that everything she heard fits into three categories: Who, what and how. She told us that we can’t change who we are, what we do will constantly change and the only control we have is how we conduct ourselves. Just get over who you are, she said.

Let me just say that I got a free therapy session! Mary Ann is right. I’m young and very green. I accept that now. I don’t know everything, but I will learn.

Robbie Morganfield of the Diversity Institute also was at the session. He said we need to take our jobs seriously but also enjoy them. I need to start doing that again. The only expectations that are super high are my own. So, I’m getting the monkey off my back! He also said every day is a new day to learn, and I'm also going to do that.

This morning John Seigenthaler, the founder of the First Amendment Center, spoke to us about the First Amendment and how it’s taken for granted. John is an interesting guy. He has so much passion for history and journalism. He put us in teams, and we had to answer questions about the First Amendment. I was team captain. Brian Aguilar and Craig Henry were on my team. We tied for second. But I just want to say that I have a minor in Balkan and Eastern European history until 1918. My American history facts are rough, and I’m going to refresh them when I get home.

Earlier today, Mark Silverman (of The Tennessean, Nashville), (Career Coach) Colleen Fitzpatrick and Meg Downey (of The Tennessean) spoke to us about charting our career path. Mark said that “we need to understand what we don’t know and what we need to learn”--personally and professionally. Amen. How therapeutic.

-- Alexandria Burris, reporter, Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, La., and Louisiana State University

Moving too fast

The lecture by David Ledford titled “Evolving in a digital world” impressed me. But at the same time, it scared me. A story can benefit greatly from audio and visual elements. However, I’m afraid of what this might mean for the future of journalism and for my future as a starting journalist.

I enjoy photography, film and radio, but I’ve not had work experience with them. As I think about the future and the demands that I will face during my internship, I worry a lot. It is frightening to think that I will have to produce several stories a day under deadline. I also might have to produce blogs, updates for the newspaper’s Web site and multimedia pieces to go with a print story. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to juggle all those things in a day without loosing my mind. The idea that journalism is changing even more also scares me. Journalists now have to juggle several things at a time. Because of that, they might be forced to produce shorter stories.

In today’s forum titled “The Press, the Public and the Death Penalty,” one of the panelists made a valid point about the complexity of the death penalty and the way journalists cover the issue. Kenneth Starr, dean and professor of law at Pepperdine University, said that one of the cases he worked on in California did not receive media coverage. One of the reasons, he said, was because the law and cases that deal with capital punishment are complex. In order to report on the law, a reporter must understand the law. Other panelists agreed with Starr. They said some reporters who interviewed them had only a day to report the story. They also said that reporters did not follow up, and it's important to do so to understand a case.

One of the reasons why I am so passionate about journalism is because I am a curious person. I like to know how and why things work the way they do. The transition from the fast world of journalism into an even faster world of journalism scares me. Not just because of the daily deadlines but because of the resulting quality of the product.

-- Maria Ines Zamudio, Summer 2007 Scholar, Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A surprising entertainer

His eyes move slowly around the room, scanning and acknowledging everyone who meets his gaze. It is difficult not to smile when his eyes meet yours. He seems perfectly innocent in the back of the room, leaning against that beautiful cane, listening intently as John Seigenthaler begins to speak. Suddenly. John Quinn cracks a joke about Mr. Seigenthaler’s age as a ripple of laughter sounds through the room. Not so innocent after all.

During the morning break, Mr. Quinn approaches me and Mariecar Mendoza while we are mid-conversation and tells us he has a juicy story about Mr. Seigenthaler. Our ears are burning and the reporters in us instantly take over. The story is good. Tabloid good. We are cackling with laughter at the story’s end, and Mr. Quinn nods with satisfaction, ambling away to entertain more unsuspecting victims. Unfortunately, we must respect Mr. Quinn’s confidentiality request and cannot share the information.

Something tells me that when John Quinn says that Chips Quinn becomes your family, he ain’t lying. I've never before met such a respected and seasoned person in the journalism industry and felt liked I've known him forever. But like any family member, I know I better keep any of my indiscretions well-hidden from Mr. Quinn.

-- Kellie Hwang, Spring Scholar, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, and University of Washington

Journalism on the Internet

I heard about the future of journalism today. David Ledford, vice president/news and executive editor of the The News Journal in Delaware, gave a presentation this afternoon on how his newsroom is transforming itself to meet the demands of a tech-savvy world. The changes he outlined were many. They included: restructuring the newsroom to better accommodate the online edition of The News Journal; changing the philosophy of the workspace from newsroom to "information center", a place where news and resources are compiled in a 24-7 environment and are easily accessible online; training his staff to know how to publish on the Web; distributing news in several platforms via mobile devices, the Internet and print.

I came away impressed with what he spoke about and felt excited about what lies ahead for journalism on the Internet.

-- Brian Aguilar, Summer 2007 Scholar, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., and University of California-Berkeley

Learning from accomplished journalists

Today has been a very busy day, packed with a lot of useful information from many intelligent people. At times, I feel a little intimidated by all the accomplished journalists I meet, but I remind myself that they are here to help us young aspiring reporters.

I was delighted to hear from Meg Downey (managing editor, The Tennessean, Nashville). She spoke about managing her personal life along with her career. She mentioned that she decided to take a part-time job after having children. This is something I am struggling with. I want to gain all the experience I can, but I am torn between wanting to work full time and wanting to be home with my beautiful son. She told me that I could contact her if I had questions, which I will plan to do. She gave me hope that this issue I’m having can be resolved.

I also enjoyed hearing about the kind of person John “Chips” Quinn Jr. was. From the stories we’ve heard, it appears that he was a man full of life, a man who was not afraid to be himself. Sometimes, I see John Quinn Sr. in the hallway. I would love to approach him to ask him questions because I know he has some great stories to tell, but my shyness stops me.

I wish that I had the ability to not care so much about what people think of me. I think that is why I am so scared to start my internship. I hope that after this weekend is over, I will have more confidence in myself and in my writing career.

Listening to John Seigenthaler talk about our history was eye-opening. How much he knows is amazing.

I feel honored to be in the presence of such accomplished journalists. I only hope that one day I can have as much talent as they have.

-- Stephanie Armenta, Spring Scholar, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, and Arizona State University

Words of comfort

Nerves are pretty much reducing my stomach to nothingness at this point. Before I arrived at orientation, I had my own expectations and those of editors at my internship newspaper to consider. Now, I am concerned about all the people I am meeting and coming to know as presenters, coaches and directors of this esteemed program. I want to live up to -- even surpass -- their expectations as a way to properly thank them for the time and effort they're putting into my career. It's scary to imagine that I might fail at any one or all three of these goals.

I thought that there was little any one could say to quiet my concerns or the never-ending gnawing of my nerves. Nothing can prepare you for jumping into your first job and finally getting to do what you've always dreamt of doing. You swim like crazy to get to the other side and don't take a deep breath until you get there. Or you sink. I am doing the backstroke like a mad woman.

A few words of advice are actually calming my anxiety. I think it really is true that life gets better when you realize that you have no control over it.

I'll take this advice to my internship with me, keep it in mind on all my assignments and even find a way to apply it to all other aspects of my life.

You cannot change who you are. You don't decide what will be asked of you. But how you handle it is up to you.

Thank God for small favors and words of comfort.

-- Tara-Lynne Pixley, Spring Scholar, The Greenville (S.C.) News and Florida A&M University

Why I'm smiling

Whew! Today was a long day. Sure, Karen Catone and Chipster alums warned me that the days were going to be jam-packed, but I don’t think anything could prepare me for this. And it’s only Day One.

With my head throbbing as it continues register all that I’ve learned today (though I must admit, the throbbing might be the result of last night’s visit to the Red Door Saloon), I find myself unable to stop smiling. I smile because Mark Silverman (editor of The Tennessean, Nashville) said it’s OK not to know how to do a job from the get-go because your career always should be a continuous learning process.

I smile because Meg Downey (managing editor of The Tennessean) is living proof that a journalist’s career is unpredictable.

I smile – and giggle – because John Quinn told me the “X-rated” story about Chips we weren’t supposed to know (and no, I won’t repeat it because I promised Mr. Quinn I wouldn’t).

I smile because I had the honor to sit through a history lesson conducted by John Seigenthaler of the First Amendment Center.

And I smile because David Ledford (executive editor, The News Journal, Wilmington, Del.) gave me a preview of all the possibilities I have as a journalist in this new era.

Yvonne Pingue, a Chips alum, friend and former AAJA Voices buddy, told me: “You’re going to leave orientation more inspired to do journalism.” She is so right.

-- Mariecar Mendoza, reporter, The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, Calif., and California Polytechnic State University

Accepting me for who I am

I’ve always been aware that I have an accent when I speak. How could I not? English is not my first language. In fact, I didn’t learn English until I was 11 years old. During interviews and other assignments, some people point out that I have a “cute” accent. No one ever made me feel uncomfortable or self-conscious about it. That was until I took an advanced reporting class during Fall ’05. My professor was a former journalist who had won the Pulitzer Prize. I admire him because he has done all the things that I want to accomplish. The first day of class he singled me out and pointed out my accent to the class as a possible problem. I couldn’t help but feel bad about the comment. Ever since that day, every time I interview someone, every time I pick up the phone to call a source and every time I write a story, his words come to mind.

Today I feel different. Today I can finally say that I no longer am ashamed of that accent. I have come to embrace it.

It all started when I heard Getahn Ward speak to us. Ward is a Chips Quinn Scholar alum from 1994. He is a business reporter at The Tennessean in Nashville, where he has worked since 1998. After he welcomed the Scholars to the orientation, I was lucky enough to have him sit at our table. During our delicious dinner and dessert, he talked about his beloved country of origin, Liberia. He talked passionately about his experiences as a reporter there when he was only 15 years old. My eyes watered as he talked about what he saw during the country’s civil war, which took almost 14 years to end.

I decided to talk to him privately. He, too, wanted to talk. He wanted to talk about the newspaper where I will be working as an intern next Summer. I looked at him and told him that I wanted to ask him a personal question. He listened carefully. I gathered the courage to ask him if he had ever felt self-conscious or uncomfortable interviewing someone because of his accent. We shared experiences and talked about the issue for a couple of minutes, and he said something that I will never forget. He told me that the accent was part of him and that if the newspaper where I worked liked me then they would have to accept the accent because that is who I am.

-- Maria Ines Zamudio, Summer 2007 Scholar, Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader, and University of Illinois-Champaign

I could be in her shoes

One day that might be me. I definitely wouldn't mind being in Wendy Isom's shoes. Her name was one of the first to catch my eye on the list of orientation speakers. She is a reporter at The Jackson Sun, where I will be working soon as an intern. I had seen her byline online and in print thanks to my editor, who signed me up for a subscription to the newspaper. Isom covers many feature stories, and features helped sparked my interest in journalism. She also helps prepare video for the newspaper's Web site. She seems to have benefited from being at a publication with a smaller circulation because she has freedom to nurture her journalism talent. I am confident that I will learn a great deal from her, and I feel privileged to have met her before my first day as the new girl in the newsroom. (I mean the "local information center.") You learn something new every day.

-- Ashley Anthony, Spring Scholar, The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun and University of Houston

Appreciation for the First Amendment

I have millions of reasons why I love online multimedia. Designing's fun, infographics add explanatory power, interactive flash features are engaging, and the list goes on. But one advantage I didn't know until a couple hours ago is that there is more freedom in new media. Online service providers, Wikipedia, and blogs have absolute freedom of the press and are protected from libel lawsuits.

I wonder why new media has this special protection. Is it because it's hard to track the authors of online information? Is it because it's not feasible to ask people to monitor Wikipedia and blogs given their wide usage?

And the United States can't be the only country to have this law, right? Wouldn't all countries need to adopt this law for it to mean anything since anyone in the world can contribute to Wikipedia and blogs? Otherwise, Wikipedia and blogs can still face libel charges from other countries, right?

Today, we talked about how many people take the First Amendment for granted and many of my fellow Chipsters mentioned that the amendment was not discussed in their journalism classes. That's surprising to me because it was a major topic in my media law and ethics class when I studied abroad in Hong Kong. I remember feeling scared about pursuing journalism after learning about the defamation lawsuits in Asia. But then my professor emphasized how lucky U.S. journalists are as she explained the First Amendment--and it was the first time I learned about its effects on the press.

Today reminded me to be very, very appreciative of those rights.

Thank goodness that there's one less thing to worry about because I'm so nervous about 928579257 things as it is!

-- Cathy Tran, Spring Scholar,The Orange County (Calif.) Register, and University of California-Santa Barbara
...who hopes that more of this nervous energy turns into excitement!

Editor's note: Check out the First Amendment Center's Web site for more information about online and First Amendment protections.

Shaping the future of news

There is something about being in Nashville with so many ambitious people and accomplished mentors that is as reassuring as it is nerve wracking. At the start of the day, we listened to a great deal of newsroom (or should I call it local information center) experiences and how the newsroom is moving to multimedia.

After walking away from David Leford's talk about online, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the instant gratification readers want from today's news organization. Part of me wondered: How difficult will it be to compete with someone walking around with a camera cell phone or a point-and-shoot camera? When the deadline becomes minute-to-minute and hour-to-hour, can anyone who is around do the assignment? After thinking about all these questions, I thought about how important it is to act on these fears rather than to be intimidated into inaction. I believe that as the next generation of journalists we will be a big part of shaping the future of news.

-- Deanna Dent, Spring Scholar, The Bulletin, Bend, Ore., and Arizona State University

Gift of orientation

A second day is almost finish, and my fears about my internship are reducing every second. But at the same time, my anxiety is starting to grow.

There have been great ideas shared today. They will guide us in our careers. "Understand what you don’t know,” Mark Silverman (editor of The Tennessean in Nashville) said. “I have never been ready for a job,” he also said.

There is a strong message we should keep in mind: One of the gifts of journalism is the learning experience. There is no preparation or training for a story because every story is unique, every source has his own way of seeing the world, his own way of telling the story that makes the person even more interesting.

Learning about the First Amendment from John Seigenthaler was a precious moment. This is information we -- not only reporters but the public in general -- should know. It is sad that we hardly studied it school. To best use our five rights from the First Amendment, we need to also understand how the political system works in America.

Also today, learning about multimedia was a great experience. Multimedia is becoming crucial for online news. Some of us don’t have much background in multimedia, but it is necessary because it will open many doors for future jobs.

And even learning from everyone’s experiences is a gift that this orientation is providing.

I had a great day.

-- Gabriela Gonzalez, Spring Scholar, Ventura County (Calif.) Star and California State University-Northridge

Ready to make the jump

I had a flashback today: I'm hundreds of feet above the ground. Below I see canyons and a river that looks like a blue skinny snake. It was about three years ago and I was in New Zealand about to jump off the second-highest bungee jump in the world.

It is still scary just thinking about it, but it was definitely an adventure. Some people think I'm risking my life. But to me, it was a definite thrill.

I was reminded of that moment when Meg Downey (managing editor of The Tennessean in Nashville) said these words, "Jumping off a cliff is more an adventure than a risk."

This orientation is getting us ready for our futures. And there will be times when we are looking below, ready to jump.

Mark Silverman (editor of The Tennessean) said, "You're never ready for your next job." I probably am not, but I'm definitely excited and looking forward to it.

I've learned a lot today, especially the importance of multimedia. I do audio and still photos, but it seems as if video is a growing trend online. I am excited to learn how to edit video. It might be a challenge, but I look forward to it.

-- Diana Diroy, Spring Scholar, The Oakland (Calif.) Tribune and San Jose State University

I see the future

Day Two in Nashville and, despite my late-night escapades at the devilishly fun Red Door Saloon,(which I highly recommend), it was not marked by a hangover but by an eye-opening presentation. Coming into this experience, I knew I wanted to ask a lot of questions. I planned to prod the minds of the seasoned journalists, hoping that just a sprinkle of their wisdom would rub off on this "green" reporter. The biggest question I had -- one I feared I'd be afraid to ask or unable to find an answer for -- was where journalism is headed and where I fit in. Today, David Ledford, executive editor of The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., showed me the future. It looks dynamic: Newsrooms transformed into "local information centers," plasma screens and video cameras, audio slide shows and interactive news being produced by the minute. Whoo! I will admit that as a bit of an old soul I had questioned how or why newspapers wanted to change. I refused to believe that my generation has no interest in newspapers with our incessant need for reality television, You Tube and all things Britney. I am excited to learn about all of this new technology and eager to see how far it will let me take some of my stories. I also have decided that David Ledford would be a great boss to work for. That brings me to another panel, but I have already written enough.

Until tomorrow.

-- Connie Llanos, reporter, Daily News, Los Angeles, and California State University-Northridge