On a conventional working day, I
would set my alarm for 6.45 am, to have breakfast and a shower and make my way along
the 20 minute walk on a sunny day (or on the bus on a rainy one) to the office.
I had been informed about how the computer system worked, my login details and
how to file/store stories etc on the first day, so after that, I would head straight
to the Newspaper website to see what had been covered in the news over the last
couple of days, or would continue working on a story that I had either pitched,
or had been allocated. I would usually wait until after 9am to conduct a phone interview
or call a contact, but would begin writing up my story immediately.
I would often be approached by the Chief Reporter or News Editor with a request
to look into something, be it to telephone the local authorities (police, fire and
ambulance departments) to see if anything of note had happened to report, or to
head to the District Court to read the charge sheets. I was usually given around
three or four stories at a time; sometimes these wouldn't come to publish, and sometimes
they would, but I would always complete them for submission regardless.
On Tuesdays, all team members of the office would head to a meeting at 9.30am,
to discuss last week's publication and to analyse it in comparison to any competing
Sunday papers. After that, each member would pitch any ideas they had to the editor,
and the editor would discuss any pre-existing ideas of his own. All members would
then head back to the office to begin either the stories they had pitched, if they
had been approved, or stories they had been assigned.
During the first couple of days, I was also sent to shadow a reporter on one
of their own jobs, such as witnessing a press conference of a long-time murder investigation,
which was incredibly interesting. Afternoon duties usually consisted of continuing
the morning ones; there were no specific, set regulations as to what time to undertake
anything, as long as you completed your research and story-writing before the deadline
on Saturday.
I always ensured that I stayed until 5pm at the earliest every day, since I
wanted to make the most of the routine and schedule, and fully see how everything
worked at all hours of the day.
Everything during the week was relatively calm until Friday and Saturday, the
two days before publishing on the Sunday. I would be suddenly called upon on a Saturday
to cover anything the editor or Chief Reporter needed, so it would always be a good
idea to have finished and submitted anything I was already working on earlier in
the week. If I hadn't, I was working from 8.30am until around 10/11pm on Saturdays!
However, during the final Saturday at the Herald on Sunday, I specifically stayed
until closing on the Saturday night to witness how the headline was chosen, and
how the paper layout was edited before it went to publish after deadline at 1am
on the Sunday morning. It was incredibly hectic, but very worthwhile to watch, as
the pressure under which the staff worked created an adrenaline that stopped at
nothing except what they considered to be perfection for each publication, every
week.
Over the placement, I gained an understanding of the dynamics of a 'corporate'
newspaper environment; until now, I have only worked in freelance journalism, so
to see how the office system of a weekly print publication is run from the inside
was extremely beneficial.
I learned how to pitch ideas to editors, and grasped an understanding of the
type of content the Herald on Sunday focuses on; if coming up with my own ideas,
I tried to concentrate on nationalistic stories and messages that were specifically
relevant to New Zealanders.
I also gained a knowledge of the type of fieldwork required on the job, and
the variety of locations to which I would be sent or topics that I would be required
to cover.
I found the most enjoyable thing about my placement to be meeting Black Sabbath
at their album playback session and press conference in Auckland. Due to my background
in music journalism, the opportunity to pose questions to a group as prestigious
as Sabbath, of whom I am personally a big fan, was unbelievable, and due to the
status of the Herald on Sunday as a leading publication in New Zealand, it was a
chance I would likely not have secured in the UK without working for the likes of
The Times or The Guardian.
I believe the placement would suit an outgoing, extroverted and intrepid type
of character. The distance from the UK to New Zealand alone is enormous, and the
flight is enough to test your strength of will!
The publication's throwing of the intern straight into the deep end by sending
them to locations around the town that they have not heard of, in an unfamiliar
environment, alongside their requirement to conduct phone or face-to-face interviews
with people who may display volatile reactions to the press, was a very gratifying
task, but no easy one. It required the use of lots of initiative and instinct, and
a priority of finding out as much as possible for a story: a drive which must be
instilled in the intern before they even arrive.
It would suit someone with an adventurous and curious character, who has a passion
for pursuing and investigating.
I would definitely recommend the placement to other budding journalists. While,
as mentioned, I had not worked for a corporate newspaper before, I wanted to test
my skills when applied to a more regimented style of journalism than freelance music
writing. The reporters and editors were extremely friendly and accommodating, and
made me feel welcome right away.
The opportunity to have some bylines published was also very insightful as to the
required writing style of a newspaper and the research needed to create a story,
while the finished articles are something I can utilize as demonstration of experience
for future job interviews of this nature.