The Real World

As of May 3, 2008 I officially became a college graduate. There was cake and presents, and flowers, and parents, and lots of posed photos with me and my empty diploma case. Then everyone left and the flowers died and I was forced to ask myself "now what?"

Well the good news thanks to the unwritten rule that graduation is the second to last big life event you get money for ( the next one being marriage, though I think most of the money comes in form of toasters and silverware). I am halfway to my financial goal of going to Chile!

I have even started taking Spanish lessons via an Au pair from Honduras. I now have a resounding track going through my head of Spanish verbs. Plus it sounds way better to say " I'm working at Starbucks and saving up for Chile" as opposed to " I'm a barista with a college degree."

Even the more I read about Chile the more I think I can learn there and relate it to the future. For instance did you know that Chile had an economic crisis similar to what we are experiencing now in the 80' s and is now emerging as one of wealthiest countries in South America?

There are still lots of things going on to report on though such as: the HidroAysen Dam Project, Salmon Farming , Copper Mining, Education Reform, Whale Conservation, the fruit industry and its various labor conflicts, and Femicide.

all journalism no pay

Chile: the land of Journalistic glory?

I got a gig freelancing at the PNJ. Sometimes starting out in this world is no fun.

Right now I am writing briefs. I do not get reimbursed for mileage.

by the end of this week I will have driven to Gulf Breeze twice and gas is almost $4.00 a gallon.

Its a start though right? That's what my mom says. I have to be greatful for this opportunity. But after interning at the PNJ in the fall I thought I had done my time. When I sent out oh 15 paid internship/ job applications for this summer I got lots of letters that began with " We appreciate your interest in the _________ ( insert name of paper here) However....."

There is one internship that accepted me:

I got accepted to an internship at the Santiago Times ( It's an english paper) In Chile for Jan. 09. Oh yea that doesn't pay either and its four months long.

I love journalism but this Lady has got to eat. Saving up for Chile seems like the impossible, and I am not sure what its worth anymore. But how much would the internship in Chile pay off in the long run? Well It seems to me that he benefits would be numerous. I would become bilingual, show that I am strong willed and capable of surviving in a forgien land alone, and my clips and portfolio would be killer.

Is this goal attainable? Most people would say no. So that means I have 9 months to become fluent in Spanish and raise about $5,000.

But another thing my mom always says

"Where there is a will there is a way!"

The life of a journalist

In Advanced reporting we watched a documentary/ 48 hours special on the lives of reporters. It took place in the 90's when cell phones were the size of small children, and Microsoft was not yet a household name.
I think the one thing that I had to keep reminding myself was that these reporters were working for a tabloid which is different from a daily paper. But never the less they were your average reporters- confident, witty, persistent, and stressed out.
I liked the segment because it gave a realistic view of the people behind the profession. I agreed with one of the editors who said " There are constant highs and lows in this business."
I think that's true, and also its the adrenaline that keeps many of them going. It was sad to see one of the reporters work so hard chasing people around in the rain, trying to get information on a victim who was murdered on train. After all his hard work, the story was cut. I couldn't imagine what that felt like.
It makes me understand why alcohol and journalism go hand in hand.

California Court Awards Starbucks Baristas $105 Million in Tip Dispute

The Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/business/21sbux.html?ex=1363838400&en=b2507b17877e8bab&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink


As a tenured Barista ( two years working for Starbucks and counting) Ive got to put in my two cents about this. While I try to subsided my total outrage I will outline the absurdity of this case.
To break it down: A dispute between baristas and Shift supervisers over the sharing of tips led to a $105 million loss from the company, and now copy cat cases are taking place in other areas of the country. Shift supervisors and Baristas share tips- its always been this way. Supervisors have no real power, they unlock the doors, count the deposit, send people on breaks, and make sure shifts go smoothly. They work right beside baristas for the most part doing the same task, and getting paid about $1 more. ( So they make about $8 instead of $7 - WOW!) Baristas and shifts bread and butter is the tips. It boost our measley wages up to an extra $2 bucks an hour ( on average)
This seems like a petty thing, caught on a technicality of Ca. Law ( management positions can't take tips)
It wouldn't hurt for SBUX to pay their shifts more, or baristas for that matter so we don't have depend on tips to pay the bill, but for part-time employees to recieve healthcare, discounts, free pound of coffee a week, stock options, and paid vacation - I'll settle for the latter.
It sounds like greediness is getting in the way of a company that gives so much to its employees, and it could potentially mean a huge loss for a company struggling to redefine itself.

Spring Break

UWF's Alternative Spring Break has a blog... www.asbuwf.blogspot.com
read about what we did and how amazing our trip was!

FOIA audit

My assignment this week was to conduct an audit to a government agency to try and obtain public documents as stated below:

"Mission: By conducting a public records audit at Pensacola-area state, law enforcement, municipal and county offices, students will gauge compliance by local officials concerning Florida’s Sunshine Law and the challenges facing citizens and reporters seeking government information."

I was assigned the Escambia County Sheriffs Office where I was to obtain the daily log so that I could take notes on arrest and criminal reports within the past 24 hours.

Prior to conducting the audit, I called ahead to ask if there was a certain office or department that I need to go to find the log. I was transferred to three different people. and no one knew what I was talking about. I decided then just to go to the main entrance of the Sheriff's department where I was told to go to the records department. At the records department I told the woman working that I would like to see the daily log. She asked me what kind of log I was talking about and I told her the one with all the arrest and crime reports. She looked at me puzzled and then made a phone call. She told me usually there is a person who can print out these things upon request, but she was under the impression that you had to know a specific incident or street name where it occurred. This person who can print out crime incidents had already gone home for the day, apparently his shift is 8:30-1:00. She told me to come back then. I asked if I came back, if that meant that I would be guaranteed a copy of the log, and she said "I think you should be able to."
So I'm pretty confused now. How could no one really know what I was talking about? My boyfriend's mom who is a former police dispatcher said that usually sheriffs department have a book out that has all the crime incidents where anyone can walk in and take a look. I think this goes down as a comply, and I would have gone back today if I had the time today to see if I could actually obtain this information.

Post Graduation Plan

One of the things that entices me the most about journalism is the possibility of understanding the world, and traveling, and making the international community take notice to human rights issues. One of the photographers who has influenced me the most without a doubt is James Nachtwey. His photographs have impacted me in ways I never thought a visual image could. Its hard to believe that he hasn't been killed, as he has been documenting wars since the 1970s. This article in the NY times sums up his work pretty well:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/arts/design/28nach.html?ex=1332734400&en=e5d0da729439ab83&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

I am partly over idealistic, and partly impatient but I can't see my self covering church bake sales, and girl scout meetings for the next some odd years while the thought of working on an international scale drifts further away. Its not that small town news isn't important, because it is. Local news actually means a lot to the people in a community. But while I am young, single, childless, and idealistic I want to take risk.

This is all coming to a point, I met a photographer a few weeks ago his name is Eric Zamora. http://www.ericzamora.com/ who has photographed environmental issues and did a project on a damn that was being built in a village in Belize and its effects on the people who lived there. We had a really inspiring conversation- the kind that you have with a stranger that leaves your head spinning with new and exciting possibilities.

Originally I thought that I would teach abroad for a year, but the cost of getting certified and placed is the same it would cost to upgrade my Nikon and purchase a laptop. I know that I want to go to South America, and document something. I am beginning to research issues, and the cost for doing something like this. I plan to go alone and spend at least three months shooting, converging, and writing. My writing skills, and photography skills need work and I plan on devoting myself to improving now that I have a goal. As this venture forms I have a lot of doubts of whats possible but I think that the risk is worth taking.