Interns giving journalism lessons

[Stitch]

Anyone have college interns who lecture others in the newsroom on journalism? Just wondering, since the one who sits next to me always asks did you put this or that in your story. It's just a minor annoyance.

 

[EE94]

Ask him if he put cream in your coffee?

And if he didn't, why the **** not

 

[SF_Express]

It has always been thus with hotshot youngsters, and in fact, I probably earned a few STFUs my self before I was 25 or so.

 

[RickStain]

Taunt him about his lack of employment opportunities upon graduation.

 

[Stitch]

Taunt him about his lack of employment opportunities upon graduation.

He's a girl, by the way. She's cute, but I'm married and I like my nuts where they are. The intern is just delaying the inevitable job search woes by traveling for several months after the internship.

 

[Captain_Kirk]

Interns are good for one thing and one thing only [/billclinton]

 

[mustangj17]

Taunt him about his lack of employment opportunities upon graduation.

He's a girl, by the way. She's cute, but I'm married and I like my nuts where they are. The intern is just delaying the inevitable job search woes by traveling for several months after the internship.

Send her my way. She can critique my stories all she wants.

 

[RickStain]

Taunt him about his lack of employment opportunities upon graduation.

He's a girl, by the way. She's cute, but I'm married and I like my nuts where they are. The intern is just delaying the inevitable job search woes by traveling for several months after the internship.

Taunt her about the lack of job opportunities and how she'll make 75 cents on the the dollar if she ever did get lucky enough to find a job.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Taunt him about his lack of employment opportunities upon graduation.

He's a girl, by the way. She's cute, but I'm married and I like my nuts where they are. The intern is just delaying the inevitable job search woes by traveling for several months after the internship.

There won't be a job search.

Didn't you hear? She's taking yours.

 

[SoCalDude]

He would never say it to a girl, but a former colleague (RIP) would be known to point out that "I've been doing this since you were ****ting yellow" to loudmouth newbies.

 

[Fredrick]

I've heard younger first or second year reporters say, 'You should do this,' or something of that regard. I don't dignify it with a response. Just ignore the comment. If they don't get the hint and again offered a suggestion, I'd jump their ass and tell them to shut the **** up. Usually ignoring and making it clear I don't give a **** what they think, works.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

It's better when they care enough to want to talk about the business rather than disappearing into their earbuds.

Until the whole ****ing business went down the crapper, my niece wanted to be a print journalist and was working on the high school paper. Her mom, who's never been a professional writer or designer, took over design/editing of her union's newsletter and asked me to take a look at it. I was starting to say that you don't want to have all the photos the same size, and my niece, who was about 14 at the time and hadn't said a word, chimes in: "Yeah, Mom, you need dominant art!" My sister didn't understand why I was laughing so hard.

 

[txsportsscribe]

i so loved it when one fresh grad on her 1st real job tried playing miss know-it-all and would go running with her style book when she was sure she was right about something. stopped doing that when someone else pointed out to her that even if she was right, she'd be wise to not try to play the "who's right" game with her boss in her 1st month on the job.

 

[Sneed]

*dutifully taking notes in preparation for graduation*

 

[JimmyHoward33]

Maybe try answering the question ... maybe she's just looking for some insight into your train of thought on things, trying to expand her horizons? Hard to say without being able to hear her tone, I think it's completely innocent to ask, and would only move into the rude response suggested by most people here if she was argumentative about your reasoning. Personally, I don't take any offense to people asking questions about my stuff, be it editors, older co-workers, younger co-workers or readers. At least someone's reading and cares enough to mention it.

 

[Stitch]

Maybe try answering the question ... maybe she's just looking for some insight into your train of thought on things, trying to expand her horizons? Hard to say without being able to hear her tone, I think it's completely innocent to ask, and would only move into the rude response suggested by most people here if she was argumentative about your reasoning. Personally, I don't take any offense to people asking questions about my stuff, be it editors, older co-workers, younger co-workers or readers. At least someone's reading and cares enough to mention it.

Maybe if she read my stuff instead of commenting on my conversations with people who call in about my work, I'd be happy to let her in on what my train of thought it.

 

[Mark2010]

several years when working as the editor of a magazine, had a college student who was an intern. She was always asking questions, making suggestions, etc. At first I thought it was a little annoying --- like "what does this 20-year-old gal know?" --- but then I realized she made some excellent points. Asked things and angles I hadn't thought of and kept me on my toes.

Of course, I did the same to her. We made each other better and the product better as a result.

Students do bring a fresh approach that some of us veterans tend to get away from at times. And I never want to be the one to quinch someone's desire to learn and grow, either.

 

[deskslave]

But is she lovely and/or talented?

 

[slappy4428]

I do know more than you, you know. So, you go girl....

 

[NightHawk112005]

I've heard younger first or second year reporters say, 'You should do this,' or something of that regard. I don't dignify it with a response. Just ignore the comment. If they don't get the hint and again offered a suggestion, I'd jump their ass and tell them to shut the **** up. Usually ignoring and making it clear I don't give a **** what they think, works.

That's an awful way to approach it. Essentially, you're saying you have such an ego that there's no way she might have a way to improve things. You can learn from anyone, and if you're not willing to even give that a chance, you're the jerk.

I've been that intern who's seen something that was clearly wrong and dealt with the guy who responds exactly like you do. I know what it's like to have to swallow my pride and let him act like an idiot for the sake of getting the paper out. I know what it's like to have to secretly change an obvious mistake that this guy was too proud to listen to me about, just so our newspaper doesn't get embarrassed. I know what it's like when the rest of the newsroom apologizes for his behavior and thanks me for my maturity in the situation once we've got the section finished.

And because of that, I know enough to resolve to never treat an intern like that, no matter what. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, whether they're an intern or they've been there for 25 years.