The following is part of a series of reposted journal entries made for a reporting class I am taking right now. They aren't particularly edited, or necessarily even interesting (though hopefully they are), but they do a pretty good job of expressing what I am doing right now. And, of course, they are pre-made content. Reader beware.
Journal Entry 7: Harrower Text
I found the course text, Tim Harrower's Inside Reporting, to be an interesting read. Certainly the layout was refreshing, if a little gimmicky. While I could have dealt with a more academic style, it seemed to suit the topic of the book quite nicely. The book was well organized and easy to read. I found myself pulled from one headlined subject to another as the author intended, though I also thought it was easier to skip from nut graf to nut graf.
I liked the addition of an extensive reference library at the back of the book, even though I did not take advantage of it like I should. This format seemed much more accessible than a CD, which often drives up the price and is too awkward to use. Flipping to the back of a book I’m already reading is much more palatable than findinga computer and putting in a CD and navigating through a dozen menus just to find something I’m probably not interested in anyways. The morgue was definitely a good call.
Similarly, Harrower provided a wealth of information on writing methods, note-taking methods etc. that were truly valuable, but I did feel that it was unfortunate that such a comprehensive book would neglect to include information on covering international news, war, or how to interact with world presses like the AP or Reuters. However, this lack seems to be mirrored in the other texts that I am reading, leaving me to think that most authors find that kind of information unnecessary.
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