JOR 115 -- Brief Interview With a Professional Journalist

This interview is worth a maximum of 50 points. It is due via Sakai on 15 February. See Sakai Assignment for deadline details. Follow the format below (feel free to add a question or two).

Instructions: Conduct this interview with someone who is doing or has done any type of professional journalism. If you have questions about what "professional" means, check with me. I encourage you to conduct your interview in person, but via telephone or e-mail is acceptable.

Some advice

Face-to-face interviews are best.
Do not hesitate to contact someone you do not know (e.g. a name on a masthead), but do so politely, because you are asking for a favor.
Do not send a "blanket" e-mail request to several people!
When making your initial contact, be brief. Identify yourself as a journalism student at the University of Rhode Island. Describe what you need and when you need it, and ask if the person is willing to answer your questions. If you get a "yes" response, ask about a good time and means of conducting the interview. After your interview, send a quick thank-you. If you get a "no" response, offer a polite thank-you, then try another person.
Some people get contacted semester after semester. Feel free to run a name by me before making your contact.
Begin working on this assignment immediately. There is no excuse for a last-minute inquiry begging someone for an interview. Remember my favorite aphorism: Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

Format

Your name
When interview was conducted and How (face-to-face, email, etc.)
Name of the person you interviewed and her/his current job title
Where the person currently works (or worked, if interviewing someone who has left journalism)
Describe the journalism job the person does / did
What is the person's educational background?
What is the person's job history?
What does / did the person like BEST about being a journalist?
What does / did the person like LEAST about being a journalist?
What does the person think is the MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUE facing journalists today?
What advice does the person have for you and other new journalism majors?