“Poorer than You” is a blog geared to advising college-aged, or recent college gradates, about how to live a frugal life style and start making money.  The blog, which is kept by Stephanie, is filled with ways to cut back spending such as one’s social spending, or entertainment spending, while also providing tips for ways to make a few extra bucks here and there or plan-ahead saving.

 

In general, I would say the blog does not keep fantastic traditional ethics.  Many of the postings are personal accounts the weave in good advice for readers, or just personal stories.  She does, however, do a good job at integrating something with news value into each of her blogs, which make most postings useful to read.  She does not simply keep a personal diary.

 

However, her stories are not entirely well-researched, nor does she contact primary sources to tell her stories.  Still, the blog is captivating because she is a good writer and stays on topic.

 

I like the style of the page, and especially like that there is a green strip down the side which is a bit symbolic of money and investing.  I also like the blog is professionally kept.  She updates frequently, she has RSS feeds, links to other money-advice sides, and offers Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites of hers to follow.

 

She also has maintained a concentrated audience and provides information that people would want to know about. Her blog definitely fills a niche market.

 

Anyone could do it.  A small advice blog for college-aged folks wanting to make money.  I could do it. But she already did it. 

Role Reversal in New Media Ethics

The state of journalistic ethics is in as big of a crisis as the state of the news industry.  

My brother, Jack, reads the newspaper.  As a philosophy PhD student at Princeton University, Jack has an old spirit that compels him to continue the old tradition of awkwardly flipping and folding the (ever-shrinking) newspaper.  To him, the newspaper brings a bit of nostalgia; its a symbolic remembrance to a time when everyone turned to the morning edition for yesterday's news.

But the times are changing.  

Yesterday's news is no one's business anymore.  Gone are the days where businessmen and women tucked newspapers under their arms while boarding the train to work or catching a cab.  Pocket-sided iPhone and BlackBerries have replaced the conduit with which news in accessed.  Now more than ever, new media allow for news consumers to access and produce information from anywhere, to anyone, about any specific topic, at virtually anytime.

A crazy influx of material is cascading onto the Web.

And with that influx -- specifically the ever-expanding blogosphere, increased twitter feeds, and a greater reliance on reader-comments even in large-scale media corporations -- the dynamics of journalism are making a necessary adjust.  The definition of journalism itself is in question these days, as ethics are re-evaluated and reconstructed to better fit the internet and other new media outlets.

Journalism ethics. 

To me, journalism ethics are long overdo for a good shake and reconstruction.  Today's society is no longer satiated with the archaic rules journalists follow such as objectivity, two-source stories, etc. Some ethic standards will remain.  Transparency, a loyalty to the people and readers and transparency, I believe, will transcend the times.  News consumers will still demand journalism that hunts for the truth.  However, truth, in all its glory, is quite imaginary.  Reporters print stories based almost completely on the opinions of interviewees and those people that reporters talk to make the news.

But now,  with an absorbent medium such as the Web, the truth can get a little closer, despite the fact that many standard ethical practices are getting tossed out the window.  In the world wide web everyone's opinion matters.  In effect, the potential to reach a truth is heightened because everyone's intellect is expressed freely, raising the communal potential for higher understanding and conscience. 

Of course, the downside is intermixed with the brilliant intellectual thought and opinion will be even more bullshit.  Because of the limitless nature of the internet, and every can do it web pages with, a lot of unnecessary commentary will fill part of the internet space. 

But I believe that bullshit will be pushed to the fringes of the Web arena, as stuff that is more meaty, more true and more real will sift to the top as user seek for things that are truthful, honest, and personally related to the consumer.

When Jack, my brother, finishes reading the newspaper and is ready to get the real information he needs from the world, he turns to a different media. 

Blogs and online journals.  

Jack says the best information for him on the Web is created by individuals who have the time and aspiration to teach others about what they are good at.  Philosophy Etc., for example, is one of the primary blog sites Jack utilizes to learn about important up and coming philosophical issues.  The blog is run by another Princeton philosopher who dedicates five to seven hours a day researching and publishing quality work in philosophy for his blog.  Quickly the blog has gained reputable support from other philosophers in the department, and is becoming an accredited source for good philosophy.

That stuff is Jack's real news, personally important to him.

And each individual in the world may find news in a different light.

But each individual should have the right to access important information to him or her, that is tailored and uncensored by traditional journalism ethics to help bring the search for truth closer to its objective by releasing conventional obstacles that have long stood in the way.  In simpler language, I believe journalism ethics have blocked truth by inhibiting the way in which information is presented.  Limiting opinion in writing, limits the power of thought and search for truth.

View the following video for more information on how and why blogs are influential: 

But what if the death of newspapers kills news?

Some, such as Tony Rogers of About.com Guide to Journalism, worry the death of the newspaper may be linked to the death of news itself.  Without a solid foundation for objective, investigative reporting done by folks who follow a strict guideline for news production some argue news itself will get lost.  

News is a critical component of a democracy, commonly held as the Fourth branch of our government.  Reporting news keeps power holders in check and accountable and gives the public a way to learn and hear about the giant power holders in a society.  Without news, the foundation of democracy sits on a slippery slope.

However, others, such as writers from the Online Journalism Review hold a different opinion that suggests perhaps blogging and the emergence of the digital newsroom actually heightens the integrity of reporting and brings to bear stronger, more powerful quality reporting because of the limited traditional standards.  People are going above and beyond conventional limitations such as ethics codes, in other words, to get the best story.

Digital Newsroom Rolls to a Start

Friday mornings, 8 a.m.

We sit in a hot room and learn about the various criteria and mechanics of this one semester, 15-week class that will hopefully teach me how to be a integral producer of online news using online and digital media.

It's called Digital Newsroom

cleaning my desk

It's almost time for me to clean my desk.

I only have one day, and one part day, left with my internship with the Daily Camera. My Monday ends in about an hour and a half.

Then my Tuesday begins one hour early at 1 p.m. tomorrow with a good-bye intern lunch. It ends sometime that night depending on how things go, probably somewhere at about 10 or 11 p.m.

And then it's: Jean Spencer, student at the University of Colorado. Not: Jean Spencer, reporter with the Daily Camera.

Last week, as Friday's shift came to a dark end at about 9 p.m. our editor, Kevin Kaufman asked me what the three most important things I've learned through this internship were and I answered (to the best of my recall-without-notes-ability):

1. You can write about things you want to write about if you are a good thinker
2. The night cops shift is better when you prioritize your time better
3. Not talking to all the people (meaning all the sources possibly involved with the story) doesn't cut it.

He then asked me what my best experience was during this internship and I answered (to the best of my recall-without-notes-ability):

• Chasing the bear with Paul Aiken, our photo editor, in a dress in the middle of the night in the mountains.

More later. Much love and happiness.

reflection on the internship

So right now I am the only intern working for the Daily Camera.

I have seen five interns, count 'em one, two, three, four, five, come and go during my time here - but now I man the post solo.

I have benefited greatly from working with a diligent staff and many editors determined to producing a quality newspaper each morning. I find that the aggressiveness in reporting here is a step above, and that when all the bases aren't covered, that simply doesn't cut it here.

I like the challenge of reporting and writing to those sorts of standards. I also feel as though I have a much better understanding about how to write about court and criminal issues, which have a very particular language, since becoming the Night Cops Reporter.

The internship ends soon, and yes, I am excited. But the end is bittersweet. I could see myself working for the Daily Camera. I like being in the know about local events, talking to interesting people, working on deadline and constantly feeling that rushed feeling of being a Type A person in a Type A job.

August 4th, week 12 with the Camera

Elmarr guilty for 20-yr-old murder

Kevin Elmarr, 52, will be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 40 years after a jury found him guilty for the murder of his ex-wife in the first-degree.

Although Colorado mandates life in prison without option of parole, Elmarr was sentenced Tuesday according to how the law stood when Carol Murphy died in 1987.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/aug/04/kevin-elmarr-carol-murphy-murder-trial-longmont/

It's been too long

Ah, it's been much too long since I've last blogged.

Sometimes I get caught up in how many updates this world demands and temporarily lost touch with some; tweets, Facebook status, pic, video and relationship updates, the community update of working in a daily newspaper, my personal archaically hand-written journal, phone conversations with out of state relative and friend updates, and of course this blog.

I apologize for the abeyance.

I have 11 more work days with the Daily Camera. They moved me to the primary night cops reporter in which my duties include following up with the day's police issues and responding to breaking news if it happens.

I also keep up with daily stories that are usually cutesie and relatively easy to do.

Here are a couple of my very newsy stories:

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jul/21/boulder-man-dies-poppy-pod-tea-overdose/

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jul/28/sen-rollie-heath-has-cancer-surgery/

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jul/14/boulder-police-responding-report-helium-leak/

Mexican family moves to Boulder to fight 12-year old girl's cancer

Another thing that I like about the news biz is the fact that I can help people. I can be the voice the voice-lass, and be the story-teller for those without the courage.

"It's a public service," Zak Brown, Daily Camera staff member said about being in the newspaper business.

Here is a story where I was the voice:

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jun/05/mexican-family-moves-boulder-fight-12-year-olds-ca/

Boulder introduces a new sport

One thing I like about being in the news business is being in the know.

Two Boulder businessmen have crafted Boulder's newest outdoor adventure sport the Motomarathon.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jun/05/two-businessmen-put-a-new-sport-in-full-throttle/

fly

A man jumps into a public swimming pool in Duesseldorf, western Germany, on May 25, as an airplane prepares to land. Temperatures rose that day to 86 F.

This picture is from MSNBC.com pictures of the week.

So inspirational. Good photo journalism.

center package

The following link will lead you to the Daily Camera homepage. Right now, and until the page is updated for something more weighty and significant, the page is home to my weather story. The story is about leaky roofs due to spring showers, and was also featured on the front page of the printed edition as well.

http://www.dailycamera.com/

Today is day 11. Third week on the job.

I have established a little space of my own here. I like my desk and the way it is oriented in the newsroom, I feel comfortable here.

Similarly, I think the news staff is getting more comfortable with me. I am getting more responsibility with stories, I am producing better quality work for the publication. I am understanding what my editors expect from me, and am trying to fulfill their expectations as best as I can.

The Daily Camera is different than the Fort Collins Coloradoan. Here, there is more value placed on investigative reporting, getting deep and propelling angles for newsworthy topics. There are only four articles on the front page, and thus there is less of a necessity for quantity as much as quality, and I feel the staff truly embody that message. Do good work.

Today I am working on a local business story about two guys who have started a new sport called motomarathon. They have also established the organization that will sponsor the event from now on. A little money-making scheme to support a sport that they are passionate about....that is the way to make money.

I am also working on a story about Movement Climbing & Fitness, a local gym that is being built in Boulder. It is the first net-zero commercial building in Colorado, the only internationally approved indoor climbing wall in Boulder, and has full cardio, weights and yoga.

Stay tuned for updates.

Ta ta for now.

day three at the Camera

Today is Thursday, day number three of internship number two.

I worked on two projects today, and continued work on a personal story that I took on. First, I drove to Erie to interview a Erie High School graduate for a small student spotlight. Later, I drove to Louisville to write a story on the implementation of two community patios introduced to the downtown area in order to bring a sizzle and ambiance to the area. (Actually one of my editors is reading that story now....I hope he doesn't have too many issues with it....here the editors really tell you when they don't like your story, sentences, verbs, etc.)

The personal story I am working on is one I pitched yesterday and got the OK. It's a story about a guy who is starting a 9 acre farm, and turning to the community for support and volunteer time. I'll weave in statistics about other local community gardens, eating locally, organic food and seeds in general, and how the economy effects it all.

I'm excited about that story.

Hopefully this one that Ryan is reading now makes the cut. I think it may.

New internship

Well, I've slipped to the bottom of the totem pole.

As a fresh intern in a new newsroom I don't have any of the respect or trust I earned with the Coloradoan.

It will take a while to establish myself here, take a while for me to feel comfortable in this environment.

Yesterday I was assigned a petty story on University of Colorado classes available to the public on on weekends dubbed CU on the Weekend (real clever name, eh?). It didn't really have any news value, I didn't think. The classes are already underway, the summer session kicked off last Saturday so we missed the timeliness aspect....etc. Nevertheless I tried to produce something worthwhile, put in some good verbs and catchy sentences. In the end I don't feel too bad about it.

It will be interesting trying to get myself established. A hard road, but an important journey.

Jean

a common misunderstanding

It's getting late on my first sunday off the job. Me weekend has drug heavily along like a sled being pulled up a hill. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the time off; I did. It just seems a little bit like I have been super unproductive all weekend. I don't like that feeling. Sometime I need my own time, with my own friends, and I don't have either of those right now.

It's like a mosquito bite in summer. I love the season; the hanging out, the relaxation....but it just leaves that stubborn itchy bump that you can barely will yourself from scratching.

And I am scratching. Scratch scratch.

FML.

last weekend on internship number one

Above is a Coloradoan photo archive of me when I played

Sterling Silver in a PB&J Company musical, I was 14.

Well the weekend has finally arrived. My last weekend as a reporting intern with the Fort Collins Coloradoan. It's a bittersweet ending to an invaluable experience.



A few of my thoughts about the process:

• I was given more responsibility than I ever knew an intern could get even from day 1


• I recognize the importance of living and knowing the city that you are reporting on


• I understand different editors value different styles, but that a good story transcends most individual preferences


• A story is only as good as you want it to be. The story is how the reporter says it to a large degree

A couple of negative things

• I wish I had had a reporter-mentor in order to pace my improvement and understand more fully how I was supposed to operate at times.


• -or- another intern. It would have been good, for me, to have had that competitiveness in order to motivate my improvement better


• The industry really is walking on egg shells. Editors are quitting, newsroom chatter about job security and if the newspaper is even going to print tomorrow is common. Journalism is fabulous, but the industry is trapezing over a fault line.

que sara sara.

On to new and more full-time things!

I recently was offered, and accepted, a Scripps Howard Foundation internship and will be working as a full-time news reporter for the Boulder Daily Camera this summer for 10 weeks. I get paid $3,000 up front and am awarded a $1,000 scholarship towards next year's tuition. I am excited because I know there will be at least one other full-time intern working with me and I think that together we can foster some really innovative and investigative stories. Also, according to those who are finishing up their reporting internships with the Daily Camera now (who are in my reporting 3 class), you often get a couple of days to work on a story. Yay. Some real time to work with a good story.

Tweet me

Tweet me.
I twitter.
Jean Spencer is my search name, of course.

My camera bag is red, and missing.

Lately i've taken to losing all the things I really need, which is how it usually is.

Today I couldn't find either of my perferred black zip-ups, and had to go with the homely gray one.

My cell-phone charger is currently plugged in at one of four locations: the last coffee shop I worked at - The Brewers Market on Folsom, Max's outlet near his bed, or in Fort Collins - actually unplugged - near the toaster.

I also can't find my sense of humor - which has been dwarfed by a relative stress level, my muscles - which have been dwarfed by excessive growth probably due to excessive cookies, or my money - on account of being un unpaid employee for the past year.

Some of you may be wondering at this point...

What does this have to do with an internship blog?

Egh....cough. Wehellll.....sirs and madames......

How am I supposed to catch the barefooted students running all around campus without my lovely digital camera? One more thing on the to-buy list, which already has a suit, a briefcase or bag, a wireless card, a new computer, a second cell-phone charger, and a better digital recorder on it.

AND, as I mentioned.....I can't find my money. The experience of being unpaid has a few drawback professional consequences, namely, not being about to affor the things you need to perform your job as best as you can.

Ika (as the Italians do indeed say).

jean

"I've never noticed that being a woman is a handicap or a plus. I am a woman and there are men and we climb together. Sometimes I'm stronger, sometimes they're stronger — we motivated each other." - Robyn Erbesfield

"Rocks make no compromise for sex... rock climbing is not like some sports, where it is made easier for women; or sports like, say, softball, which is only baseball for soft people. On a rock, everything is equal." - Beverly Johnson

Above is a picture of Maxamilian Barlerin and me at Shelf Road, Colorado doin a little climbing in an area known as "The Incredible Hulk." This was my first over-night climbing trip and left my hands raw and fingers bloody at the end of the three fabulous days.


Let it be known climbing is finding inhabitance in the nooks and crannies of my life. It has found its way into that calluses of my hands, into my dreams where I contimplate how I could have reached that last sloper better to rep-point that route, and into where I'd like to intern next. I have applied to Climbing and Women's Adventure magazines, hoping to use a two growing passions to benefit each other.

It's not what you knon, it's who you know

So my blog has taken a backburner recently, as internship, school and climbing have taken over my life.

Let's being with the internship:

Recently I feel stuck between accomplishment and glass ceiling. The stories I have produced and the trust my editors have given me make me feel really good. It takes dedication, a good thesaurus, good motivation, and a lot of coffee to be a journalist -- I have found out -- and I think I have what it takes. I remember sitting in some introductory journalism courses and professors would talk about how fast-paced and intense a career in journalism can be...but that is what fuels me really. I like to work hard. In the daily newspaper business you work hard with a very quick return. The next day your article sits in newsprint next to your bowl of cereal. Pretty quick.

Yet, I feel that glass ceiling of the end of an internship. As my final weeks approach I already wish I had done more. Taken on a bigger chunck. Chewed harder. But I guess that is a good way to feel; it will propel me into my next endeavor - internship/job. I want to keep doing these things I am doing, and will, eventually, work past this glass ceiling feeling.

my first story idea realized

I received a news tip from a friend about his sister returning from Iraq last week and sent the idea into my editor who let me follow through with the story.

I just finished reporting, writing, and submitting the story into my editor about 15 minutes ago, and I think that it will appear on tomorrow's front page.

This makes me feel like a more accomplished reporter. A huge part of the game is being able to find stories, understand what is in the public's interest and make that into news. Especially since my interest is in editing, I feel like this was an important step to take.

I have a bunch more story ideas that I will suggest next week. I'm excited about all of them.

Tomorrow I will post the link to this particular story and I hope you follow it.


Some stuggles I have faced as an intern are simple but bothersome. I still sometimes don't understand the timescale this newsroom runs by. Part of this is because two out of the three days I work I am alone in the newsroom with one editor, and on the third day I work in a full newsroom. The change in atmosphere throws me a little bit off.

Another struggle I have, is apart from the stories I am working on, I don't know what to do. I have a lot of down-time. I don't understand how to read the wires completely or how far my lines of authority reach. For instance, we all get similar emails that contain press releases, or news updates and I don't know if I can write stories on those or not.

A final struggle is sometimes I don't have the courage to network. It's so comfortable to stay quiet in my cubicle. I do make a conscious choice to make deeper conversation with my co-workers, but sometimes I get too intimidated and remain tap tapping away in my little spot.


Oky doky. Ciao.
Jean

in booty shorts at the boy's house

I needed to do a little something in the communicative form immediately. I have a few things on my mind and my regular journal is too far away, and I don't have any paper to write this shit down so I gotta write it here.

My brother has a friend and she has offered me room and board in Rome in exchange for me teaching her daughter English.

Oh my god.

I am definitely signing onto that. YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

I would have to make a one year commitment, and I think it's totally worth postponing graduation a little bit in order to do this.

How could I not take advantage of it?

I think that i am going climbing here in a little bit up by boulder falls. it is cold outside. windy. my bicep hurts. but i'm gonna do it. deliberate practice too.

okay so enough of the stream of consciousness blog entry. I am sorry for the vent.

Jean

and now for internship

And now back to my purposeful blog.

Interning week 4.

Had the busiest Saturday to-date with three distinct stories for the Sunday paper running me for 12 hours from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The stories included:
- a junior high inventor's fair
- a "green recovery" environmentalists talk with Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas
- a Hip-Hop Expo for the "Down for Life" tobacco free life campaign.

Today I am attending Rep. Betsy Markey's opening of the first of four congressional district offices as well as doing a colorful story on what people are doing for the Superbowl --> I haven't followed professional football this entire year, it's going to be hard to all of a sudden write something about it.

....but....should be fun....


As for how things are going. It's definitely been a challenge working in the newsroom 3 days a week. It is hard to balance a life in Boulder and a life in Fort Collins at times, and it really has made doing laundry a hassel (oh wait, I haven't done laundry since December (no joke).)

But the experience has been exceptional. I wish that I worked when a few more people were in the newroom in order to get some better connections and friendships along the way, but, I guess you take what you can get and make the most out of that.

I do try to establish relationships when I can, I concisouly say hi and how are you to people in the newsroom when there are people in the newsroom.

Finding your article in newsprint on the front doorstep (or your neighbor's in my case), though, is definitely something that makes a lasting impression. All my hard work the day before lies neatly folding on my neighbor's doorstep each morning -- where I steal the paper read my articles over breakfast (and the rest of the news that interests me) and then put it back on her doorstep. It is a good feeling. An accomplished feeling.

Ta da.
Jean

not on interning as much as a bit of perspective

In my life, something is always a race. It's sort of always been that way. I raced to get my belly button pierced first, to get the first tattoo in my grade, to get on the Homecoming ballot, and then the Prom ballot.......first to skydive, first to get a season-ending injury, first to win the arts and literature award. Race race race.

But today I am realizing something a little different.

I don't feel as obligied to race when I am in a relationship. It is like a natural body-slower. I start spending my energy racing to get deeper into the relationship than, say, trying to get my homework done first or get a 100% on my first set of midterms....

....it seems like its a race to fall in love. Other things don't matter quite as much when your time is spent shared with someone else that simply enjoys your company. Now I'm not saying im in love, or even that I want to be, but I AM saying that having a boy around really has thrown my energy on a different trajectory. I wouldn't say I'm moving in a different direction either. The same direction, a different path. The two run parallel, and make me wonder how many parallel paths to my life there are? How many different routes eventually lead me to the same destination?

It's a question of free-will or determinism i suppose. A question left unanswered for millenum despite an ongoing quest for its answer....

Jean

The Printed Blog

I was perusing through some websites yesterday afternoon at work when I stumbled upon the following New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/technology/start-ups/22blogpaper.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=the%20print%20blog&st=cse

It's about a company that is going to launch the first printed blog, called just that: The Printed Blog. The idea is that the company and staff will spend their entire days reading the blog-liture posted by you and me. The best blogs; the most newsworthy; the most in-demand by web-users will be printed in an online format.

To begin the venture will be printed weekly as a part of already established news organizations. Soon, however, the business aims to expand in geographically and quantitatively eventually being printed two times daily in a variety of cities.

I think the business idea is one of the best so far for a changing media market. It combines cheap resources, good stories, vocalizes and realized demand from consumers, and print and web content. The final printed piece will look nothing like your typical newspaper. Rather, the blogs will be printed on spreadsheets that resemble what blogs look like.

Think of the possibilities this sort of change in media will allow:
1) a diverse, ever-changing news content
2) a poperie of voices, styles and tones of writing
3) the news that really matters to its users, and nothing else: for more information or more stories visit the website.
4) a dynamic, realistic news venture
5) a committment to both web news and print journalism
6) and for the capitalist: the biggest benefit is the potential revenue and profits the business will see

I think I am going to try to contact the creators and interview them to try to understand how their idea evolved and what obstacles they are facing, or expect to face.

It would be really interesting to work for this sort of company, and beat the curve to new media markets fresh out of college. Magazine work is a safe bet, and I would love to work for Backpacker this spring....but if media is actually changing I want to be one of the first people to jump on that boat and start rowing.

I would love to hear your reactions to this article if you read it. Or if you just take my word from my blog I'd also like to hear your impressions.

What do you think media will look like in the nest year? 5 years? 10 years?
Will this idea fly or plummet?
Would you subscribe?
What else would you need for something like this to be something that you are interested in?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
jean

Front page coverage and antoher assignment

Two of my articles from yesterday stared back at me this morning from the front page of the paper. I was tickled happy.

One was on on an MLK celebration at the local theater, the Lincoln Center:
http://coloradoan.com/article/20090119/NEWS01/901190328&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

The other was a blurb about how a local high school band who traveled to D.C. to play at the inagural parade was asked to be featured on CBS's the Early Show:
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090119/NEWS01/901190324/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

Today I get to fight for the top spot, because there are two potentail front page stories on tehe events of MLK day.

Gotta get back to work.

jean

Day 5 in the office

Today is my fifth day as a Coloradoan intern.

So far I have covered a variety of news briefs, a local Palestinian protest, a local High School charity garage sale, and a profile story on a 300 pound pig.

Today has been slow in the office. Sundays are not only God's day of rest, but the newsroom's too. Only an editor and I occupy the office sapce, built for maybe 70 employees. I have sat at my desk all afternoon, doing a variety of odds and ends tasks, awaiting my real assignment which begnis tonight at 6:30 p.m. - an MLK speech/dance/festival thing.

At my desk, through my north facing window seat, I have watched the Fort Collins landscape slowly fade into sunset.

But not all work has been slow.
Everyday I come to the office I learn a new thing, or am signed up for a new program: national wire sites, coloradoan webmail and news ed desk work. Today I attended the news meeting at 3:30 and watched those present discuss what tomorrow's paper should/might/probably will look like and the details of which stories hold the most importance to the Fort Collins community.

I also now have a Coloradoan blog as well. You can check it out on the Fort Collins Coloradoan site, www.coloradoan.com.

Also, check out a few of my articles.

Gotta go. I'm going to do some background work for tonight's MLK story. I think i'll look up the cookies on the keynote speaker as well as some background info on the church that is sponsoring the event.

Love from the intern. And a bit of a hunger growl...

As a beginner

As a beginner in personal blogging, a beginner at a daily newsroom, and a beginner at helping to establishing a new, reputable face for media, I will use this blog to document my adventures, obstacles, successes and other info.

I am excited to launch this blog. I encourage comments, feedback an questions because I believe establishing a good center for communication is key to the world of blogging. I will hold up my end of being a reader and contributer to this site, if you do too.

My name is Jean Spencer, nice to meet you.