Emelia Patterson, Blog Post #4

I'm planning on interviewing Dick Johnson, who is a co-anchor for NBC 5 television news in Chicago. He came to speak to my journalism class at my high school a couple of years ago, and he offered good insight into the hectic but rewarding life of a broadcast journalist. I've contacted him by e-mail and we have yet to schedule our interview. I believe that speaking to him would offer me more information about the area of journalism that I want to possibly enter. I want to ask what the hardest and easiest parts of being a reporter are, and I also want to know, realistically, what the demands for the job are. I also want to ask about salary and if and how reporters can move up the corporate ladder once they start working.
If I'm not able to speak with Mr. Johnson, a family friend of mine, Chris Chulumovich, is involved with public relations for many companies and regularly posts press releases. Strategic communication is another area of journalism that I've become interested in, so I feel as though it'd be worthwhile to talk to him about possible career opportunities in that area of study. Sometimes I feel as though I have a difficult time interviewing successfully, and I believe that getting involved with public relations and advertising could hold some promise for me. I'm going home for the weekend this coming weekend, and I have plans to meet up with Mr. Chulumovich to talk about public relations so that I'm able to understand more of how that business works. I would ask him what the salary is expected to be for a student right out of college, and I would also ask him how he feels about his job, because enjoying your job is a big part of career satisfaction. Again, like with broadcast, I would like to realistically know the demands of the jobs involved with strategic communication. I would ask questions such as :
-Are there strict deadlines?
- Is it a high pressure situation?
-How do you juggle your job with other aspects of your life?
-Do you find your job rewarding?
-What are your least and most favorite parts of your job?
-Do you consider what you do a job or a career?
-Is it difficult to make a name for yourself in this field?

I hope to gain a greater insight into these jobs, and learning more about strategic communication could also further my decision about which sequence I would like to major in.

Emelia Patterson