My Work Experience

The Western Gazette

http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news

18th – 29th July

The Western Gazette

• A Somerset based local newspaper• Owned by Local World• Circulation of 19,724 (Dec 2014)

What I Did There?

• Research • Typed up letters• Located photos• Called businesses• Wrote up listicals and several other things• And I occasionally got to do something

interesting

• Archaeological dig was happening nearby• I interviewed the archaeologist• I tried to interview someone else but his

personal details seemed to not exist• I also failed at trying to locate pictures of a

similar dig at the location in 1950• Despite the negative parts I did enjoy it.• While it still isn’t my first choice I’d be happy

to write historical journalism

What I learned?

• Atmosphere of a real news room• How things work there• I learnt that shorthand is actually useful• I write too fast. I spent half my time asking for

more work, or just twiddling my fingers waiting for said work.

• How to conduct a good phone interview. In the past I’ve preferred email interviews.

What I could have done differently• I should have approached more people in the newsroom, I

stuck to asking about 4 people.• I should have asked more questions.• I should have been more enterprising.• I would have liked to have been credited, and I feel like the

organisation at the place was lacking so their publishing login they gave me didn’t work on the first day, and they never fixed.

• I should have been louder, but then I always have that issue– Like in the news conference

Reflection

• I hated being treated like an idiot• I expected to feel a little unqualified but I

didn’t. I could do everything put in front of me, and more.

• I don’t want to work at a local paper. Neither am I that interested about working in news.