From Wastegash To Buddhism - A Week In Local News

Hello there, it's good to be back in the blogosphere after all this time! I blame MacNaes for my absence, other journo students will empathise I hope.

So, I spent my first week of work experience at New Journal Enterprises last week. They run the Camden New Journal, the Islington Tribune and the West End Extra, and are an independent local newspaper group.

Independent has its benefits and down sides. Things are slightly less structured on the plus side and well, things are slightly less structured on the down side too. It was great to see reporters in action working on a strong local news agenda which wasn't affected by a bigger corporate agenda.

I started off the week typing reader's letters and spent a day or so hoping that the whole week wouldn't be spent transcribing the thoughts of concerned of Primrose Hill.

Luckily, more news orientated work did start to come my way. I wrote a good few news stories from press releases, one of which had been published (without a byline) by the time I left on Friday.

I spent one late night attending a talk on Buddhism by veteran explorer Sir John Aske. It was a 'terribly civilised' evening at Belsize Library run by a local group who are keen to show the council the library is important to the area.

There was something slightly surreal about listening to ideas on enlightenment and buddhist introspection in the midst of the great and the good of one of the more sought after post codes of North London, but it all added to the fun. The event was hosted by a retired psychoanalyst who was a great character and introduced me to some useful contacts.

All of my journalistic training and any other resources I could muster were needed to take on the task of being the team photographer. I pounded Camden on foot with my trusty camera in hand getting shots of an MP's house, business signs and local kids for the reporters who were too snowed under to make it out themselves. This was actually very enjoyable, although I'm not sure that the paparazzi agencies will be calling me anytime soon.

The main down side of doing just a weeks placement was that there was no opportunity for me to take the initiative in following up on original stories. I gave the team a couple of ideas that I'd had floating around which they seemed keen on. Unfortunately by the time we'd swapped ideas, it was too late to follow up on anything.

All the more reason to be grateful for the two week placement at North London Newspapers that started today. More news on this to follow soon...

So, after a week of rookie reporting the good news is I've not been put off! Highlights for me:

- Wastegash - anyone know what it means? Urban language is cool. North London teenagers out there should be able to illuminate.
- The discovery of Crack-den Road, how quickly things get renamed in newsrooms, it's fun listening to all the word-play flying around.
- Getting to grips with the news agenda of an area I know well and watching events evolve from life to news.

Thanks to all the New Journal team for being patient and throwing this rookie in the newsroom some jobs to cut her teeth on, it was an excellent introduction to local news reporting.