I find myself on a stronger footing as my time at the Courier & Press has elapsed. It has both flown by like sand through an hourglass and seeped slowly like molasses. From how I pitch stories to the greater sense of confidence I now feel when entering interviews, I can feel how my demeanor has calmed as I have settled into my role.
One of the most exciting developments has been the kinds of stories I have been working on, all of which I am extremely passionate about. I have been doing a lot of research on reproductive freedom and survivorship. Specifically, I have researched reproductive coercion and both the implications of survivors not having reproductive agency and the danger pregnancy can put people in who are experiencing intimate partner violence. I have also researched abortion resources (and the lack thereof) in the Evansville community, as well as trends in reproductive healthcare and changes in access to care in the years following Roe’s introduction.
I am finishing up a story about public art and spatial justice. This article is in response to a census conducted in Marion County (Indianapolis) that examined both the representation of artists and stories in public art, as well as the distribution of public art as it relates to regional demographics.
Another fun project I’m working on is a feature on a women-run tattoo parlor and sexism within the tattoo industry, as well as activism in the workplace. You can find my in-depth look at fireworks, which I discussed in my last blog post, here.
The world of work stands in contrast to university life. Oddly, I have found college classrooms to be more collaborative than the workplace. People go into work intent on completing their jobs, jobs that in my line of work are often independent of other journalists. However, both the workplace and university are excellent breeding grounds for new thoughts and ideas and both cater well to learning.
While at my internship, I have developed new skills and built upon old skills. I have gotten better at finding information quickly and have improved on condensing my writing in order to fit tight word limits. I have also learned about what research is important for the reader and what research is just important to me (ie: what is fluff that I should leave out).
As I reach the midpoint of my internship, I have begun to reflect on what I hope to take away from my time at the Courier & Press. I certainly want to bring back what I have learned to the Justice newspaper where I serve as Editor-In-Chief.
Since finishing my term as news editor, I have really wanted to broaden our resources for investigative reporting. This has been a priority that I for one reason or another never really got around to, but after working at a newspaper for over a month, I am reminded of the importance of investigative reporting. I truly believe that our hard-hitting reporting, local context, and dedicated reporters are what draw our readers and subscribers to the Courier & Press. The turnover in this industry is intense, and every day, more and more local news organizations fade into oblivion. However, I believe that our investment in strong, local news is the reason for our continual relevancy.