NEW GRADUATES TURNING TO WRITING CAREERS

Recently it seems I keep hearing of more and more graduates who plan to make their living writing. I have to wonder if they know how to go about landing a job once they finish college, especially if they’ve never written anything besides school papers before. Mostly, I wonder if schools these days even prepare their students for a writing career. It’s obvious that TV journalists are either not being taught, or they’re too busy texting in class to listen. And we all know that texting involves using a shorthand language that allows messages to go out quicker—never mind spelling or grammar.

One of the major mistakes journalists make is venturing into territory where no one else has dared to go. Don’t they ever stop for a moment to ask themselves if a word they’re about to use is actually a word? Just last week, a local news reporter said she was “evidencing” something. I think she meant she was checking the evidence, or maybe she was searching for evidence? What it meant to a stickler for facts like me was that she was reporting on something for which she had no evidence, so maybe it wasn’t even true. Yesterday, a newscaster on a national network said “there’s no need to 'catastrophosize' your future!” (Not sure of the spelling since this word doesn’t appear in any dictionary that I know about.) Yikes!

In broadcast journalism, things happen fast, so I can understand occasional slip-ups in language usage. Newscasters often report on something that is coming over the wires, but for which facts are lacking. They should report that not all information has been verified. Verifying is a word, evidencing is not. All journalists should have some passing acquaintance with the English language, at least enough to know if a word is actually a word or not.

And then there’s pronunciation! It annoys me no end to hear someone pronounce “tour” as “tore.” The governor “tored” the State, the high school students are on a “tore” of China, etc. That’s not the only word that is often mispronounced, but it’s enough to set my teeth on edge. And never mind that I don’t always pronounce a word correctly every time. Not many people do. However, broadcast journalists should make every effort to learn the correct way to pronounce every word that might possibly cross their lips, or look it up in a dictionary. Pronunciation is an education in itself, and of course, requires teachers who know the correct way words should be spoken.

Then there are mistakes found in newspapers, books and magazines. Writers who submit articles should check their work on their computer’s spellchecker, and if they’re using unfamiliar words, look them up in a dictionary and thesaurus. How many times are articles full of misspelled words? In the old days, writers could always blame mistakes on typesetters, but today, words usually go directly to the page. In that case, it is up to the writer and back-up personnel such as editors and proofreaders to catch mistakes before they are published. Obviously, that doesn’t always happen.

I truly hope that future journalists get the education that is needed to help them report accurately and honestly. I can remember in the eighties when a study was done on how unprepared journalism graduates were to work in their chosen field. Publishers reported the bad news that recent graduates were not prepared to earn a living as journalists. It was hoped that the study would encourage a change in education, but I can’t find evidence that any improvement has taken place during the past thirty-plus years.

And then there’s the question of whether an education in journalism is even required to work in the field? You bet it’s required to work for the big boys today, but many of our top network journalists from the 1960s and forward were not even college graduates, much less journalism majors. They were well educated, though, even though some had only gone to high school in small town USA. I won’t mention names here because I can’t accurately remember which ones were not college graduates, and am not sure where to check. However, if you watched national news in the ‘60s, and even the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s, you would recognize their names. A couple were tops in their field.

News organizations want people who are energetic, honest, accurate, and can spin a good, interesting story. Small newspapers, in particular, are easy places to find jobs, especially if writers can show clips that have been published previously—no matter where. Church bulletins and club newsletters count as experience to many doing the hiring. Editors and publishers mainly want to be able to read something writers have written. Their criterion includes believing that a writer will have integrity, and sometimes the only way to prove that is to show up on time for an interview with samples in hand. They also want to know that the applicant is a go-getter who will do whatever is necessary and legal to get a story.

My high school journalism teacher’s motto way back when, was to “get the news, get it right, and get it right the first time!” That is all that really matters for journalists.

As for those who want to write books, there are definitely no educational requirements except to be well-educated. Authors of novels must be able to assemble words in a sentence, and string sentences together to create a good story. Non-fiction writers must also be accurate when reporting facts. Many best-sellers have been written by individuals who lack much more than a grammar school education. Either they’ve had someone on their team who could proofread and edit, or they’ve been exceptional writers. Either way, if they can do it, so can anyone who is willing to work to achieve their goal of being published.

I would encourage anyone just graduating from high school and seeking a career as a journalist to get some experience during the summer months, even if only writing copy for newsletters, volunteering in the marketing department of a non-profit, or covering sports for a local community paper. That will help them understand what they want to eventually do before they hit the doors of college. Then focus on learning everything possible about grammar and writing. Good writers can become successful, no matter what their educational background.

Last of all; always, ALWAYS be prepared for unexpected opportunities. They can crop up in surprising places. Write something about a subject you feel passionate about, make sure there are no typographical or grammatical errors, and print it out so you can hand it to any editor or publisher you meet. Yes, carry it with you or in your car at all times, preferably in a briefcase or folder to keep it neat. Tell the person you meet that you’re looking forward to becoming a working journalist. Ask for advice and suggestions. Sometimes you might learn about opportunities, and possibly, they’ll have a job opening where you would fit.

Writing isn’t rocket science, to use a cliché (which editors hate). It’s simply being willing to diligently work at presenting information in a way that can be understood by readers, that has been researched thoroughly, and that doesn’t slant the news. And that brings up a whole other kettle of fish, since some well-known “news” networks are now in the business of skewing news to fit the network owners’ political and economic views. Still, a moral, upright journalist doesn’t, and shouldn’t, seek a job with tabloids that sensationalize stories, or for those news organizations in the business of influencing people who don’t, or won’t, spend time learning the truth behind the story. During Hitler’s regime, that was rightly called “brainwashing,” which was very successful at motivating an entire population to become hate-filled murderers and/or enablers. It was wrong then, and it still is, no matter what the name or intent of the person or organization that does it.

A lot of people are willing to be cult followers, and a cult needn’t have religious intent to sway its followers. Always, its main purpose is to aggrandize its leaders and purpose. Journalists have a duty not to become followers of any type, but to only be interested in reporting the truth. A journalist’s job is to present the facts, without emotion, and let listeners or viewers use their own intelligence to decide what those facts mean. To do otherwise is to discredit the audience as being unintelligent and unable to understand facts.

Here’s hoping that the next generation of journalists will use their intelligence and integrity wisely as they learn how to write, and then demand jobs in organizations that are honest and fair. And here’s hoping that they will have strong, intelligent teachers to instruct them not only in how to gather news and write, but also the difference between real journalism, tabloid news, and indoctrination for deceitful purposes. Possibly, they’ll also learn how to pronounce words correctly, and how not to make up words that don’t exist.

ON THE ROAD: Route 66

I love traveling along old Route 66 in the West. It brings back nostalgic memories of a road filled with excitement, thrilling views, and warm, fuzzy feelings about the way life was back in the 1950s and 1960s, before the Interstates were built.

Not that I have many memories of Route 66! I had never made a road trip West until 1964, when I first drove the road. By then, it consisted of part-Interstate 40 and part-Route 66. Still, I do remember the old television series, “Route 66,” with Buz and Tod finding adventure to spare in Buz’s shiny Corvette. It was almost like being along for the ride with them as I watched each week while they traveled from place to place, finding people to help while learning about themselves. I identified with them, never mind that I was female. And I was determined to repeat their adventures, although it was not to be in a Corvette. My journeys were in a Volkswagen Van, an Opel station wagon, a Volvo station wagon, a motorhome, and finally, an ordinary sedan. We did have a young guy in a Corvette caravan with us, along with another young man. They were both traveling West at the same time we were in the mid-seventies, and we met on CB radio. We then shared meals along the way and swapped stories until we finally separated somewhere around Flagstaff.

This week we made a journey to Williams, Arizona, looking for a memory-evoking experience in a 1950’s diner. We found it on a corner on old Route 66, in what must be a converted gas station. The food was just like the 50s, including the chocolate malt that we shared, since we have to be concerned with calories. In the fifties, I wanted to put on pounds. Things have certainly changed!

Most of our fellow diners were middle-aged, but then a family with two teenage girls walked in. They spoke in a foreign language, probably Italian, but they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience. The younger moved to the beat of the old-time music, which obviously still has universal appeal.

When we exited the diner, an older woman, a young nun, and three kids were just about to enter. Another lively fifties tune started up on the loudspeaker in the parking lot, so the older woman began dancing. Then the nun grabbed the hands of a little boy and began dancing, too. What a fun, all-American scene it made, if a bit unusual to see a nun in habit boogying in front of a 1950’s diner on Main Street USA. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the camera, and gave a quick slap to the head when I got in the car and remembered that we could have taken photos with the cell phone. The diner was an all-around enjoyable experience. I even picked up a book on the TV show, “Route 66,” which I promptly devoured as soon as we got home.

There are lots of interesting shops along old Route 66 in Williams, and also the Grand Canyon Railway is located a couple of blocks from the route. There are a couple of RV parks right in Williams, including near the Railway.

Our plan was to head up on Hwy. 64 towards the Grand Canyon to an aircraft museum, but the weather suddenly changed (it is monsoon season), and we decided to get off Route 66 and I-40. We even encountered a little snow (or maybe it was sleet?) on the ground along I-40 on the way to Flagstaff. I don’t remember Buz and Tod driving through snow/sleet, but then that was a long time ago. Wonder what they would have done about filming, since the top always seemed to be down on their Corvette?

A while back, we had gone through Kingman and took old Route 66 to the old mining town of Oatman, Arizona. What an adventure that was, with the wild burros roaming the main street! The road twisting through the mountains near Oatman is as narrow as any road I can recall. Luckily, we had left the motorhome parked somewhere in Kingman while we took the dinghy to Oatman.

There are so many interesting little towns along Route 66 in both New Mexico and Arizona, many of which promote their Route 66 heritage to tourists. A fun trip would be to travel as much of Route 66 as still exists through those states, but that will have to be done when time is not as precious as now. There are still older motels along the route that have been refurbished, and plenty of RV parks along the way where tourists can pull in and spend the night, or stay for a long, educational visit to the outlying areas. Summertime is the best time, since the elevation is quite high along most of the route, and the weather can turn nasty, particularly during fall, winter and spring. Still, for wintertime visitors, ski slopes are one of the main attractions.

The thought of an endless road beckoning to me still appeals as much as when I was young and untraveled, no matter that I have traveled so far since then. There are still so many treasures and experiences to be found.

Historic Parry Lodge in Kanab, Utah was home to film crews and movie stars of the many westerns filmed locally from 1930s to 1970s.

MORE THAN ONE REASON TO VISIT KANAB, UTAH

We just got back from a long and rushed trip to the Northwest. Tired though we were, we decided to stop off in Kanab, Utah since our only other trip through there had been even more rushed than this one.

Kanab is a small town in Southern Utah just above the Arizona border and Lake Powell, and has to be situated in one of the most spectacular spots in the world. This is the setting for many a western film from the 1930s to the 1970s, most of them filmed after color was introduced. And who could blame Hollywood for picking such an area for filming. First of all, it was remote and mostly unsettled, making the movie more realistic and easier to shoot, and next, the technicolor canyons gave film viewers amazing scenery as a backdrop for the westerns. How could they have better showcased the new technology of Technicolor?

The main reason we wanted to stop there was to visit Best Friends® Animal Sanctuary, www.bestfriends.org/, a wonderful place that rescues abused and abandoned animals. They take in all companion animals, including pigs, horses, rabbits, and of course dogs and cats, that would be turned down by any other rescue organization because they’re too old, too sick, or too abused or not socialized. Then they have a dedicated staff of professional veterinarians, trainers, etc. in addition to compassionate volunteers who try to salvage the desperate, hopeless and helpless animals who land on their doorstep.

Best Friends was on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina attempting to save animals that had been left behind during the storm, attempting to feed, provide medical care, and reuniting those that they could with their mostly distraught owners through a website they set up and manned. They took in Michael Vick’s dogs that had been abused and tortured, and tried to socialize and train those that were salvageable so that they could find a loving, forever home with a family of their own. They continually get calls to come rescue dogs from horrible conditions, such as in large, wholesale breeding situations that must live in their own waste while crammed in tiny crates. And they have often rescued cats and dogs from terrible hoarding situations. Sometimes, they find dozens to hundreds of dogs and cats that have had little to no care or attention, even though the hoarder might have started out with good intentions.

Some of you may have seen the TV show, “Dogtown,” on National Geographic channel, which showcases the work of Best Friends with dogs. It only runs intermittently and isn’t on the air right now, but hopefully, it will be back later this summer or fall.

Anyway, we are unabashed animal lovers, and we wanted to visit this little bit of heaven on earth for animals, if only for a short time. The setting is in Angel Canyon five miles north of Kanab, a truly magnificent place. Besides the animal care and training facilities, the sanctuary also has cabins for guests that can be rented overnight as well as two RV sites.

We stayed overnight in town at the historic Parry Lodge. What a pleasant surprise to roll into town tired and dusty to find a little bit of the South in a Colonial style building surrounded by huge shade trees and low bungalow buildings that held the rooms. The Lodge had been established as a home to film crews and stars that came there in the thirties to make movies after the owners had started as a transportation service for a film crew on their first film assignment in the area. The owners built a place for them to stay, and then headed to Hollywood to encourage other production companies to come there.

We stayed in the Ray Milland cottage. A lot of the cottages are named for stars that bunked in them back in the day. I remember Milland’s name, but I’m not sure I ever saw him in a film. Still, it was a beautiful place to stay and had all the usual amenities, even though it is not as modern as new Inns. Many of the famous who stayed there autographed photos for the owners, which hang throughout the main building.

We discovered that the last weekend in August is “Legends of the West” weekend, when many of the older Western stars or their offspring come to town. This would definitely be an event that we would enjoy attending, although everything seems to be booked up far in advance, leaving us unable to plan a visit this time.

The other amazing thing about the Kanab area is the number of National Parks and Monuments located within a short drive, including Lake Mead. I doubt that many of us, as children, ever learned anything about this region, other than what we saw on the screen. I certainly couldn’t have told you where it was located, or the history behind the people who lived there, including the Native Americans who called this area home.

I intend to watch one of my favorite movies, The Electric Horseman, again and make notes about places mentioned in it so the next time we go up, we can try to follow the route taken by Robert Redford as he led the beautiful, exploited horse to freedom. I can remember that the route taken was so spectacular, and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was a place I had to visit one day. Assuming it wasn’t a painted backdrop, I’m sure we’ll find its rare and unspoiled scenery somewhere near Kanab, Utah.