News-Register writers visit the real world of journalism

Reporters and editors at The Dallas Morning News worked diligently and did not seem to notice a small tour group of North Lake College students passing by their cubicles and observing them at work.

Led by The Dallas Morning News’ Deputy Manager of Recruiting Sue Smith, the group, comprised of myself, Casey Cavalier, Edmund Setyono, Jeremy Howard, and Brandi Powell from Lecturer Regina L. Burns’ News Writing and Gathering class, made its way around several departments the afternoon of Feb. 21. We spent our time on the third floor of the newspaper’s downtown headquarters looking on as the news came to life at the tips of peoples’ fingers. The purpose of the trip was to see how the real world of journalism works.

Smith described the responsibilities of copy editors while students took notes furiously in their fresh reporter’s notepads, trying not to miss a single word. She went on to describe why a Wednesday newspaper may be printed the same day as the Monday paper, and why some sections might run on a different schedule.

“Things are printed early in order for us to have a flow,” she said, referring to the same-day printing.

“Features typically runs on a different production schedule than the rest of the newspaper,” Smith said.

Later, we sat in a conference room with industry professionals who fielded questions and discussed the finer points of journalism. Assistant Sports Editor Dennis Hall, Director of Photography William Snyder, Texas Living Assistant Editor Michael Merschel, and Metro Staff Writer Eric Aasen made up the panel.

When asked to describe the process of being assigned a story to seeing it in print Aasen said, “Sometimes you have to just get a story out on your computer and hope that everything comes out right.”

They told stories of their humble career beginnings and stressed the importance of “paying your dues,” and “getting your foot in the door anyway possible.” They spoke about the importance of internships. They said success in journalism requires reporters who can thrive under the stress of deadlines, and the rush of adrenaline that comes with being a journalist.

“Competition drives us all,” said Merschel.

He talked about not only the competition between The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, but also the competition with broadcast news stations and Internet news sources.

The meeting ended and we left to ponder all the information we had acquired from some of the best in the journalism field. Some looked intimidated and humbled by the testimonies of dedication and hard work we had just heard; others looked excited at the idea of a future in journalism, possibly in that very room.

For each, this field trip to The Dallas Morning News was an eye-opening and an educational experience.