Quarterly Report: Fall 2023
In honor of completing my first semester at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, I’m introducing my first Quarterly Report: a breakdown of my experiences this past semester. Thanks for reading! ✌️
What I did
My first semester focused on fundamentals: a six-credit class called “Reporting the News,” a research class, an ethics class and, as part of my specific concentration, an introductory narrative writing course. I also took a “mini” class centered on climate reporting. My output reflects an immense learning curve and a lot of trial and error. More on that below…
4 articles published
2 articles awaiting editor feedback
2 stories in progress
1 article straight-up abandoned
What I learned
This is school after all, and I’m happy to share that I am indeed learning, sometimes the hard way. Actually, most of it has been the hard way—but in a field that’s more about “doing” than studying, that may be the best way.
1. Writing does not equal reporting
Reporting is:
Finding, reaching out and interviewing sources, most of whom do not want to talk to you
Finding, reading, understanding and interpreting data, most of which is not designed to be accessible
Finding stories and looking beyond what’s happening to extract what’s most interesting, unexpected, timely, important and/or relevant
…all before you start writing the first draft.
I thought that, as a capable writer, I would be well equipped to be a journalist. I was humbled from my very first assignment when my group kindly critiqued my first headline as “too marketing.”
I’ve since learned that writing is such a small component of journalism. Reporting is the real, difficult work of journalism and you cannot write your way out of insufficient reporting. This was one of the biggest leaps for me coming from a field where creativity is the hook and emotion is the motivator. Delight can carry a campaign, but it should not dictate a news story.
2. Objectivity is impossible
It’s widely believed that journalists are supposed to be “objective.” At Berkeley we spent many hours challenging this notion, because objectivity is neutrality. And human beings are notoriously not neutral. The “View from Nowhere” podcast offers a great explanation of this shift in mindset.
Instead of objectivity, our classes focused on pursuing accuracy and truth. We were encouraged to consider our identities and the biases and power tied to these identities. We talked about whose stories get told and by whom. We discussed how language and imagery can perpetuate stereotypes and cause harm. And we studied the role of personal voice in reporting. I now have a clearer idea of objectivity’s shortcomings and the value of honing my journalistic judgment.
3. Wield power responsibly
I walked away from this semester with a cemented understanding of how seriously to take this job. Part of this education included frameworks for how to work with sources responsibly and humanely.
Most people—those who are not influential personalities, PR representatives or government officials—likely do not know what it means to talk to a journalist. So it is my responsibility to be transparent about it. That means being explicit about the information I am seeking, how I will or will not use it, and what might happen if a story gets published. It’s also important to share expectations around timing, process and outcomes. All this may come at the expense of getting someone to talk to me. However it’s critical to maintaining my integrity as a journalist, as well as the integrity of our industry. (Yes, we have integrity.)
I now have an acute appreciation for those who do choose to talk to journalists, especially those who risk their reputations, their safety, their livelihoods or their relationships in service of sharing their truths. Journalism has no power without you.
What I felt
On my way to my first day of orientation, I sat down on the train and was immediately informed there was an earthquake in the area and we would be stalled for “earthquake procedures.” It was an ominous, perhaps prescient, beginning to what was to come.
Yes, that was my mother’s peculiar brand of humor/idea of comfort
1. Extreme discomfort
I was warned, many times over, that grad school would be difficult. Because I expected academic difficulty, I felt ill-equipped for the influx of emotional difficulty of being in grad school.
Let me tell you. The whole “reporting versus writing” hurdle was a big one. Not immediately succeeding at this critical aspect of my proposed new career path was a seismic jolt to my confidence and self-image. It was made worse by the joy-thieving act of comparison with my peers who were either already published or eagerly prepared to dive into the trenches of governments and injustice.
Reporting is not just a new skill but a new frame of mind for me. It conflicts with some of my more obliging and non-confrontational qualities. It requires a kind of dedication and tenacity I haven’t needed in my previous career. It forces me to constantly evaluate what I want, what I need and why I’m doing what I’m doing.
After explaining this struggle, one of the professors described what I was going through as “retraining my brain.” That phrase has served as a liferaft in the tumultuous waters of change. For all those who asked me how grad school was going and didn’t get an immediate positive answer—now you know why.
2. Very American
With a cohort of 41% international students and a large percentage of domestic students with racial, ethnic and political backgrounds very different from my own, my class is the most diverse environment I’ve personally spent extended time in. The experience has been fascinating and eye-opening. Though my husband has lovingly called me “Wonderbread” for many years now, it’s at Berkeley that I’ve really felt it. My worldview (and my understanding of journalism) is so much smaller than I realized.
Being able to crack open my mind and hear from my classmates about the vast external world beyond my inner one has offered an invaluable “education” of its own. I’m so grateful for this and to every student who has shared parts of themselves and their experiences in answer to my (often misinformed) questions.
3. Doubt, doubt and more doubt
My uncertainties have run the gamut from I don’t know if I can do this assignment to it’s possible that every decision I took to get here was the wrong one and my life is fundamentally misaligned with what I expect out of the future. Most of them can be summed up as questioning whether the discomfort and the hard work will be worth it.
I don’t have any platitudes or lessons to offer about these doubts. What I can say is I signed up for classes next semester. I’m still in it, still going for it, even if I don’t know the full picture of what “it” is. Perhaps I can attribute this to my curiosity, which still feels strong enough to follow. Perhaps I’ve embarked on a series of horrible decisions of which I cannot…wait, it’s happening again. Doubts persist, but so do I.
What’s next
Next semester’s classes begin January 16, offering me a lot of time to process and pursue all the aforementioned feelings and stories, respectively.
I’m currently “challenging” myself to write every single day, for an hour at minimum. At first I was going to attempt to drum up some freelance business and work in lieu of processing feelings/pursuing stories. Alas, I’m setting aside the calls of capitalism to really give myself a shot at using this time the way I want to. I also hope to log a few dozen miles on my bike.
On the agenda for Spring 2024:
Classes: “How to be an editor,” “Uncovering inequities with data,” features writing and media law
Finding a summer internship, ideally in magazine writing
Putting myself out there and attend more student gatherings/events
My next quarterly report!
Follow along with my writing on Instagram @lisa.plachy.writes.