#MediaMonday – State Press Edition
Today’s #MediaMonday comes to us from the mind and keyboard of Katie Snyder, HMA intern extraordinaire.
Some may know him as a classmate. Others know him as a mentor. I know him as Nathan Meacham fellow sports fan and editor-in-chief of The State Press, ASU’s student-staffed newspaper.
So, Nathan, time to share!
What do you want to tell the blogosphere about yourself today?
In reality, I’m just another ASU student. Every student at ASU has to learn practical skills in their chosen major, and The State Press was the place for me. I started at the paper as a sophomore and began covering local police. Surprisingly, covering police is the first job of many young reporters. It was difficult, and you have to learn how to ask questions in the best way possible, especially dealing with officers that don’t like talking to the media.
When I was 19, my first breaking story was about a bunch of alcohol arrests on top of a local apartment complex. It was exhilarating! My editors were very happy with the quick turn-around of the story, but the apartment complex was not happy with us at all (which is to be expected). It really opened my eyes to the speed of the media.
I made myself really busy at the time and started covering the ASU women’s tennis team as well. That team was much more laid back than the police officers, so it was a nice change of pace. The coach, Sheila McInerney, guided me as a young sports reporter and showed me some great ways to find stories. It was because of her that I really pushed myself in the sports field and climbed the ladder to be Sports Editor two semesters later.
The job gave me the opportunity to cover Anthony Robles, the national champion ASU wrestler who was born with one leg. I was able to sit down with his mother and old high school coaches to tell a great story about how he started wrestling. The story actually won me my first award as a writer.
Today, I’m Editor-in-Chief of the State Press, bossing people around and make sure everyone is happy. It’s a great position, and I love working with so many great young journalists that still believe that journalism is an integral part of American society. We are often told that our profession is failing and that we may never find a decent job; but we love what we do, and we know that it can be used to serve a great public purpose.
I try to tell people that media members aren’t these evil beings that are only out to get a story. Good reporters try to personalize themselves to the reader. Yes, I am an editor of one of the largest student newspapers in the country, serving the largest university in the country, but I’m also a 21-year-old ASU student. I am an Arizona Rattlers fan and a Phoenix Suns fan. I watch 30 Rock on the weekends for entertainment and answer “42” when I am confused in math class. Journalists can be everyday people, too, and most of us aren’t out there to get you.
