If you want easy, this isn’t it. If you’re mission-driven and want a fulfilling career, this IS it. And if you want to be a journalist, you better have grit.
These were three key takeaways from the Chesterton High School (CHS) newspaper class visit to GreatNews.Life on Monday. The 14 students and their teacher Jake Lukach came for a field trip to learn about new media journalism, producing feature news, and what it takes to be a highly productive and fulfilled journalist in today’s media climate.
After an overview of the mission and vision of GreatNews.Life, which operates the Region’s leading online-only feature news media company (all positive, all the time), the class broke up into groups to shadow editors in the newsroom. They observed and asked questions about work happening in real-time, including editing, processing and publishing content, and engaging on the social networks.
“It was very valuable for me because I could see first-hand what the editors do on a daily basis and it gave me a good idea of what options are out there,” said Julia Hunter, a senior at CHS. She wants to study writing in college.
The group then convened for a candid roundtable discussion with GreatNews.Life founder Chris Mahlmann, where they could ask anything about journalism, news, career preparation, and running a business.
“Was it challenging to be profitable in the beginning?” asked CHS junior Kara Montagano.
Mahlmann’s candid answer was yes.
“Starting a business isn’t easy. You’ll likely have many years of ups and downs before things maybe even out, but if you are able to get the right people on board and behind what you are trying to accomplish there is a good chance you will be successful,” Mahlmann said. “You have to get employees behind your mission. You have to sell them on what you’re doing, and its purpose, and help them understand that if you want to have someone follow you, you have to produce something that is followable,” he added.
GreatNews.Life is in its 10th year as a media company and underwent a comprehensive rebrand and digital overhaul in July this year, all in the name of creating a dynamic and engaging experience for readers and followers.
Lukach asked Mahlmann to elaborate on the idea of grit, and what it takes to be a successful journalist in today’s climate.
“I think the biggest misconception that I would burst for anyone is that this is a predictable, Monday-through-Friday, 9-to-5 career,” Mahlmann said. “News happens when it happens, and the media is on 24 hours a day. In our world, grit has a higher correlation to success than a degree or educational certificate.”
The outgoing newsroom model – which once offered one single skillset to one single person, and fostered beat reporters who could focus on a single topic – is mostly gone.
“Especially for smaller companies like ours," Mahlmann said. "Our core editors write, edit, take photos, cover an event as a reporter, process that content onto our websites, and launch it and engage with it on social media. News media companies today are looking for multimedia journalists who can do more than write,” Mahlmann said.
Claire Bailey, the Chesterton High School #1StudentNWI intern at GreatNews.Life, said the work she has done as an intern has inspired her to get more involved in the school’s newspaper program. The #1StudentNWI program at GreatNews.Life gives high schools an opportunity to have an embedded reporter at the school who submits monthly content that the Life Sites then publish on their behalf.
The internship offers students a professional byline and portfolio for future job and college applications and gives them access to editorial coaching and guidance on writing, photography, and social media.
Several interns have applied for part-time new media journalist positions at GreatNews.Life and have been hired to grow their skillsets. Bailey intends to pursue that track.
“From working on the newspaper staff (at CHS) I have been able to grow my leadership skills and I think what I’ve learned is that I want to teach and inspire others to do this work,” Bailey said. She added that she is eager to know more about the industry if she is going to teach it, which is why she intends to apply for a new media journalist position at GreatNews.Life.
For more information about the #1StudentNWI program at GreatNews.Life, or to inquire about having your journalism class visit the newsroom, please contact Stacey Kellogg at 219-707-5023 or email stacey@greatnews.life.
