Christmas arrived early for our intern.
University of Regina journalism student Denise O’Byrne has reported for us for the past three months. This is her last week here.
Reporters, editors and other staff members dug deep into their desks for parting mementoes. Some of their most ‘valued’ possessions oddly resembled “things in our desks we’re not sure what to do with or how they got there.”
These included: empty Rolaid bottles, an eraser that looks like a roll of film, a calculator that looks like a computer disk, lots of pens, a Western Producer tuque, mug, ruler and anniversary spoon, videos on herbicide control and tractors, a pair of bunnock earrings, a photo album of Denise’s worst pictures, stickers that say “WARNING: This Pseudo-Story Desperately Needs Editing”, a box of McDonald cookies, a Christmas card from a politician, a wall calendar from a certain commodity association, expired film, stubby pencils, a telephone head rest, and a fake front page about her.
Read Also
Invigor Gold variety viewed as threat to condiment mustard
Invigor Gold, the canola-quality mustard developed by BASF, is on a collision course with Canada’s condiment mustard industry. It’s difficult to see how the two can co-exist.
So what did Denise gain from our office in the rest of the time she was here?
In her internship report, she said she learned “how to punch up a lead, how to be more judicious with quotes, how to pace a story, how to interpret statistics and numbers and how to use the Canadian Press Stylebook… the art of approaching a story, the importance of keeping a contact file and conducting one’s self in the work place.”
She also learned a valuable lesson: “People will open up their lives to you, a stranger with a direct pipeline to the world.” She realized the position of power a journalist is given – and that it must be handled with care. How true that is.
Farewell and good luck with your career, Denise.
