The online capstone course, Applied Interactive Newspapers, is built to work like an internship.

There are 6 students in the class this semester. Each of us is responsible for pulling in 7 stories each week, from The New York Times or AP wire.

These stories are published on Newszine, the Interactive Media Lab’s news Web site.

Recently, in addition to the 7 stories, we were assigned a multimedia requirement. Each week, 2 Soundslides and 2 videos will be published to the site along with our stories, with labor divided among the staff.

It was my turn to do a video this week. I chose to do a video tutorial for using Soundslides. I wrote out my script and talked to my partner, Matt Gonzalez, about the shots. We set the camera up and also set the editing computer up for screen-casting.

Then I did my thing. I’m not particularly pleased with the outcome. I get massive stage fright as soon as the camera’s watching, even though I’m only on the screen for a few seconds.

But I learned a lot from this. I should have run through my actions a few times before I did it for the camera. It also could have done with a little more editing.

In any case, I’m learning a lot about video and editing, so by the time I graduate I should be pretty good at this.

My plans for this summer just got more interesting.

I got an e-mail yesterday notifying me that I could do a photojournalism study abroad program in Berlin! I’ve wanted to go on this trip for some time, but it was always full when I got around to checking on it. This time I got lucky; it was my last chance because I am graduating this semester.

I’ve been to Spain and Costa Rica, and my parents took me to Japan when I was 1. Here’s to another ridiculously long flight.

During the week after I get back from Berlin, I’m moving back to Miami. Hopefully, the people my parents leased the house to when they moved to Costa Rica will be out by then. I’ll be attending the IRE Conference and then starting my internship at The Miami Herald.

After that, who knows? But life after college is looking better and better.

September 2007 - Present
• Guest Blogger at News Videographer
  research and write a weekly blog post about video classes at j-schools (the whos and hows of training and gear), job and internship opportunities for videographers at newspapers, video in college publications (examples and interviews) and more

Classes end next week. That means I have 8 days to shoot a video, edit 3 videos, put together a Soundslides project, write two papers, and take 2 exams. Whew!

So why am I wasting time blogging?

Well, I’m really excited because I’m going to do a 12-week multimedia internship at The Miami Herald this summer. I’m very happy, but very nervous. Will they ask me to stop blogging? Will I do a good job? Will moving back in with my parents be a bad idea?

More thoughts on this after the rush. Winter break is going to be wonderful.

Today I was inspired by Joe Grimm’s “Ask the Recruiter,” a daily column about problems getting journalism jobs and internships. Today he wrote about a reporter who is having trouble cultivating sources.

For some reason, this brought to mind Adrian Holovaty’s data collection of hotels he has stayed in. Which led to my spending an hour or two creating a Google Spreadsheet of every source I’d ever spoken to for a story. (I always kept my notes in a box in the closet.)

No, this won’t lead to some crazy database on a news Web site with all my source info and notes. But I am willing to share my template. (I’ve exported it as an Excel Spreadsheet.)

I think this would be especially useful for reporters covering beats, but a great resource either way.

Here’s how it works: One column for source names. This includes titles, where they work. The next column is for phone numbers. Then e-mail addresses. Then stories they helped you with. Simple right? The next two columns are trickier. One column will record the first date on which you spoke to this source. The next will record your notes, whatever it was you talked about. If you are granting a source anonymity, make sure to make a note of it here as well. Now, on each subsequent talk, you add two more columns for this source: date and notes. Get it?

I think it’s a pretty cool way to keep track of this information. However, some newsrooms have policies against keeping these types of notes for legal reasons. Please check your newspaper’s policy before you implement this.

I’ve started my job/internship search and therefore have had occasion to communicate with a number of journalists, mostly via e-mail. A trend I’ve noticed is that once I’ve made initial contact, addressing my e-mail to Mr. _____ , there is a very strong objection to the title.

One journalist jokingly (I think) threatened to kill me if I addressed him that way again. Oh, by the way, so far this response has only been observed in males.

I’m not calling you Mr. cause you’re older than I, or because I’m sucking up. It’s either a) I actually respect you, or b) I don’t know you or a combination of the two. Every “how to get hired” guide in the world requires the use of a title until otherwise specified.

Yes, most journalists are an informal bunch, but when it comes to job inquiries, better safe than sorry.

So don’t get your panties in a bunch when I start with Mister. I’m just c.m.a.

Though it’s been 6 years since I walked into high school for the first time wearing ragged jeans and my younger brother’s T-shirt, my taste in clothing hasn’t changed. I’m most comfortable in the shirt and jeans that have gone through the washer so many times they hang together by three threads.

Which is one of the explanations for why last weekend was so challenging.

On Thursday, I had job/internship interviews with The Miami Herald and The St. Petersburg Times. An event that requires the full pantsuit and heels. The interviews went very well, in fact, the best I’ve had yet.

Friday evening was the cocktail event for the Alligator’s 2nd Century Celebration. A little less formal, but military boots paired with a skirt: Not cocktail material. I met some really interesting people and I had a great time, but at midnight I was really glad to walk home in my socks.

Then on Saturday, the Celebration was in full swing. As the new media managing editor, I had to sit up on the dais. I know everyone was too busy talking and eating to look at me, but I’m not the most graceful eater…so I kept my mouth shut.

My parents would be delighted to learn that I’ve finally entered the realm of professionalism, I can dress myself without being an embarrassment and I’ll keep the heels on until midnight. (Which is when I assume everyone is too tired or inebriated to look at my feet.)

I understand that appearances matter and that I’ll never get rid of the heels for good. As one of my professors pointed out: I’d hate to lose a good job to a moron who dressed up because I dressed down. But I don’t have to like it.

This week, I ran into a professor who had seen all three versions of “dressed-up me.” “Now, there’s the Megan I recognize.” As much as I look forward to life after college, I’ll enjoy my jeans and t-shirts as long as I can. Mom always did warn me not to grow up too fast.

Last weekend I flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the National Writer’s Workshop. It’s a two-day series of lectures by writers and journalists covering “interview skills, crafting story ideas, the legal responsibilities of writers and writing techniques.”

I was a little disappointed in the lectures. Although “Dirty old men, low rent crooks and the book of Proverbs works: How getting people to talk will help you gather the reporting to write a narrative investigation,” (that’s a really long title!) presented by Manny Garcia of the Miami Herald, and a few others were very interesting and helpful to student journalists, most of the lectures seemed to be aimed at getting a book published or introducing online journalism concepts to those of the print orientation. I stopped in all of the online journalism lectures, but they were mostly aimed at newbies.

I did have interviews with The Miami Herald, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and the Associated Press, but they turned out to be more like information sessions (how to apply for this particular internship with this particular organization) than actual job interviews.

But I didn’t don the monkey suit for nothing. I’m seriously applying for multimedia internships (or jobs) with The Miami Herald and AP.

Next week I’ll be heading out to SNDBoston, which promises both educational and networking opportunities, plus a chance to visit with some of my northern friends. I’m particularly excited that Adrian Holovaty and Brian Storm will be there.

Starting today, every Monday I’m guest posting over at Angela Grant’s News Videographer.

I’ll be writing about video from the college perspective: jobs and internships, video on college media sites, interviews, j-school courses, etc.

So head on over and check it out! Feel free to drop comments and tips as well.

The obligatory end-of-semester post:

This semester has been the most fun and the most challenging so far. I spiced up my CSS skillz and learned enough Flash to be able to produce a good amount of what’s already being done as well as to push my myself further. I learned a lot about design, and am pursuing further studies on my own. I learned the value of a budget. I took driving lessons and will be getting my license and a car very soon. I made some very important connections to people in my department, people who can teach me and connect me with other VIPs. I had just enough free time to keep my head from exploding, but not so much that boredom got me into trouble.

I lined up two summer jobs that will add some experience to my resume so that I can get a great internship and then a great job. I will still be working at the Help Desk, but I also joined the new media department at the Independent Florida Alligator and will be updating and redesigning the Citizen Access Project Web site. I’m also taking an advanced editing course.

Having invested so much of myself in learning Flash and upgrading my coding abilities in the last few months, I’m eager to revisit storytelling and learn how to combine multimedia technology with extraordinary reporting. I don’t know if I’ll get that chance this summer, but I definitely will in the fall.