Intro to Mass Comm Interview Paper
Summary: You will interview a full-time working professional in the field of journalism (print/online/broadcast), magazines, books, radio, TV, public relations or the media (not a student) as well as research the topic on your own. Be careful of titles as titles do not always determine a person’s actual job. For example, a Director of Communications might be a public relations professional. Email me one or two choices for approval before you begin.
BACKGROUND RESEARCH (50% of grade)
Select an area of interest from Chapters 1 to 11 on page v in the Brief Contents page in the textbook. Research the career, which will help you develop a few questions of your own. (Since we may not have read the chapter yet, skim pages vi to xv for more ideas of careers that may interest you.) Choose a professional to interview by email, phone, face-to-face or Skype/Teams/Zoom/Facetime.
Include quotes from two or more – at least TWO – cited sources in addition to your interviewee (you may also cite the textbook as a third source, but it should not be a primary source). Include a Works Cited page.
Possible sources to cite include news articles, industry journals and publications and public relations sections of websites. The articles you select must reference the area you choose directly. Summarize the information as it relates to your interview subject and the particular career field.
INTERVIEW (50% of grade)
Find someone working in the field you’ve chosen who works in the area of responsibility you chose. Below are some questions to ask; feel free to ask additional questions of your own based on your research.
1. What are the person’s primary responsibilities? Ask for examples related to the major area of interest you’ve selected.
2. What is the person’s background, and how did it qualify them for their current position?
3. Ask the person to describe a typical work day or work week.
4. What is the most satisfying and rewarding aspect of the job?
5. What is the most challenging aspect of the job?
6. What predictions does the person have for the future of media or public relations?
7. Was there anyone who helped them along the way? Any courses or assignments that they say were helpful for their careers?
8? & 9? Try to develop one or two questions of your own based on your research of the career
The finished paper should be 3 – 4 pages. Please note that this assignment should be written as a research paper, NOT just presented as a Q&A with your interview questions followed by the answers.
NOTE: For COMM students who want to write a news story for The Courier from an interview(s), instead of writing this Interview Paper, email me for approval.
