미래가치를 창출하는 글로컬 산학일체 혁신대학
28th Press School:
The University Press Wants You!
By Kim Hyun-ah Cub Reporter, Sophomore of Business Administration
In 2022, July 13 to 15, the 28th Press School was held, to help enhance the basic practical skills of university newspaper reporters, and to improve university media and culture. The 28th Press School was conducted as an online course, using ZOOM.
The program consisted of planning coverage theory, press photography theory, and newspaper editing theory, which are all useful for the reporters of university media.
This article introduces two of the most impressive subjects among those programs. The first is a planning and coverage subject, which tells you what to plan and how to cover a story. The second subject is an interview course that gives tips on a range of techniques, from preparing interviews to writing articles.
*Planning Coverage Theory: A good way to plan
A good item is a good plan.
The university press is a media that reports new facts, but it is not easy to find new facts in a flood of information. New culture and social phenomena are likely to have already been reported by many different established media. Therefore, the university press should combine the new facts with other things in consideration of timeliness.
It is also important to always consider the main audience. Unlike established media, university media clearly has a main audience. Therefore, the university press should proceed with information while continuing to consider the main audience’s interests.
It is important to conduct on-field investigation.
COVID-19 has had a lot of influence on face-to-face coverage activities, but it is still important to do on-field investigations. You can comfortably conduct interviews by email or phone, but it is important to vividly capture the interviewer’s words in the field.
*Interview Course: A good way to interview
Interviews are ‘Conversations’ which give access to information.
What one of the active reporters said to college reporters is as follows: “Interviews are about meeting individuals or groups for a specific purpose; collecting information, and talking. Therefore, it is important to speak naturally to the people you interview. Many college student reporters have a desire to do well, but too much of that mindset can lower their achievements.” If you do not understand something during the interview, you could say, “I don’t understand. Could you say it again?”
It is a good mindset not to be conscious of interviews.
The mindset during the interview is as follows. Do not think that you are doing an interview as much as you can. Basically, interviews are conversations, so it is good to think that you are on date instead. If you are too conscious of the interview itself, then the conversation is often cut off and cannot be re-established.
Preparation for good questions is effort.
The most important thing in asking good questions is preparing in advance. Preliminary coverage is not enough to go on, over and over again. Efforts for interviews create good questions, and good questions make a good interview. An active reporter explained that “A sharp question is good, but the best question is to be asked naturally. If you want to ask a difficult question, then you should create an atmosphere for such a conversation.”
Show great reactions to the conversation.
It is important to react during a conversation. The key here is to express that you are listening and understanding well, rather than just simply responding to the other person’s words. The active reporter who conducted the interview course recommended expressions such as “I think so, too,” and “How about thinking like this?”
Do not forget the basics of the interview article.
College student journalists often miss the basics in interviews or interview articles. It should not be forgotten that the six basic principles are always the basis. Also, reporters should always consider the question, “Why am I interviewing?” Since you are a college student reporter, it is most desirable to look at it from the perspective of a college student.
To write a great interview article, you must be into the field.
While doing field interviews, there are many people who record. You should not forget to take down important words while recording. The reporter who conducted the interview course said, “No matter how much you listen to it, you can feel the energy of the interview only in that moment.” He also added that, if possible, it is better to refrain from email interviews.
Those who are current reporters of the university press (university newspapers, university broadcasting stations, etc.) or students related to university public relations (promoters, supporters, reporters, etc.) and who can faithfully participate in the program, can apply to the press school hosted by the professor’s newspaper.
Most of the students related to the university press participate in this program. In order to get an opportunity such as the press school, why not pay attention to recruiting members of HBNU press in 2023? Do not miss the opportunity to become a university journalist and contribute to the development of the university press!