Are you reading enough?

I once worked at a station where intelligence was valued above all else. Every day those who were done with their stories when Jeopardy was on would put fifty cents in the pot for the final answer... but you had to bet before you knew the category. Naturally if you knew a little about a lot of subjects you could do quite well.

So how do you get to the point where "General Assignment Reporter" doesn't mean "Equally ignorant in all areas?" To start, you have to read. A lot.

In my last few jobs I'd noticed that young people tend to read just the local newspaper, if they even read at all. But to be a well rounded reporter you have to venture out beyond your market; and in this internet age there's no excuse for saying you don't have anything to read.

Surfing the net is one thing. Sure, it's fun to watch some silly video online once in awhile, but you need to realize that you have basically a free subscription to every newspaper in America. I used to have to get my dad to mail me the New York papers because the local papers in some of the markets in which I worked were so bad; they simply ignored huge national stories and often had an attitude that if it didn't happen in town, it didn't happen. Now I can wake up and read my hometown papers and any others I choose.

The benefit of all this is that you'll not only be more informed, but you'll pick up story ideas that you can localize for your own market. Big city papers are often loaded with great stories you probably wouldn't think of if you're living in Podunk. Take those ideas and turn them into stories.

But reading is more than just a story source, it makes you well rounded and less susceptible to mistakes. For instance, right now you should be reading all the political stuff you can get your hands on. And with oil prices and a crazy economy, you should be well versed in all things financial as well as environmental issues. If you don't know a State Senator from a US Senator, if you can't tell me how to apply for a mortgage, if you don't know that property tax increases affects those who rent, then you're not reading enough.

You need to know how things work in this country, and around the world.

Start reading different newspapers, and start today. And don't just read the fun sections, really give yourself some exposure to as many topics as possible.

Then, maybe after ten or so years, you'll be ready to go on Jeopardy.


***Tomorrow afternoon... writing tests