Alice Truong/MNS
A stack of old-school reporter’s notebooks from the archives of Josh Meyer, formerly of the Los Angeles Times and a current Medill professor.
So I rushed out of my apartment early one morning to cover an event only to realize I forgot my reporter’s notebook.
“Oh great,” I think. This is an object that has always been part of my journalist tool belt, reliably by my side when out reporting. But I realized very soon after this moment of panic that as a journalist in the 21st century, the reporter’s notebook has gone by the wayside, something that could be growing obsolete.
She must be joking, right? Reporter’s notebook by the wayside? What does this kid know?
True, I lack years of journalism seniority. But there’s been a noticeable shift in my reporting habits from when I first picked up a notebook to jot down 12-year-olds’ thoughts on Neopets. Here’s how I’ve managed to survive sans (to some degree) a reporter’s notebook. (Hint: They’re alternative methods to record notes.)
1. Google Voice is my new best friend. There are about 8 million reasons why I love Google Voice so much — to name a few: Sources can reach me at my cell phone without me feeling like I’ve compromised my privacy, I can block annoying telemarketers including a certain university asking me for money as I’m facing unemployment and have four years of ridiculous tuition to pay back, I never have to check my voicemail because all my messages are transcribed and e-mailed to me — but by far one of the most valuable tools for a journalist is the ability to record incoming calls and download them as .mp3 files. This service is still in an invite-only mode, but Google is giving students priority if they’re in queue for it. Even if you’re not a starving journalism student, if you have a .edu e-mail address, you’re golden.
2. These newsroom phones aren’t too shabby themselves. I don’t like to admit this, but I’m pretty much chained to my desk. This means I’m a fan of hitting my phone’s record button. Within moments of finishing an interview, my phone lights up alerting me I have a new message, one that eventually ends up in my staff folder on the server as a .wav file if I ask the office manager nicely to work her magic.
3. You won’t find me at an event without a voice recorder. I’m one of those journalists who will shove her tiny Olympus reporter in a source’s face. Hey, at least there’s no chance of me flubbing the quote.
4. Bust out the laptop. At 90 words per minute, I type miles faster than I scribble with a Bic ballpoint that might or might not be cooperating. I’m also not shy about having my laptop; it’s not like I’m on Facebook snooping a jilted ex’s updates. When covering an event, press often have designated seating, with a table for laptops and near electrical outlets for those bulky chargers.
5. Make due with the materials publicists shove down your throat. If there’s a PR person running the show, said PR person will be handing out packets of information. And yes, they’re useful background materials when you’re hammering out your story, but they’re also good for when you need to scribble down notes. Chances are these papers are single sided, which sucks for Mother Earth but is great for the reporter who has abandoned her notebook.
6. Memorize every last detail. I certainly don’t do this, but if you’ve got a reliable ability to recollect, go for it. You might want to avoid memorizing quotes. Even if you have a great memory bank, it’s hard to convince your sources and editors that you got everything to a t.
7. Grab a business card. You just covered an event. You need to rush back to the office to file 500 words. Ask for a card and tell them to expect to hear from you soon. Then you can use methods two and four.
Alice Truong reports on business and technology. She wrote this opinion piece for Washington Reporting 2.0., an occasional column about the experience of reporting. Check out her website at alicetruong.com.