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So far, I have resisted writing a column filled with life advice. But now I’m out of column ideas.
Journalism has come to define my thinking in ways that reach beyond the news pyramid and nut graphs. Much of journalism, like life, is rooted in the noble notion of searching for truth, so it makes sense that the two should have a dialogue.
Check your facts. Too often, we conflate what we think with what we know. It’s easy to use statistics we agree with or to base arguments on information that is outdated or never actually true. The credo I’ve adopted is to have at least three independent verifications for anything I state as fact. If you work for a newspaper, you will perpetually second-guess everything you read or write. It’s the nerve-racking but necessary task of critical thinking.
Don’t assume. Making assumptions is simple, but life is complex. Humans naturally reject complexity, particularly when they’re angry. That’s why angry people always sound stupid. Try not to get angry, and you probably won’t sound stupid. Recognize that the solutions you see so clearly aren’t always at the world’s fingertips, and you can start the real work.
Don’t use “I.” Don’t boast or brag. The work you do should stand on its own. As writers, we’re trained to avoid self-promotion and concentrate on getting the job done. The story isn’t always about you.
Don’t bail. If you said you were going to do something but didn’t, don’t disappear. Reporters tell their editors, who need to make decisions to compensate for your mistake. If you fail, it’s a failure. If you fail and hide, it’s an irresponsible failure. Communication is crucial, especially when you’ve screwed something up.
Satisfaction is temporary. At The Maine Campus, it goes like this: You work for two days to get a story. The staff works to get it into print in a 16-hour-long production day. The paper hits the stands about four hours before the next news meeting. Those four hours are the only break anyone gets. Small islands of contentment emerge from long seas of bustle and action. That’s life, and it’s OK. In fact, it’s ideal.
Thank people, even if it’s indirect and a little awkward. I had ardent support from faculty at UMaine, much of it from two who will not be teaching next year: Greg McManus and Margaret Nagle. They were generous in their encouragement and advice. Also to Laura Lindenfeld — anyone who has met her knows why — and to Jeff Goolsby in the art department, for helping a first-generation college student understand what a university education can really mean.
Never rely on a single source. Whether it’s your story or your happiness, no one will tell you the truth. Everyone says they’re being honest. A lot of them mean it. Many don’t. Even the honest ones don’t know the whole story. You need to talk to many people with an open mind to get anything close to the truth, and when you do, all of them will say you got it wrong.
Don’t take it personally. You will screw up sometimes, and if you’re lucky enough to be a newspaper editor, you’ll get about 100 critical e-mails every time you do. They will correct your error — let’s say you called a Student Senate resolution a “bill” — and point out your assumed character flaws. But these people aren’t talking to you, they’re talking to their anger. Learn to pick out valid points from their conversations with themselves, and you’ll be able to fix the real issue without getting heartburn.
Maybe it isn’t “a real newspaper.” A lot of life is fogged up by wondering if what you’re doing has any real meaning in the world, or if you’re just acting out a game of make-believe. I can’t answer that, but I see nothing more “real” than doing what you love with awesome people. So go for it.
Eryk Salvaggio was editor in chief of The Maine Campus from 2007 to 2008 and spring 2009. He has also worked as Web editor, style editor, a copy editor and reporter. He will be moving to Japan in August.
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