Mike Nosek, 33
Staff writer, O’rourke Media Group Essex, Vt. Education: Southern Vermont College, bachelor of arts, communication
What advice do you have for other young professionals in the news industry?
Be prepared for criticism and know how to properly deal with it. It might be constructive and come from an editor or colleague; it might also be from readers who are either traditionally supportive of your work or constantly looking to tear down the media.
Whatever the situation and whoever is providing the critique, give it at least some consideration and see if there’s something within it that you can learn from and use to improve your skills moving forward. And always take the criticism on a professional level; do not take it personally.
Additionally, time management is key. Constantly reevaluate your list of projects and make note of where in the process they stand, how long it will take you to complete each one, and their respective deadline. Then plan and structure your day, week, and month accordingly.
What is your strategy for creating content that will engage audiences?
First, I try to keep my ear to the ground of the areas that I’m covering so that I can be in the know of what subject matters they are interested in.
This can be as simple as joining a community Facebook group to see what topics have people buzzing. This can also be achieved by cultivating relationships with people from the coverage area who will think to reach out when they know of an event or a story that might be worth pursuing.
After finding items people might be interested in, I believe engaging readers comes through the headline and image associated with it. A great story with potential could be scrolled by because of a boring, mundane headline—or one that summarizes the story and gives your audience no reason to read past it.
Additionally, a photo that catches a reader’s eyes may in itself be enough for someone to click and check out the content. While the picture may be worth a thousand words, I think people are curious as to what the author’s words are—especially since they might provide some more insight and details that the reader would not have otherwise learned through the image.