Travel Writing with Jill Cassidy




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  • 2015-02-28 22:39:26
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  AUBGers had the chance to chat with Jill Cassidy, editor at The Arizona Republic, one of the largest newspapers in America.The event was the second lecture from the Conversations in JMC series for this semester. It took place on Feb. 25, Wednesday. 10928881_784889104923036_3531519182819182985_oOne might say that being a reporter for The Arizona Republic is something an aspiring journalist can only dream of. Jill Cassidy will certainly tell you that this is not the case. Once upon a time she had to apply for a job at the local bank to provide a living for herself. However, nowadays she directs coverage of things to do in Arizona and travel in the print edition of the newspaper and on its website. Most questions that students asked were related to the specific section Cassidy is responsible for at her newspaper - travel. Lyuba Popova, a student from Bulgaria, asked how to choose the angle of a story if a destination is particularly interesting. "One thing that can be useful is making a list," Cassidy said. "Write down the best things that you did or saw. That sometimes can help you prioritize. It's so important to self-edit your ideas before you sit down to write. If you cannot narrow the list of ideas down yourself, ask someone." Professors also participated in the event. Professor Dan Fellner, the organizer of the event, mentioned the importance of pictures in online publications and the speaker agreed completely with him. "You can write the most compelling story ever, but people read the travel section for the photos and that's just a fact," Cassidy said. "If the photos are not good, the quality of the content doesn't matter. People will not go beyond the picture." 10258128_784889171589696_2076982932805125176_oShe also shared with the students the challenges of her work, tips for choosing the angle of a story, facing censorship and her daily working routine. Igor Myakotin, a fourth-year student, asked Cassidy to describe her typical day at work. The significant amount of work that an editor has at a major newspaper might have surprised some students. "The second thing I do after making myself some tea is going through my e-mail. I might get about 200 emails overnight." One of the topics that concerned students was the attitude toward international journalists in the U.S. Cassidy doesn't think that one's native country will be a stumbling block in getting hired. "It strictly comes down to how well you can write. In the two places where I've lived, both Miami and Arizona, there are many people who are native Spanish speakers, I have a reporter whose native language is Navajo. So, it doesn't matter what your native language is, it only matters how well you communicate in the language you are trying to sell you story." At the end of the event, the students thanked Cassidy for sharing her tips and experience and took a photo with her and the professors. This story is a joint effort of AUBG Daily’s Owls Yana Yakovleva and Iliyan Dochev.