When the Cheshire emerges...

Where do I begin?

Let's start from the very beginning in the quickest of ways.

I am now the education reporter from my paper. As well as education and general stories for said paper, I write up a fortnightly double-page spread on what public schools are getting up to and also an advertising feature every month or two (as guided by the education department).

Today and tomorrow were always going to be busy days. Because the way things happened, my turnaround for the fortnightly feature is basically today and tomorrow. The first of my ad features was also due to be done by today so it could be laid out ready for tomorrow's edition.

***

I'm fine with getting into the office at the start of the day, if not a few minutes late. I even got a new surprise.

I get into work aiming to deal with the feature first. Email everything to the sub editor I was told to go through, words and pictures. She comes in having no idea what it is. Then the designers that come out with the fancy banner headings and that also had no idea. Neither knew because advertising hadn't told them about it (we didn't sell any ads with them so they didn't think it was necessary to notify other departments).

Talk about an office-wide miscommunication. Then about 4.15pm I get called by advertising asking about what headings to put with each story. Which of course is a sub-editor's job and not mine (anymore). But I found out without the notice, said sub wasn't touching it and had just passed it through. So the head of advertising pretty much did that and made other corrections while I sat there wondering how it had even made it to that point.

***

In between this, I begin sorting out things for the fortnightly feature. Straight up, I almost get told it's not happening (which would've been third week running, it's been a rocky start to the year) - but that gets sorted very quickly. Then I get notified instead of six stories where photos would be provided (as I requested because of the short turnaround), I'm to do two stories and a feature. Two of those where I'd have to organise photos and go out on the job. I must stress, this is usually not a problem. But today it was.

For the feature story, I get the call to confirm a time just as I was about to step out for lunch. At a pub. As part of a meeting. I'd made sure I couldn't miss it - until this call. Instead it was left by the wayside as I had to make my way - in my own car, because I was meeting my photographer there - halfway across Darwin to the primary school right near where I first lived. And I managed to miss two turns on my way.

That went OK in the end, I got food at 3.15pm or so and went back. Eventually, I find out the second photo story is getting rescheduled on me - from 9.30am which was perfect, to 12pm. Now, this change means I miss out on another meeting, a union meeting that we've waited an age for, completely. It was a case of knowing she was going to say that time even before I picked up the phone.

To end the day were a couple of small notable things. Firstly, I received a reply to my progress update saying 'I hope it hasn't been too much drama'. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. And then I overhear story pitches regarding education stuff that I should really be doing, not knowing how they got that information; they're not a focus of other rounds and I feel like a fraud because that should be me finding that stuff out. Makes me angry.

So I said (in my head, I don't want to be rude) 'screw this shit' and walked out. I know today's event were not really any one individual's fault, so I can only blame Mercury retrograde. Of course. How else would all this happen in a single day?

At least I got to relax with an after-work Bodybalance session. Tomorrow's another day. Hopefully a more sane one.

It's been another two days. Yesterday I melted. Today not so much. I'm beginning to see how this all works... I have to wake up two hours earlier than usual to get my hair/make-up looking OK. This wasn't by choice - I had the police round today, so a pre-7am start. Totally worth it.

Big news day.

Today was a big day for Fairfax and Australian journalism. As a Fairfax employee, it was marked by an email sent to all of us...

So after more than 150 years of publication, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are tabloid! I held our office's SMH in my hand today and thought... woah, it's so SMALL!


But I'm for the change. As smart as broadsheets look, the SMH layout looks pretty much the same. It was more the changes to their website I was getting my head around for half the morning as I read through the major stories.

Check out this mUmBrella article which shows an intentional incorrect ad from Commonwealth Bank among discussion of the change. Smart.

***

Adelaide was voted the country's most liveable city for the third year running according to a property report with resident responses.




Read comments on SMH and AdelaideNow and wasn't surprised by the differences in comments/angles. Sydney is upset that Melbourne ranked better than them, and everyone's upset because there's still the mentality Adelaide's a backwater.

Melbourne IS more accessible than Sydney, and while Adelaide doesn't exactly have as many job prospects or more efficient transport, it's definitely more liveable in terms of getting around and culture (OK so Melbourne's awesome at culture too, but still, Mad March IS amazing...).

Do you think Adelaide's most liveable within Australia?

***
It isn't the world that makes you unhappy, or the way people are in the world. It's how you process the people and events of the world.

Instead of judging others as people who ought to behave in certain ways, see them as reflecting a part of you, and ask yourself what it is you're ready to learn from them.

Amidst all the current uncertainty within the Fairfax sphere, newcomers like myself are privy to some of the perks the company has to offer.

I've landed for cadet camp!

Troubles have been brewing (in the past month particularly) over proposed reshuffling of resources throughout Fairfax Regional Media, the company I am employed under which predominantly covers the eastern states.

They have proposed large 'sub hubs', where sub-editors for a large number of papers within one area would work in a large workspace. Dubbo has a small example of this, where our office also sub-edits the papers for smaller towns in NSW's western region including Nyngan, Cobar and Lightning Ridge.

About a fortnight ago, jobs at Launceston and Albury were cut while Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) union representatives held a meeting with chief executive Allan Browne as part of a consultation process. Literally during discussions.

But yesterday the news emerged that the Illawarra Mercury in Wollongong, Newcastle Herald and seven associated community titles would have their sub-editing staff cut (that's 66 positions) to make room for offshore production. In New Zealand. After we'd been told there wouldn't be transferring between countries.

Today at my office we held a stop-work meeting where a resolution sent through by the MEAA was read out and discussed. We unanimously voted in agreeance with their statement, namely that we are "angered and dismayed" at the proposals.

We are still in the dark about what happens from here. Dubbo is already technically a sub hub, yes. But it came to me very quickly that no job is safe, and what they're doing is not right. What is more worrying that further action is now being taken - I found out as I was writing this that journalists from all the Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Wollongong are on strike from now until Friday morning. Read the situation in a nutshell here.

Rival News Limited also published this story about predictions for further losses.

As a union member and (journalist/)sub-editor, it is important that word gets out there of the mess being made all to save a few dollars. Toying with livelihoods is not the way to go guys.

Yes, by Totally Wild I am talking about the TV show. I'm currently halfway through a week of work experience at Adelaide's Channel Ten studios, and today was the first of two days in the Children's Unit, which holds one of three Totally Wild bases (Brisbane's the HQ and Melbourne plays a small role too).

To say I had a different experience to the general newsroom is an understatement. Today was one of the most fun days I've had in ages. Fun normal days that is (which I guess doesn't count parties/pub crawls etc. which lately have raised the bar). TW's feature format

First was overlay footage of two dogs for Bondi Vet (produced interstate); we had to get a Jack Russell (named Jack haha) to drink out of a swimming pool. It took us at least half an hour. Even then we only got a bit of footage and ended up getting him to drink out of a bowl. Turns out he likes chicken. Talk about never working with animals...

Our main story of the day was on arborists, who prune trees without harming them, etc. Standing in the wind for about 3.5 hours wasn't too ideal, but seeing Colin (the presenter) and Matt (cameraman) being harnessed and lifted 12m up a 30m redgum tree to get an interview was pretty awesome. Then I got my 15 minutes of fame. No, I did not go up the tree. Although that would've been pretty fun. But I'M IN THE STORY! With LINES!

I was 'Sarah', Colin's past love interest (fabricated for purposes of childish humour) who's curious about what he's doing up a tree. But I reject his invitation for a milkshake because I'm 'more into TV presenters'. It was so much fun; Colin, Matt and soundman Savvy are champs and I couldn't stop laughing as Colin was shouting after me from the tree with a broken voice. Hilarious. Won't be on air for about 2 months, but I'm glad I've got something to show for my work experience now (because I can't shoot a news story)!

After going out on politics/education-related interviews with the seriously awesome journos Daniela and Jemma, and the Totally Wild gang today, I understand the different types of news journos can present. Absolutely loving this week. It's getting better and better! Although I'll be sussing out why I was given what I think was a (mediocre) latte instead of a chai...

Already have major assignments to be thinking about. A TV story, a VJ story and a few print stories. Not to mention filming for assessment next week when I take ten minutes just to check the camera's set up correctly. Oh oh.

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At least radio's on the up - Fresh shift went much better today, only had a few technical glitches that weren't my fault! Sounded slightly congested though. Eeeeewwwww.

THEN there's the MEAA Student Day on Wednesday where I have to sell myself to industry professionals - really should've made the effort to make business cards like my tutor said. Oh well. With any luck my persuasive charm could be enough. HA! Hardly.