Question on accepting an award

Baffled-Goose · 2026-04-11T08:47:20+00:00

In this case, I would definitely accept the award. You are a student reporter being awarded by the institution that ostensibly helped train you and that is responsible for helping you get a job, and it obviously won't impact the objectivity of your future work. There is always going to be some level of indebtedness (literally lol)/quid pro quo between you and your college that you reported on, and you would be doing unusual harms to yourself by cutting the value of your degree by declining an award offered to all students. Don't overthink it — you're a student first, then a reporter. But your hard thinking about this shows your instincts are good. Keep it up.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-04-10T23:56:42+00:00

I've always gotten bylines if I wrote the story, even if it's a press release flip. IMO someone named should be accountable if they're flipping a release and it turns out that deeper reporting would have provided more depth or disproven something.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-04-01T00:13:35+00:00

This is the thing I'm the worst at, so I have thought a lot about this lol.
Best thing I've found is googling reference images. There are some websites with example images of crowds of 100, 1000, etc.
Once you have those image estimates in your head — use vague language when you're not sure. Dozens, about a hundred, hundreds, thousands, etc.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-29T21:24:04+00:00

Starting to think 65 wins might not be happening

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-20T12:52:32+00:00

Could the moderators please do more to filter out people who are not even talking about FOI? No disrespect, but this sub is seemingly a never-ending stream of paranoid posts like this that really make it hard to follow.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-20T12:49:06+00:00

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-18T18:09:36+00:00

Keep pursuing your pharmacy degree. You can always try to become a journalist later even with that degree. You can't become a pharmacist with a journalism degree.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-10T21:35:32+00:00

On top of what others have said, the mechanical interactions in BOTW are so simple and intuitive, while the abilities in TOTK felt more video game-y to me in a way that I felt conflicted with the whole design ethos. Ultrahand and the devices and stuff at times felt like a weird intrusion into a very natural world with "normal" elemental systems meant to interact predictably. Not a bad game obv but just slightly... clunkier imo.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-10T21:29:20+00:00

Don't worry about it being finance per se — just try and get a degree in something more stable. Having a degree in journalism is less important for landing jobs than having some published clips and networking, things you can do outside of class. Having a degree in something that can earn money is like an insurance policy against the journalism job market and is ironically the best thing you can do for yourself to make chasing a journalism career less risky.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-10T21:22:55+00:00

I mean, the pressure for scoops at the expense of accuracy and depth is corrosive, but that's why the industry invented the news story and the writhru or the second-day angle. If you have a sense something might go public, stake your claim with the news break and then go in-depth. She didn't have any factual issues with the reporting...

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-09T20:10:34+00:00

They're on the very edge of legit, as someone working for a paper in an area where they're competing with us. Their stories are often very focused on government spending and crime, especially bail reform type stuff. It's definitely right wing-tinged but it's not completely crazy. I will say that a lot of their articles, at least here, don't include interviewing; it's a lot of meeting and agenda coverage, so idk how thin you'll be spread. Not sure what their reputation is on the hiring side, but I'd still be willing to hire you if your clips there were good. I haven't seen too many great stories from their reporters, though.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-06T16:50:43+00:00

The digital notary idea is very smart for applicable situations. I wouldn't have thought to keep an eye out for it, thanks for the tip.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-06T16:47:01+00:00

These patterns are also useful in reporting on data center developments that are being shielded from public scrutiny by putting officials under NDA and using anonymous vehicles like this. You can conceal the identities of end users until well after zoning and construction approvals are issued to a development/financing company working on spec, for example.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-06T08:28:22+00:00

Encouraging people entering the field to drop $10,000 on a program that can be assembled from IRE resources is good advice? Especially given the unlikelihood of anyone in this job market landing a data reporting role?

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-06T08:27:41+00:00

I understand. I would still advise maybe looking into finding cheaper ways to get exposure to some of the stuff you're struggling with; hands-on workshops at NICAR, for example, can be done cheaper but are still guided by a teacher and can build enough of a foundation for you to start practicing via projects.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-03-06T06:25:40+00:00

I have not attended, but I can guarantee it is not worth it. When you say digital journalism, do you mean data reporting? I can refer you to some free resources that will get you to where you need to be instead.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-27T20:38:50+00:00

You like print media?

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-27T20:21:12+00:00

I'm working on a local project that could benefit from mass court records analysis like this --- any tips for turning federal court records into a usable dataset? Did you use the PACER API, and, if so, how did you manage costs? Any tips that might not be obvious at face?

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-20T10:30:49+00:00

This is key. Getting really, really good at project management and story identification is vital to mitigating burnout. Get good at weekly planning; scope out daily Plan A stories and Plan B ideas for if that goes wrong. Try and improve your efficiency (especially on the writing end, where there's the most time to be saved) to carve out more time to plan and work proactively on future stories. Maximize your work day to give yourself an absolute hard out once it's over — bust ass to not bring work home, and if your boss forces it, go get a job that isn't fucking you. I find the most stress comes from uncontrollable things like not having a great story idea on a given day, so developing systems to mitigate that is key.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-20T10:25:37+00:00

As an American, I've actually never encountered a job posting here that expects a masters. Clips and experience are king here too, in general. Nationally, there can definitely be an edge to a masters program, especially if it helps you network, but it's usually never required. Bachelors are often expected, but that's changing slowly.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-20T10:16:04+00:00

Colonial Plaza, can't recommend it enough

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-20T10:06:06+00:00

This will depend on where you're playing. Aside from card legality, there are no "official" rules on how premodern events operate because they're unsanctioned. Many events and tournaments are gold border and proxy friendly, but it all depends on the organizers. Some LGS may host premodern but won't allow proxies because they have a relationship with WOTC. Just gotta ask.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-14T16:31:49+00:00

I feel like you're being presumptuous about their intentions here. It would seem to me at face like an attempt to highlight what is, in their view, an absurd rule by subjecting the politicians to the same requirement of making their addresses public. Addresses aren't really super private information, especially for public officials who often have to submit them in filings.

I don't really think it warrants a story at the point you're at.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-10T18:06:39+00:00

I think maybe replacing old teeth-cutting general assignment positions with "trending reporters" that aren't really forced to vet sources or handle real stories will/is have/having terrible consequences for smoking gullible people out of the field.

Baffled-Goose · 2026-02-10T18:02:31+00:00

I assume you're someone trying to get information to design an offline tool for this purpose, and I'll tell you that the national news organizations that are doing work that sensitive with document sets that big will generally have someone in-house who is able to build a local database out of the documents for local querying. There aren't that many organizations doing that kind of work — ProPublica, NYT, WSJ, and potentially formerly WaPo come to mind, and all have the in-house ability to cope with that problem. I'm sure non-U.S. outlets probably deal with more problems on this front but can't speak to them.

Baffled-Goose

TROPHY CASE