Growing as a journalist in the Big Apple

From March 7-9, I was a member of a group of Coastal Carolina media students that attended the 2019 Spring National College Media Convention at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Our group consisted of myself and the rest of the Executive Staff from The Chanticleer News, as well as staff members from the student magazines here on campus, Tempo and Archarios.

Over the course of our time at the convention, we attended sessions that taught us how to master the skills of our respective fields. As the Business Manager of The Chanticleer, as well as our Men’s Baseball and Men’s Basketball reporter, I chose to attend sessions relating to advertisement sales, social media marketing, and covering college sports in an era of real-time updates and constant notifications.

In any aspect of life, if you want to improve, you need to be willing to learn from those around you. This is especially true in the area of journalism and business. I am an 18 year-old freshman, and I understand that I have not had the wide range of experiences that others in this industry with careers of 10+ years have had. What I was most excited for going into the convention was just that; to earn.

From the moment I walked through the doors of the Marriott Marquis, I was surrounded by hundreds of students, advisors, and presenters who were older than me, had more experience than me, and were willing to share their knowledge.

Being able to bounce ideas off of student business managers and sports reporters from other collegiate publications opened me up to the abundance of information that is available to me as I seek to improve as a journalist, as a business manager, and as an individual.

As any college student knows, networking is invaluable as we try and plan for our future. To be able to learn from and get the contact information of some of the best in the business was an opportunity that I consider to be a major step forward as I grow in my many roles here at The Chanticleer.

Aside from the presentations and networking, one of the most inspiring components of the convention was its location. Take a step out of the hotel, and you see street signs for Broadway. Look to your left and see the Time Square steps. Look to your right and see the New Year’s Eve ball.

We were a group of young aspiring college students in the middle of one of the most prominent cities in the world. Standing in Times Square as a member of the 2019 National College Media Convention, I looked around and thought of all the places my life can go from here. And who knows, maybe someday some Coastal students will be the experts that hundreds of young people want to learn from.