A learning curve

As the end of the semester creeps ever closer I have found myself wondering where in the name of God the last ten weeks went? It seems like only yesterday we were sitting in the newsroom, without a care in the world, reminiscing and catching up on all our summer adventures. But time waits for no man and now, here, we find ourselves knee-deep in the production of The Limerick Voice.

Although things got off to a little bit of a slow start, the pace is gradually picking up and the newspaper is finally starting to come together.  

What I love about journalism is that you’re always learning and there’s always room for improvement. The Limerick Voice has, most definitely, been a learning curve. I have learned so much about this beautiful city of Limerick that I never knew before. I have discovered people and places I never knew existed and I have had experiences I know will strengthen me as a journalist. Most of all I have learned from the people sitting beside me in class who have worked alongside me on the paper. As a group project I have worked closely with a number of people on different issues who I have learned a lot from. I've learned how to handle myself in certain situations, how to portray to people what we are all about and what we want to achieve in the best possible way, how to get the best answers out of people and how to look for that all important unique angle. I have learned that the best way to get a story is to physically go out and about and talk to people; old-school style! With all the advancements in technology and social media, sometimes we forget that there is a world outside our laptop and mobile phones where we can actually go out and speak to people face-to-face. I have definitely found that this is the best way to get the information and story I want.

One of the main difficulties I have encountered is waiting on people to get back to me but I guess that’s part and parcel of the job. Constantly emailing and calling people can be disheartening when the person on the other side of the phone or the laptop is not responding. But for every person that doesn’t reply, there’s probably at least 10 others that might. A lack of attendance and a general lack of interest from some people has also been discouraging. On the other hand, the enthusiasm expressed by many others must be commended.

As with any journalism project we have met with barriers and I have no doubt we will continue to meet them until the paper is put to bed. Overcoming these obstacles has been a strong learning curve too. With less than two weeks to go before we hit the shelves there is a lot of work left to do but I am positive it will be done.

I am so proud to be working with some of the most talented people I know and I am so confident that this is going to be a fantastic newspaper.

Watch this space!

A little German drink calld Jägermeister...

I read every day. In fact, I read lots every day. I read local news, national news, international news, sports stories, travel articles, how-to guides, blogs on what other people are getting up to in their lives and everything else in between. I also read features. Which brings me to this; my latest blog post. I was asked to write about my favourite piece of feature writing and nothing immediately popped into my head. I’ve read so many features, on so many different topics, yet many are forgotten about before I even close the computer tab and continue with my day.

There is one feature I read, many moons ago, that sticks in my mind. For all the right reasons. It is an excellent example of everything a good feature should be. It’s about alcohol. Jägermeister to be precise. And no, before you jump to any conclusions, I am not a raging alcoholic. Occasionally, I crave under peer pressure, and order a Jägerbomb. Four for twenty euro is the deal in the nightclub. But I don’t like Jägerbombs and, if the morning after the night before is anything to go by, the seemingly endless hangovers I’ve suffered through echo what I already knew: I don’t like Jägerbombs and Jägerbombs certainly do not like me.

But back to the feature I was telling you about, before I started reminiscing on Jäger-induced hangovers.

“How Jägermeister changed the way we drink” is a feature article written by British journalist Simon Usborne. I came across it in April 2013 on The Independent UK website while I was, presumably, procrastinating from college assignments. Although the article focuses mainly on Jägermeister, it also explores how the

German spirit has changed the face of drinking. It looks at the phenomenon of Jägermeister, its rise in popularity and how it has made binge drinking more acceptable.

Usborne’s writing encompasses everything a feature story should. It is journalistic; it is researched, descriptive, colourful, thoughtful, reflective and thorough.

He uses colourful descriptions throughout his article, accurately describing the “sticky dance floor” where he meets college students Paul, Polly and Andy, enjoying Jägerbombs.

His use of meaningful anecdotes really brings the piece to life as he recalls the nightclub and the people he met there. Significant quotes from some of these people drinking Jägermeister is also significant to the article. "It's my third, and I'll probably have another one," one is quoted as saying, while another recounts the night he drank one too many: "I did 12 of them in 10 minutes," he says.

Although it seems this feature may have originally stemmed from Usborne’s own observations from a night on the town, he uses this to his advantage and turns it into an excellent feature piece, giving readers information in a pleasing and entertaining format.

He provides us with fascinating statistics that highlight the popularity of Jägermeister: “Last year, Britain got drunk on 4.4 million litres of Jägermeister, equivalent to 6.3 million standard bottles (or almost 180 million shots). Five years previously, we managed fewer than 700,000 bottles, and only 70,000 in 2003.”

Usborne solidifies his feature by visiting the headquarters of Jägermeister and interviewing expert sources such as Marcus Thieme Jägermeister’s head of Western Europe, Daniel Wresinski, a master distiller, and Andrew Knowles co-founder of JKR. His research into the history of Jägermeister, it’s origins and how the company has developed over the years is extensive. He informs readers about the history surrounding the green colour of the bottle and the logo of the mythical deer.

Usborne makes some interesting points that readers, or even lovers of Jägermeister, may not even know: Jägermeister itself is trying to distance itself from the Jägerbomb as, the company believes Jägerbombs, usually mixed with a carbonated energy drinks like Red Bull, take away from the true beauty of the original Jägermeister.

For me, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from this excellent example of feature writing. The article exemplifies what exactly makes a good feature story: a human interest angle that focuses on particular people, places and events. It highlights the importance of carrying out background research and ensuring you have expert sources, in order to give credibility to the story.

It also shows how good features cover a topic in depth, going further than hard news coverage by amplifying and exploring the most interesting and important elements of a situation or occurrence. It highlights the difference between hard news by showing that feature writers have extra time to complete background research, interviews and observations; a privilege often denied to hard news journalists reporting on breaking news stories.


Here is a link to the original article: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/how-jgermeister-changed-the-way-we-drink-8577209.html