Great experiences

"Hey, Paul, remember when you were with the Beatles?" 
"Yeah."
(long pause)
"That was awesome." 

I first saw that comedic exchange between the late Chris Farley and Paul McCartney when I was a student journalist, banging away 150-word (if I was lucky) stories for the Pike High School student newspaper and pining to be the next Grantland Rice.

OK, I would've settled for being the next Bob Collins, but you get the point.

(and if you're in high school and trying to figure out who the heck Chris Farley, Paul McCartney and Bob Collins are ... use your research skill :) ). 

Back then, I was hacking out short stories on the high school football team, complete with quotes (which, of course, usually got whacked for space) from the coach ... all the while, I wished, hoped, dreamed to be the guy covering an NFL team. However, like a lot of high school journalists, I probably would've sounded a lot like Chris Farley if given the chance -- star-struck and not able to formulate a really good question or line of questions to get the story right.

Fast forward a couple of decades. One of the great things about this craft is the number of things one gets to experience. It's something some of us get desensitized to pretty quickly, because we realize we're doing jobs first.

I can remember standing in the Colts' locker room several years back, waiting for one of the players to emerge so we could get some info for a preview story. One of the television reporters in the room noted there had been a long line -- stretching into hours -- of people wanting to meet Peyton Manning. Here we were, steps away from his locker, getting ready to talk to a guy we saw all the time and had built a professional relationship with. The key is "professional." If you step back and realize you're one-on-one with celebrity, you lose the objectivity to do your job properly.

In three weeks at the IBJ, I've sat at a table in Broad Ripple with owners of a start-up business that has essentially gone, in the lingo of the day, "viral." I've talked with nationally-known comedians, university presidents, heads of major state and federal government departments, professional basketball coaches. I've done stories on major projects, start-up businesses and even the weather.

But the key is, you approach every subject as important. An interview with Peyton Manning is no more important than an interview with the nose tackle of your high school's football team. An interview with a university president conveys some of the same concerns as an interview with a high school guidance counselor. Why? It's the story that matters. We are in the job of information-gathering, and your sources are places for information. The key is to be professional and treat every relationship -- whether it be perceived by the public as a celebrity or it's someone that you're introducing to the public for the first time -- as an important one.


Not only does that avoid Chris Farley syndrome, it also avoids the ability for well-heeled sources to feel like they can control the story. It puts you on even ground. If you show a sign of intimidation or weakness, it'll show. Making sure to maintain the same level of professionalism and diligence for a story on the school's International Club or an exchange student also enhances your reputation and credibility.

But most of all, enjoy what you're doing. It's kind of hard to realize while you're holding a notebook for Pacers coach Frank Vogel to do some on-camera wizardry (I'll post the link when it gets done next week) that being a journalist affords you some pretty cool experiences, but this is a great profession. Enjoy every moment of it, whether your journalistic days end when you walk across the stage in high school or when you become an octogenarian.