JRN 200: Getting Your Out-of-Class Story Published

Now that you've done a genuinely-reported real story, let's take the next step and get your work published.

In this class, if you get an out-of-class story published by any existing campus or local media, and if you email me a link proving that you've been published, then per the syllabus your final class grade will go up by 0.15 points for every published story.

That means if you get all three published, your 3.5 final grade would turn into a 4.0.

The benefit to you is two-fold: first, you get a better grade. Duh.

Second -- and probably more important to your long-term prospects -- you start building a portfolio. This is very much a field of demonstrated ability; that is, an employer doesn't want to see that you're capable of doing something; they want to see that you've already done it.

Like, write a real story and get it published.

Plus, then you get to add to your resume a line that you worked as a free-lance contributor to whatever publication in the fall of 2013. Even if you get just one story published, that is an accurate line in your resume.

So, where do you get your work published?

Not The State News. Sorry, folks. The paper doesn't take free-lance news submissions. But there are several online campus news organizations that do consider such work -- and which have historically published JRN 200 stories -- including:


Spartan Edge, at spartanedge.com

The Big Green, at thebiggreen.net

Uloop, at msu.uloop.com/main/

People have also had luck at other student-run and professionally-run news organizations. In the past, I've had a few people have luck in getting their hometown newspaper to run their stories, especially if the topic related to issues in their hometowns. I can think of a couple of times where the MSU Greek community newspaper, the Odyssey, did publish JRN 200 work.

So, let's try to contact some media organizations and get you officially stamped as a published journalist. If you need some help in brainstorming where to try and get published, please see me during my office hours.

JRN 200: More Published Authors!

This week's bunch at spartanedge.com includes Tia and Carly.

Congrats! 

JRN 200: Even More Published Reporters!

Residence hall diversity? We've got it.

Food improvements on campus? You know we've got it!

Congrats to our latest published reporters!

JRN 200: More Published Reporters!

Congrats to Nourhan, Shelby, Danielle and Brytanie, whose stories on the Nobel Prize and midterm struggles and campus safety and body image, respectively, have been published by Spartan Edge!

The way its front page is looking, maybe they should call it JRN 200 Edge.

JRN 200: We Have A Published Writer In Here!

I'm happy to report that one of youze is an officially-published author. Spartan Edge has posted one of your stories. Here it is.

Now this person can do several things. First, they can start filling out their portfolio with published work, something that employers definitely want to see. Second, they can put on their resume that in the fall of 2012, they were a freelance contributor to a news Web site, adding demonstrated ability to their background.

And like we talked about recently, demonstrated ability is critical to your ability to get an internship[ and a job and, you know, do something with your degree.

A number of other people have indicated they expect to be published soon. We'll share all the examples as they become official and public.

JRN 200: We Have Some Published Journalists In Here!

Happy to see people in here are starting ot get their work published. At Spartan Edge, one of you got in a story on the rape culture at MSU. Another person is an author for their work on preparations for the Izzone campout this fall. And a third person's examination of study abroad programs at MSU is also the cat's meow.

Now, each of these people have at least one clip for their portfolio. (Yes, that means you need to print out a copy of your story to go with your resume.) And on your resume, you can put down that you were a contributing writer for the MSU student-run news Web site spartanedge.com for the fall of 2011.

And that's pretty important. Journalism is a field of demonstrated ability; that is, editors want to see what you've done, and not just what your grades indicate you may be able to do in the future. They want a sure thing, and there's nothing more sure than someone who has already demonstrated their ability in other media.

Don't forget: for me to count your published work as extra credit, you must send me an email making the extra credit request and including a link to your story.