23
MADELEINE BUCKLEY
Madeleine Buckley is a second-year
magazine and policy studies double major
at Syracuse University. She is originally
from Calvert County, MD, where she
was heavily involved in her high school
yearbook. Currently, she serves as editorin-chief of 360, a campus magazine, and
as a contributing writer for the student
newspaper, The Daily Orange. Additionally,
she is a student manager her school’s
fundraising call center and the intern for
the Syracuse University United Methodist
chaplain.
Also, I was not consuming enough
media when I got to college. Weekly
news quizzes are an awesome tool
to get students engaged, and one
that my yearbook adviser used.
However, it is important to go beyond
skimming headlines. Students should
subscribe to their favorite magazines
and newspapers, follow publications’
social media accounts and take time
to really read the type of content they
hope to produce some day. Many of
my professors stress that reading the
work of professionals will help make
you a better writer.
One last thing I felt underprepared
for was networking. When you
are starting to look for jobs and
internships, it is incredibly important
to stay connected to everyone you
meet and work with in the industry,
as they may help you down the road.
It is practically impossible to practice
this before entering the media world,
at least until the college level, but it is
still something high school students
should be aware of.
In addition to focusing on the skills
above, there are a few things I would
recommend passing on to students,
especially those who are about to
apply to journalism schools.
First, help students find opportunities
outside of the high school newsroom.
There is only so much you can learn
in the classroom, and the more
experience you come into college
with, the better. They can look into
interning or freelance writing for a
local newspaper, something I was
fortunate enough to do my senior
year. It will improve both their
writing and their resumes, which will
help them stand ou t when looking
to become involved with campus
publications. Another way to get extra
experience is through journalism
camps or workshops. I consider
my time at the CSPA conferences,
Balfour’s “Camp Wannamaka” and
especially the Medill-Northwestern
Journalism Institute (also known as
“Cherubs”) to be the most influential
and impactful parts of my high school
journalism education.
Also, encourage those interested in
a career in journalism to research
multiple j-schools. I thought I knew
exactly which one
I was destined for
and was devastated
when I didn’t get
in. In reality, being
rejected by that
school may be the
best thing that’s
ever happened to
me. While that other
j-school is fantastic
in many ways, the
Newhouse School is
a much better fit for
me and my career
goals. The magazinespecific major alone
provides unique opportunities that
will help me land the type of job I
want. Encourage them to look past
the name of the school alone and find
programs that really appeal to them.
I recommend that they also
participate in other activities. I
took this to the extreme in high
school, which I absolutely do not
recommend, but it is very important
to have interests outside of the
newsroom, whether that means
politics, music, sports, history or
anything else. Most journalism
schools require students to select a
minor, or at least a “specialization,”
because they want students to
have not only the skills to write, but
something to write about. By getting
involved in outside groups, students
will not only be able to explore those
interests but also will have great
connections for story ideas and
sources.
And last, but certainly not least,
please encourage students to take a
typing class! It is an absolute blessing
to type fluidly when transcribing
interviews or writing a story on a tight
deadline.
VIDEO/Gallery