As the title says, welcome to PressPass! The New Year brings new beginnings, and so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to begin this blog! It started out as a list of internships that I was interested in, grew as I added in tips from professors and journalists that I collected, and solidified with every article or column that threw me into fits of frustration as I edited at The Daily Aztec and as a tutor for the Rhetoric and Writing Studies department. All of these interests coalesce into this blog, so I can share them with journalism students everywhere.

Photo Credit: SmartAnnie, Flickr.

Personally, I am interested in political reporting, public affairs reporting, government, social issues and investigative reporting, so most of my content will reflect that. But as best as I can, I will make it universal, so hopefully you should be able to take something away from this, whether you too are interested in political and public affairs reporting, or fashion, or arts and entertainment, or sports journalism, or even if you’re just a concerned citizen who wants to learn more about the craft of journalism so you can learn how to annoy public officials on your own.

I will start out with a seven-part series on starting a beat on Tuesdays. Mondays are information gathering, reporting, and interviewing tips; Wednesdays are also tips, but on how to improve your writing and grammar. Thursdays will feature internships, fellowships, and other programs that can improve your journalism skills and expand your clip portfolio. Content for the “Sources & Resources,” “Hot-Button Issues” and “Expert Advice” will come as I get content for it.

I welcome additional tips and feedback! If there’s something you’d like to see here, or an error of any kind, let me know!

Happy reporting!