MY STORIES :

BLOG: Never Stop Learning

Before taking Comm 1610, I never thought about the differences within writing.  I had always assumed that the writing I would do would either be essays or personal writing like email or letter writing. I never thought about news writing or a way to tell a story or event.  I have never really enjoyed writing, and for me it was hard to find the voices in my head to write in a different way.

Part of what has helped me to finally do some news writing  is actually reading newspaper articles.  As an intern at Beans & Brews, I was able to get The Salt Lake Tribune daily for free.  I would read just a few articles about three times a week during my lunch break.  It seems like something that is silly, but it go the story telling voices moving.  I know I still have a long way to go regardless of my career choice, but reading articles helped me to write news stories.

I wanted to do my best at writing about things that I cared about.  That being said, it was very hard for me to stay neutral, I show my colors pretty frequently and easily.  Part of being a good journalist is caring about the stories you’re covering but also being able to see and report on both sides of the story.  One of the main things I have learned so far in this class is there is always more than one side or one way to tell a story.  Events can be different in the eyes of the beholder.  That, to me, is one of the main reasons that journalists are so important in society today.

Writing is still not my strong suit and probably never will be. But through this class, I have learned and improved my overall writing skills. At least I hope that is the truth, I know I am paying more attention to my writing. In my stories, I have tried my best to really listen and try to get to know those that I interview. It was important for me to get as much information as possible from the teachers, students and professionals that I have interviewed writing my stories. I cannot write an accurate or relate to the audience if I am not paying attention or giving my all to those I ask open ended questions of.

Making sure that the research you did was appropriate and important to the story I am trying to write helps me to do a better job. The contacts that I reach out to is beneficial for me to be able to write about subjects that are important to me but in areas that I may lack knowledge of. I still continue to struggle with being biased, but with some hard work and practice, I really think I can improve on this area more than about any other area.

BIO:

My name is Matthew Sullivan a 24 year-old college senior who is lucky enough to have recently married my best friend.

I was born in Seattle on Dec. 10, 1990 and am a huge Seattle sports fan.  A lot of my life has revolved around soccer: I have played, coached and been a referee.  I played at the University of Utah for five years and enjoyed every year that I was able to play.  If you’re not skiing at Snowbird you’re missing out on what Utah has to offer.

I am currently working as an intern at Beans & Brews and am learning so much. There is no way I thought I would be able to enjoy this job as much as I have.  In the past, I worked for a number of years at Diamond Wireless, one of the largest Verizon Wireless retailers.  I learned a ton of lessons there, including how to deal with and interact with people in a way that is not only about making sales but also making personal connections.

I want one day to work on the revenue side of a company, I love making sales and interacting face-to-face with people.  For me sales isn’t about just making money, it is all about creating an experience between myself and another human being.  If I think the sale isn’t right for them, I am not going to push it.  I hope that I can have a reputation for being a great salesman but also being a person that looks out for the well being of others.  I hope to improve in areas that are not my strengths. I am the kind of person that will work hard to improve areas of my life that are not strengths.

Filed under: Student-Journalists |