Dear prospective employer,

 

For the longest time, I had little idea of what career I wanted to pursue. I remained noncommittal under the guise of 'casting a wide net' and 'keeping my options open.' Then, I turned on my TV and watched a presumptive presidential nominee joke about his private parts in the middle of a debate.  

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That moment clarified for me that change was needed in how the press covers government and politics, lest this national nadir be repeated. More important, I realized I wanted to be part of that change.

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That focus shaped my work as a city and state government reporter for the Columbia Missourian. I tried to map out new ways to tackle political stories, especially when I was going over well-trodden ground. For example: gun rights. What images were candidates trying to project in their ads? Did they court voters differently after the NRA endorsed their opponents? And what potential do they see for working across the aisle on future laws? So many stories can slip through the cracks when they’re reduced to ‘he said, she said, YOU DECIDE!’ narratives. That’s an industry trope I am determined to rise above during my future work.

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In addition, I challenged myself to think outside the box during interviews. I felt a jolt of energy any time a source commented "good question" or took a moment to think before answering one of my questions. It meant I might get answers that weren’t carefully scripted into a press release. It's an approach I carry with me in each interview I conduct and each story idea I pitch.

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My experience as a reporter has also pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me spontaneity. When I was at the State Capitol with just five minutes to nab a lawmaker on recess, I didn’t have the luxury of planning out questions in advance. This has also helped me spot story ideas on the fly. I wasn't expecting to write an article on a tent city of Cuban migrants while I was reporting in Costa Rica last year, but I mustered up the best questions I could (in Spanish) and churned out a pretty kick-butt story anyway.

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My ultimate aim is to climb the journalistic ladder and invest myself fully in the noble and necessary work of bringing about a more informed populace. I sincerely hope working as a reporter for your outlet can serve as my first rung in this process.

 

Thanks for reading!

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