Week 15

This week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program I continued preparation for the showcase.

In order to accomplish this, I updated my portfolio. There have been several assessments I had not yet completed or were not in the binder yet. I also gathered more supplies for my display board to complete the look.

On top of this I continued the process of looking for professionals to possibly interview and mentor with. It has been difficult to find investigative journalists willing and able to meet with me in the Dallas area, particularly females.

I am getting to the point in the program that I will soon need to choose a mentor. Typically, the first semester is set aside for interviews and research and the second semester is for the actual mentorship. Since we are nearing the second semester, I will soon need to pick someone to work with for the rest of the year. I am excited for this part of the program because I absolutely loved it last year. This is when I will truly be able to dive in deep into investigative journalism and see what it is like to work in the field. I am hoping that for my final product I might be able to actually go on the air with which ever station I mentor with.

Week 14

This week in ISM I completed my Original Work Proposal, had my showcase invitations printed and distributed, completed my display board, and had an interview with a female investigative journalist from The Dallas Morning News.

The Original Work is the second biggest assignment in ISM. It is a way to provide information or research on your topic and make a difference in society in the process. For my Original Work, I am going to complete a research/investigative article on the Ebola crisis in Dallas covering why the problem became so dramatic and how Dallas could have handled the situation more competently. Hopefully I will be able to have my article published in The Dallas Morning News.

My interview at The Dallas Morning News was an incredible experience. It was the first time I was able to interview a female investigative journalist, and hearing her unique perspective on the field and how she got there was amazing. 

I also completed my display board this week. The board will be on display at the Research Showcase and Final Presentation Night. It is a great way to grab the attention of attendees and start in depth conversations about investigative journalism.  

My display board