Gratitude should be included on every packing list. The ugly, nasty side of people is best left at home. Luckily, I am a card carrying member of the good vibes gang. The weather, however, is not influenced by my mindset. Rain decided to come and go throughout the day, leaving only once we got inside Hearst.
I genuinely thought I had a well furnished apartment until I saw Hearst’s office. Their lobby put me to shame. Jan told me that morning that Hearst was a big get for her and I could tell. Their wall of publications was full of some seriously big magazines and the accommodations they had for us when we arrived were very nice.
Some of the major publications that I saw were not of interest to me, as I am very much not the target demographic for fashion or lifestyle content. Luckily, we heard from a panel of editors that came from different publications. The most important thing they taught me was to engage with the audience and ask them what they like and to continue to create. I asked the panel how they feel about writing for breaking news and they all answered that they’re very comfortable with it. This probably came to them because of the number of reps they have pressing publish.
One of my favorite things we saw at Hearst was the room where they do modeling. Having worked as a creative I found it really cool to see equipment I own make professional photos. The way the room was set up made the photos look infinite, despite being shot in a tiny room.
I was also very grateful to hear about Nest, which is essential a journalism incubator. I really loved the idea of this because it creates a space for young people to get experience overseeing a project, and gives them important help and information on how to fund a business. In my time at Point Park I haven’t had many discussions on how to build a business, so I saw this as being very fitting.