Outside under the sun, it hit nearly 100 degrees. But the Weather.com report did not stop the cherubs from traveling to one of three Chicago news media locations on July 20, either The Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Magazine or Fox News.
Those going to Fox News met at 7:15 a.m., starting the earliest trip downtown.
“I thought Fox was going to be a little local station,” said Adam Weiss, of Florida. “I only watch national news, so I wasn’t too excited. But then I got there and was in awe of the beautiful studio and the high-tech equipment.”
The group took the “L” train to Fox, where intern and former community associate Katie Prentiss gave the cherubs a tour of the studio before they spoke to producers and anchors. The cherubs also watched a live broadcast. When they returned, the group was beaming.
“I was really appreciative that they took us to Fox,” Weiss said. “I was amazed at how fluid and professional the anchors were. It was amazing watching how everything translated onto the screen.”
The group at Chicago Magazine came back with similar stories. Christine Liu, of California, learned that working for a magazine could be a potential career.
“I saw the incredible array of topics that magazines cover,” she said. “My interests can be really random, so I know I will always find a magazine that fits me.”
Liu signed up to visit Chicago Magazine because it differed from the guest speakers who were from newspapers. The magazine was also her first taste of office life.
“They weren’t straight-laced people, which I enjoyed,” Liu said. “I was expecting an artsy office with personality and decorations, and it met my expectations. Everyone had their own sense of style.”
Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, editor of Chicagomag.com and a Medill graduate, gathered editors and writers from different departments to give the students a look at the lives of magazine journalists. Bryan Smith, writer-at-Large for the magazine, spoke about his love for the features he has written, including his most recent article on a murder case.
“Bryan spoke passionately about what he writes about,” Liu said. “He lives what we learned here: Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
The cherubs returned from the Chicago Sun-Times with different opinions of the newspaper industry. Margot Halpern, of California, said the size of the staff was “kind of depressing.”
But Michael Payant, of Washington state, said the Sun-Times was a great experience. He said the group got to get a feel for a real newsroom and sat in on a news meeting where the editors pitched ideas. They also spoke with the managing editor, features editor and 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning crime-beat reporter, Frank Main.
“The crime reporter was a really cool guy,” Payant said. “His job is exploring these gruesome crimes. I thought because of the topics he covered, he would be introverted, but he was just a normal guy who covers deaths. He was really down to earth. I would say I related to him the most.”
Even as 17-year-olds, the cherubs feel the pressure of finding the career best for them.
But the staff at Chicago Magazine helped put Liu at ease.
“It was interesting that most of the editors did something they didn’t set out to do,” Liu said. “It gives me hope because I don’t know what I want to do yet.”
