My friend hands me a sheet of paper. It’s the day after the Fourth of July, and we have another assignment. I sink into my chair in Fisk Hall and stare at the paper, which reads “FEATURE PROFILE STORY.”
As I contemplate possible story ideas, I receive a text from my instructor. He suggests I write a story on a man I interviewed at Einstein Bros. Bagels the previous week.
The man is the son of an Army major who was killed two years ago. When I interviewed the son about his Fourth of July plans, I expected him to say that he would be watching fireworks or barbecuing with his family. Instead, he told me he would be waiting tables at a restaurant on North Avenue Beach in Chicago to earn tuition money for pharmacy school. I was touched by his story, and I knew I could write a compelling feature.
But I did not have his contact information. I knew where he worked, so I called the restaurant about six times and left my name and contact information with several employees.
I received no response. For all I know, my name could have been written on a crumpled napkin and thrown in the trash. I was confused, frustrated and disappointed. But I remembered the instructors’ rule: There’s no crying in journalism.
I realized I could not sit at my computer and wait for a phone call. I needed to be proactive. I grabbed my notebook, pencil, audio recorder and camera and walked to town to find a new story.
A friend had told me about Edzo’s, a burger joint in Evanston. I navigated my way through town and made it to the restaurant before the rush of customers. I interviewed Ed Lakin, the owner and head chef at Edzo’s. I spent an hour at the burger joint talking with Ed and his customers.
My feature story was a success. But the lessons I learned from this assignment were more valuable than just the final story.
First and foremost, I learned to never leave an interview without getting contact information. You never know when you’ll need another quote or want a follow-up question answered.
I also learned the importance of persistence and being proactive. A story idea won’t just fall into your lap. You need to go out and find one.
And that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t wait for the man I met in Einstein’s to call me back. I took the initiative and got the story. The feature assignment is an experience that I will not forget, and I am sure the lessons I learned will help me with future stories.
