This was my first time going to ACP and this is my first semester as an editor. I definitely did not anticipate having as much fun as I did and feeling like I accomplished so much.
It was a great networking opportunity and the first thing I did after checking in was to speak to the Columbia J-School representative. I felt like Jen, our Online Editor, and I generated great conversation with him and he gave me some advice: “Take something quantitative or computers.” I realized that as the assistant online editor, it would be helpful to know how to take part in how the website is put together. After that I decided to put a lot more focus on the online aspect of the paper, considering that is where journalism is headed.
Most of the workshops and panels that I attended were multimedia centric. While the Twitter panel was nothing new to me, the advice I learned about branding myself really highlighted the importance of making your presence more known on the Internet–specifically as a professional journalist. Since I got back, I have created a new Twitter account that I will use for news-related things.
Because I am the fashion columnist, I wanted to look at ways to make my blog more successful and well-known. I learned from the multimedia panel that creating a Pinterest account will allow me to find more fashion blogs and do some networking through there.
To be honest, I was a bit nervous about going to this conference, particularly about the impression I would make–if I were to make one at all. I took into consideration what “business casual” really meant. While I understood that the dress code was probably going to be pretty lax, I am a firm believer in dressing to impress. I wanted my journalist peers’ first impression of me to be a lasting one. I wanted to be taken seriously as a journalist.
Overall, I learned that being well-rounded was the most important thing about being a journalist. The most important thing that I took away from this experience was that adventure should be what drives your reporting and overall work. Taking a risk is what it’s all about. That includes trying out each aspect of journalism and becoming good at it. It’s all do-able.
Fatima Sugapong is the Asst. Online Editor and a fashion columnist. You can find her articles here and follow her on Twitter at @fsugapong.
Read all of our staff blog posts on the ACP 2013 page on this website. You can also find the link on the header at the upper right hand corner.
Follow us on Twitter @thecampanil and tweet at us using the hashtag #acpsf. Check out The Campanil‘s Tumblr, Facebook updates and Instagram pictures of the event.
