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Recently two Cal alums returned to campus to share their experiences about working in mass media. Henry Lee graduated from Cal in '94 with a BA in Psychology and went on to become a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. Kristen Sze earned her degree in Political Science and is now the weekday co-anchor for the ABC7 Midday News and a general assignment reporter for ABC7. Read on to find out how they parlayed their Cal degrees into careers in print and broadcast news.

Henry started off on the pre-med track and did well in his classes just as his parents expected, but then he started writing for the Daily Cal and found his true vocation. It was difficult to explain to his parents, but writing and editing for the campus paper tapped into his lifelong passion for chasing after the sirens of fire trucks and police cars. After graduation he applied and was accepted for a summer internship at the Chronicle. He then spent time as a substitute writer in Southern California filling in for people on vacation or sick leave and after two years he was hired on at the Chronicle working the crime beat. He still gets a thrill chasing sirens and has his police scanner on every waking moment.

Some of the tips Henry shared with students:

• Immerse yourself in media news TV, radio, and print. Understand the similarities and differences. What makes it interesting? Analyze how it is produced and your reaction to it.
• Be flexible. You will have little say over your hours, what stories you work on, deadlines or the amount of travel (i.e. driving all over the Bay Area to get a story). Expect to work holidays.
  
• Don't expect much pay when you're first starting out. It's all about the experience you gain and the people you will meet.


• Graduate school is not required if you build on prior experience gained in the field. Brace yourself to face people's emotions. As a reporter you will need to be sensitive to families in crisis or bystanders of a tragedy as you try to get the story.

Kristen's first foray into journalism on campus happened in her freshman year and she recalled the thrill of hearing someone else read the copy she had written for KALX radio as a volunteer. She then went on to intern at KTVU. While other interns were sitting around waiting for instructions, Kristen talked to whoever would listen and sought advice from any and everybody. Next she interned at KRON where she asked the reporters if she could tag along when they headed out on field assignments. She made up her own reports based on the film shot in the field and then sought feedback from the reporters. Through her contacts at the stations she was able to develop a demo reel during her senior year. After graduation she sent her reel to 3 TV stations targeting smaller markets and was offered a job as a reporter after a phone interview with a small station in upstate NY--that couldn't afford to fly her out for an interview. After one very cold winter, she targeted mid-sized stations in the West. She read local papers and pitched ideas for stories in her cover letters. She was hired in Fresno after they converted several of her suggestions into on-air pieces. From Fresno it was on to Philadelphia (the fourth largest market in the US) and eventually she was able to return to SF (5th largest market). Kristen attributes most of her success to her ability to think on her feet; as she puts it, "Good anchors do more than just read the teleprompters."

Some of the tips Kristen shared with students:

• Any major is OK as long as you hone your writing, critical thinking and analytical skills.
  
• Be persistent.


• Most people in the industry will be kind if you ask for their time (unless they have a deadline), so don't be afraid to ask.


• Get yourself out there. Attend the AAJA National Convention. It's a great place to meet people.


• A good demo reel will include 3 full stories (each 90 seconds in length), a breaking news serious piece, and a lighter side feature. Put your best material up front; the viewer must be enticed in the first 30-60 seconds. A 30-second montage at the beginning of the tape is a great way to quickly demonstrate different aspects of your on-air personality. Appearance is important. You want to look mainstream and professional.

Henry and Kristen were brought back to campus by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) SF Bay Area Chapter at a Student Pizza Night it recently hosted to give students the chance to meet with journalism professionals in an informal setting. The AAJA was founded to assist young Asian American students pursuing journalism careers, increase the number of Asian American journalists, and encourage fair, sensitive and accurate news coverage of Asian American issues.

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