My failed job interview at Kent State: What I would say differently

   This is a story about failure and sabotage.

   I’ve lost plenty of sleep over it, and played back my poor performance in my head a million times. How could I have done it differently?

   Well, this is my first step in trying to redeem a little of myself, by helping others. Though it’s too late for me because I didn’t get the job, it’s not too late for others, who will be in my shoes at some point in their careers.

   Earlier this year I applied to teach at my Alma Mater, Kent State. The position was in the journalism department, and it was for a nine-month tenure track position, meaning full-time employment with summers off. I was selected for the first initial Skype interview.

   Though my attention to details is fading, and for the sake of brevity, I will highlight two major mistakes that could have cost me the job.

o      

 Because I started teaching podcasting at Kent and Owens CC, I 

was compelled to do this podcast series for a Toledo Blade story. 

"In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn." Phil Collins

Mistake No. 1: My paraphrased answer to their first question.

The search committee: “So, why should we hire you?”

Me: “Because I worked very, very hard to get here.”

   What? Did I really say that? Who doesn’t work very, very hard to get where they are?

   What I should have said was this:

“Because I’m a very experienced journalist, photojournalist and newspaper editor. I’m also social media savvy. I believe every student journalist should graduate with multiple skills (writing, shooting stills and video, podcasting) because that’s what the job dictates these days.

“I’m also experienced in the classroom, teaching the skills I have mastered over the years. 

“I love teaching so much that I went back to school and received a Master’s degree in Journalism Education in 2012. In fact, I currently teach the Teaching Multimedia grad course within that program, which is at your fine institution.
   I also have written two articles in 2016 on journalism education and photojournalism interns for NPPA's News Photographer Magazine. Plus, I'm the faculty advisor for the Owens Outlook student online newspaper.

   “I think you should hire me because I understand that this field is always evolving, so I continue to learn, and I thoroughly enjoy evolving with it, and taking students on that journey with me.”

o   Mistake No. 2: My answer to this question: “What is your biggest weakness?”

   “Um, I guess research.”

Sigh. Did I really just admit that? Yes, I did. I was even warned that they were looking for a researcher. This is when I truly sabotaged myself. What I should have said was this:

   “My biggest weakness is my greatest strength.

   "As you know, I am a working full-time photojournalist at the Toledo Blade. The strength of that job, which I've had for the past 21 years, is that it keeps my shooting and communication skills sharp. I’m shooting everyday, and using social media to promote our stories. I’m also very aware of our First Amendment rights, and am very ethically and legally fit. Students should be aware of our photographer rights, as well.

   “However, the weakness of having that job is that it takes up at least 40 hours a week of my time. Consider that each fall semester I also teach a class at two universities, and in the spring I teach a class at three universities! Can you imagine how much energy I can put into my job at Kent State if I directed all my resources into one, single school and job? I would be thrilled to devote that extra 40 hours to do research on innovation, which I would love to do if I only had the time.”  

   So, there it is. Truth is I am not quick on my feet in front of a search committee. 

   Maybe next time, since I’ve actually written this out, I can do a better job in letting them know that I would be a great asset to their school. Sure, I’ve failed in two formal job interviews at Bowling Green University and Kent State, but I can’t give up because I still believe I have a lot to give.
   Of course, I could be totally wrong about why it didn't work out. But regardless, my advice is this: 

• Write an essay on both your strengths and weaknesses. Read it over and over again before the interview so it’s fresh in your head. 
• Know exactly what you want to say about why you would be great at the job. 
• Don't be afraid to brag about your accomplishments. I should have told them to look at my website and my class blog, because the proof is in the demonstrated work.

   Maybe I didn’t have the courage to talk up my accomplishments enough, and that could have been my biggest mistake.

Learning to be legally and ethically fit on Constitution Day

   PHO 245 students passed out these flyers on campus to celebrate Constitution Day.

   Week 5 is done, and it’s been a whirlwind of learning and doing.

   The students kicked off the week by celebrating Constitution Day. They spent their first 30 minutes of class Monday posting flyers in many of the buildings on campus. Constitution Day came at a good time, considering we were in the middle of learning about press law, ethics and the First Amendment.

   After they returned to the classroom we conducted the first weekly critique, which comprised of going over their edited blog essays on the projector, and viewing all of their individual blogs.

Students don’t necessarily like being critiqued in a group, but it helps them learn from each other’s good and bad practices. This is where mistakes tend to be nipped at the bud.

   They are certainly getting comfortable with tweeting and blogging. All of their blogs, which include cell phone photography pages in the tab bar, are up and running.  I encourage you to visit their blogs, and please let them know how they are doing. Feedback is an important learning tool.

   We finished the law, ethics and copyright lecture Wednesday morning. This is one of the most important lessons of the course. Being legally and ethically fit is what separates the amateur newsmaker from the pro. Everyone responsible for disseminating information in any way should be aware of their First Amendment rights, and have high legal and ethical standards. Photojournalists have a civic responsibility to record accurate, un-manipulated images. Ignorance is no excuse.

    I was thankful for the opportunity to show two informative online webinars on legal issues offered by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA).  The Fine Print: a Webinar series on Legal Issues for Photographers includes two tutorials on legal issues and copyright. The content generated a few questions and lots of answers. Thank you, NPPA!

   Finally, we wrapped up the week with a lesson on caption writing and the AP Stylebook. This is the journalist part of photojournalist. By this time, however, they’ve already written four essays, so writing brief captions shouldn’t be too intimidating. The 5Ws and the H formula makes data collecting pretty easy.

   Next week we begin the photo part of photojournalism.  

A photojournalist strives for perfection commits career suicide

   Last week the students were introduced to the First Amendment and photojournalism law and ethics.

   I explained to them that law is what you have to follow (don’t slander, libel or steal copyright work), and ethics is basically doing the right thing when no one is looking (don’t manipulating digital photographs or set up a shot if you missed it the first time). 

    Our discussion on ethics also included how to write unbiased captions, avoid conflicts of interest, and not be prone to bribery (refusing food and gifts). 

    Training the next generation of visual journalists and citizen bloggers to be ethically fit is what ultimately will help keep journalism credible. Without credibility, we would simply be spreading lies and being deceitful. The communities we cover need to TRUST us as their news source.

   One way to preserve the integrity of future visual journalists is by introducing them to sound ethical codes and policies. Photojournalists follow the NPPA Code of Ethics.

   Another way is to show them good ethical and unethical examples. Good examples are harder to demonstrate for the simple fact that if you’re doing the right thing, well, it’s not news. In other words, being ethically fit is expected, and is rewarded with credibility and trust.

   Bad ethical behavior, on the other hand, is easy to demonstrate. There are way too many photojournalists who have been fired because of unethical behavior. They certainly know better, but their drive to be perfect and/or the best causes them to commit career suicide.

   Just this week I added yet another bad example to a growing list of disgraced photojournalists. Sacramento Bee photographer Bryan Patrick was caught combining two photos into one. In the scheme of things, it was such a small, insignificant detail. But a reader noticed the fakery, and that’s all it took for a working, award-winning photographer to suddenly become unemployed.

   Is it really worth it? Now everything Patrick has shot will be in question. His journalistic integrity is ruined. The paper’s credibility is sullied. The journalism profession is harmed.

  No! It’s not worth it! The only benefit anyone gets out of their bad decisions is that we instructors have more good examples of what not to do.

Our First Amendment rights

The First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


   The First Amendment is only 45 words, but among those 45 words are five personal freedoms that guide how Americans have governed our lives since 1791. 
   This first amendment in the Bill of Rights is uniquely American, though I think this world would be a far better place if it was a document that governed every nation on the planet. Can you imagine if leaders in Iraq, Africa and Syria were committed to The First Amendment of the Planet Earth? 
   The freedom of the press is especially valued by our democratic nation because it allows journalists to report on our own government without fear of being arrested or murdered. This is not a right we should ever take for granted, which is why the PHO245 students dedicated this past week learning and understanding what the First Amendment means to them, as scholastic journalists.
   Check out their most recent blog posts to see what they have to say about this very important subject. Links to all of their blogs are available at the top of this blog.