Oh, after all of the requests that we blog blog blog our little hearts out, the site was left with a measly two posts from us students! And after a weekend of discussing the power of new media and twitter and blogging, too. What a shame. I wonder if many of us (myself included) haven’t yet gotten into the blogging world and are still in that mindset of, who cares what I have to say about the goings-on of daily life?! Regardless, I know I speak for everyone when I say that this symposium was a real blessing from UB and the many donors and alumni who made it possible.
We got to hear from industry insiders like Steve Sunshine (from Extra), Cynthia Wang (People), and Josh Dickey (AP) about their thoughts on everything from keeping on top of stories in the 24-hour news cycle to keeping valuable sources from severing ties when you have to print something negative about them.
I especially loved Madeyln Hammond’s tips for surviving the social side of the business–thanks to her I’ve got a firmer handshake and some “witty banter” back-up questions in my pocket for conversation lulls.
I didn’t talk to anyone who walked away from the event having been offered a job, but I can certainly say that we’re all much more well-versed in this business, and even though we may not be blogging about it, trust me we’ve been blabbing about it to our friends and family–what a great opportunity this was.
–Leslie Church, Entertainment News Media
