I spent the week negotiating theseverance offer my company made in eliminating my position — an exhausting thing to do, even with a great attorney. Sent the signed letter off today with a grand sense of accomplishment that those loose ends now are wrapped up, and I can stop looking back.
Time for the future. Time to consider that if I want to keep reporting for the public (as opposed to peddling gossipy crap, or writing for some insider mag), I’m going to have to use this time to learn some brand new skills and reinforce the basic audio and HTML I already know.
My mother in Philadelphia (whose reaction to my pink slip was, “What’s their fax number?”) sent me a stunning copy of Sound Reporting: The NPR Guide to Audio Journalism and Production to read through and master. We’re spending the upcoming weekend in Wisconsin with the Mister’s family, and now I have something to read and savor — and maybe try out. The author is NPR’s training guru – Jonathan Kern. It’s a powerful tool in the toolbox.
Apt timing; today I finished an application to this audio training for print reporters right here in Chicago. Fingers crossed.
