crossing into the red

i've crossed into the red in three ways - one, i haven't paid my tuition yet because i don't have the money, hence, i've dipped into the red ink of debt. second, i'm interning at a public information office, dangerously close to public relations, the dark side of professional writing, to hear journalists tell it. and three, i'm working for the arch-enemy of my alma mater. those of you who know where i went to undergrad can figure it out.

so far, working for a public information office is fun, and frankly, i feel like i've learned more about journalism than i ever have at a newspaper. why? because people actually sit down and talk to me. within my first week i'd received more feedback about my writing than i had in five months of working at newspapers. all too often, editors seem just anxious to get the story and be done with it, so little mentoring is offered. so it's refreshing to know that people are actually aware you exist.

don't get me wrong, i miss newspapers. the hustle and bustle, the by-the-seat-of-your-pants comraderie, the endearing haphazardness, compared to the relatively well-oiled machine of an official communications office. and already, having to push the company line is annoying. people want to fix your stories, change their quotes. your ass, in other words, is theirs. you don't have a story - they do. your job is just to write it. that, and the kinds of stories you can do are pretty limited becuase they have to feature, obviously, the company you work for in some way or form.

but now i have a crystal clear knowledge of how information is transmitted. i've always wondered who writes those press releases. now i know. and it's kind of fun. i look at it as being an news assistant. everybody has a story inside them. we are all intricate, multi-layered beings, and my job is to tell their story.