My
time as editorial assistant at Time Out Magazine and Vice Magazine gave me a
sense of what it means to work in professional environment as a media maker.
The skills I learnt were highly specific to each organization, however they can
easily be put to use in a variety of circumstances and work places. While both
magazines appear to be borne from the same ilk of modern, cultural
publications, they differ quite dramatically in content and tone, and so my
experience differed from one to the other. This report will outline some of the
major experiences I encountered at each magazine, what my duties and
responsibilities were, and finally, will look at what I have learned from my
experiences and how this will help me further my career.
VICE – September 2011 – January 2012
My
role as editorial assistant at Vice Magazine was the more revealing of the two
attachments I completed, because it offered me enough insight in order for me
to make a decision that writing for such a publication is perhaps not something
I want to pursue as a career immediately. While the experience as a whole was
not a negative one, I learnt that my style of writing is more suitable to a
less subversive publication. I landed this attachment through a mutual friend
of the editor Royce Akers. I had long been a fan of the work Vice does, both in
print and online, and felt that it might be a good fit for me. I was in the
office 2-3 days a week. Even though Vice is a global brand, the Melbourne
office was small, with only around 8 staff members in every day. Unlike the
‘internship’ I had expected, there was no fetching coffee or making prints. My
role was as important as any other, particularly after the initial 3-month
trial period was over. My duties varied from researching and writing articles,
maintaining the CMS (the system behind Vice’s website), compiling photo albums
for campaigns for clients like Ray Ban and Adidas, editing captions for VBS
film clips, copywriting for short blog posts, and finally liaising with client
Smirnoff to create the Vice Nightlife Guide to Australia. I headed the Smirnoff
campaign, and was responsible for organizing photoshoots, liasing with models
and actors, bar owners and restaurateurs. This project was extremely
educational as I learnt how to co-ordinate many people at once, and offered me
a glimpse into a more managerial role within the media industry.
Naturally,
I am not the most outgoing or confident person, so initially I struggled to
feel at ease in the offices. I wanted to appear professional but Vice is an
interesting mix of professional journalism and subversive attitude, so the
office atmosphere is not that of a ‘stiff’ corporate environment but rather of
a young, energetic, but somewhat serious organization. I didn’t feel that I was
able to express my ideas confidently at first, however by the end of my time
there I felt more at home and able to communicate more freely. I believe my
initial feeling of being uncomfortable stemmed from the fact that I knew many
of the staff through mutual friends, which perhaps hindered my ability to feel
at ease blending my personal life with my professional life. What I learnt from
this was that I need more conviction in my own ideas in order to leave an
impression on those above me.
The
pressure to conform to the ‘voice’ of the magazine was something I struggled
with the entire length of my attachment. Vice has a very distinct voice, one of
satirical humour and irony. What I discovered was that it is very difficult to
be genuinely ‘funny’ in print. It’s a unique ability, one that the previous
editorial assistant seemed to own. The editor, Royce, was very constructive
with his criticism, and I felt that my writing improved dramatically during my
time at the magazine. However, I was often made to feel that my writing did not
mesh with the tone of the magazine, and my confidence was thus affected.
My skills as a media maker improved greatly
during my time at Vice. Not only did my experience there prepare me for a
possible career in magazines, but I also learnt how to follow style guides,
work with CMS, interact with clients, and co-ordinate photo shoots and
interview contacts for articles. My research skills were honed, as often I was
looking into subjects that were quite obscure and challenging.
I was able to network with a wide range of
professionals worldwide. My articles were not only published in Australian
Vice, but American Vice too. My contact list grew immensely, which is likely to
be the greatest benefit from my time at the magazine. I made contacts not only
within the magazine itself, but also with photographers and PR people
throughout Melbourne.
TIME
OUT – June 2012-September 2012
Time Out was an altogether
different experience from Vice. The whole experience was a much easier, relaxed
one. My role there was as a contributor, and at times I was referred to as
editorial assistant. The editor, Jenny, was a much more approachable editor
than Royce, and she was much more positive about my writing too. I felt that my
confidence grew at Time Out, because all my articles were published and I was
given important tasks, often interviewing high-profile Melbournians. I was in
the office two days a week at first, but this was reduced to one once
university classes resumed. My tasks were to conduct interviews, and to write
articles for both the website and the print magazine. Unlike Vice, the articles
and subjects were always commissioned by the editor, and there was no need to
creatively come up with ideas for the magazine. This in turn meant that there
was much less strain and stress on me, but also meant that it was not as
fulfilling or exciting as Vice. My copywriting skills were put to the test, and
just as Vice has a distinct voice, Time Out does too. I found it much easier to
write in the tone of Time Out, as it is much more straightforward and there is
much less pressure to be ironic or funny. Time Out Melbourne is not a
subversive magazine but merely a cultural guide Melbourne aimed at 25-60 year
olds.
My confidence in interviewing
subjects grew, and I was given a large amount to do during my time there. I was
published in both the magazine and the website, and my articles were made to be
features at times, which only helped my confidence to grow.
Time Out, as an experience,
was virtually an antithesis to my time at Vice. However, what I gained from
both publications was a larger contact list, invaluable professional
experience, a better understanding of adopting tone and ‘voice’ to suit each
publication, and a broader general knowledge of how to write to a brief and a
deadline. I used social media at both publications, gained experience using
wordpress and CMS, and improved my self-confidence in terms of approaching
potential interviewees.
My time at both Time Out and
Vice had very different strengths and weaknesses, but after completing
internships at both, I am assured that the more internships and work
attachments I complete, the better. I feel that I have increased my contact
list immensely. My CV is now at a level where I feel confident enough to
approach publications of a higher profile for internships, and quite possibly,
a job. Before entering these work attachments, my skills were rudimentary, and
whilst I had written professionally for a number of years, I had never been
involved in an office environment. This was an eye opening experience, as with
no screen to hide behind, my communication skills were put to the test. In
terms of personal growth, I have learnt how to be more assertive, more
confident with my ideas, and generally more outgoing. My professional skills
have grown as I have learnt how to apply many of my university-honed skills to
a professional environment. This includes social media campaigns, photography,
research, ethics, interview skills, factual accuracy, and general writing
development. I believe that through my work attachments, my understanding of
what I am learning at University has been heightened, as I am now able to
relate it to professional experiences. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have been
able to extract from my work attachments is knowing that what at first thought
might seem impossible to achieve, is not necessarily so. At the beginning of my
degree, I would never have thought it possible to land my internships, however
now I have learnt that most media companies are quite receptive to students and
work attachments, so the important thing to do is to ask and be persistent.
