image from flickr.com / Tambako the Jaguar

Some creatures in the News Jungle will help guide you through the muddle. Others will not take so kindly to newcomers. jScoop blogger Jenna Troum encounters the relentless Catty Journalist inside her second blog entry.

As an intern, you will find that many of its inhabitants are friendly. They’ll help guide your way and provide you with the tools you need to successfully make it through the wilderness.

Some creatures, however, don’t take so kindly to strangers. When deadlines loom overhead and competition for air time is fierce, the fangs of a dreaded Catty Journalist are rarely far away. I had a head-to-head encounter with one such beast earlier this week at a press conference.

XYZ had sent me out into the field with a photographer to bring back the goods on a press conference. We were the first on the scene. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes and a reporter from another channel slinked over with her photographer. I, the unsuspecting intern, decided to be friendly and introduce myself. She immediately deduced that there was no way I could be a reporter for XYZ because she didn’t recognize me. That’s when she began circling for her attack.

“And you are a…?”

“I’m an intern.”

“And where do you go to school, Jenna?”

“I go to Northwestern.”

“Well, that was your first mistake.”

That was when I knew I was face-to-face with a dreaded Catty Journalist. No friendly jungle inhabitant would snarl like that at an intern cub.

After more crews showed up at the watering hole, a microphone stand was set up for the press conference. All the reporters (plus me) pounced, trying to get our mics in prominent positions. After placing my mic in the stand, I began to walk away. The Catty Journalist struck again. Crouched on the ground with a notebook and pen in her claws, she swiped at my leg with her mighty paw. She pointed to her camera and, with a fearsome expression, hissed, “We’re rolling!”

I looked toward our prey, the subject of the press conference. He was striding toward the mic stand. And unfortunately, I was in front of the Catty Journalist’s station’s camera while they were filming a vital shot. I may be an intern, but I have enough experience to know that it is an enormous mistake.

After the press conference was over and the journalists had had their fill from the Q&A period, the Catty Journalist approached me again. She lectured me about how I should never walk in front of a camera, because one never knows when it might be rolling. Then, the ferocious feline dealt her final blow; she complained to my photographer about me. As an intern cub, nothing is worse than being criticized in front of your superior.

How did I manage to make it out alive? Here are a few rules of the jungle I keep in mind when under attack by a Catty Journalist:

Jungle Rule #1: Catty Journalists are highly competitive creatures.
This CJ judged me to be a potential rival, and that put her on the offensive. During the Q&A segment of the press conferences, competition is fierce. Journalists can be positively carnivorous when it comes to getting their questions in. During the press conference in question, the Catty Journalist had made several unsuccessful attempts to ask questions, and the other journalists consistently talked over her. I, the lowly intern, asked only one question. I must mention here that I can whip out a surprisingly authoritative voice when I’m feeling professional. When I spoke, the other reporters went silent and listened. My question was promptly answered. You can imagine how this enraged the Catty Journalist. This is probably what motivated her to track me down after the press conference.

Jungle Rule #2: Do make eye contact with wild beasts.
Show that Catty Journalist you are not afraid of her. Introduce yourself as an intern with pride, confidence and an anchor-worthy smile.

Jungle Rule #3: Show your fangs, but don’t fight back.
Engaging the Catty Journalist in combat will only provoke her further. And you will lose. Show that you can be just as professional as he or she.

For example, when the Catty Journalist in question made the nonsensical quip about where I go to school, I laughed it off. Be proud of where you go to school and realize that others may be jealous of you. But as an intern, don’t take the bait and get into an argument. It will reflect poorly on you, not her.

After she had lectured me and complained to my photographer, I calmly said, “I will remember that in the future. Thank you.” This unexpectedly composed response will throw a Catty Journalist off-guard and send her slinking back into the brush.

I think I should note here that, while this reporter’s tactics for teaching me a lesson were inappropriate, her advice about being careful when walking in front of a camera has credence. I will definitely be more watchful about this in the future. As an intern, you can still learn from others, even when they are trying to intimidate you. Keep in mind that Catty Journalists are still professionals in their field.

Jungle Rule #4: Don’t play dead.
The Catty Journalist would love nothing more than for you to be so upset by her actions that you give up. Remember, she considers you competition and is trying to take you down. Don’t give her the satisfaction.

Remember, you’re in the jungle now, and “survival of the fittest” defines your profession.