Study, study, study! That’s just one tip from Nina Terrero, who covers pop culture and entertainment for Entertainment Weekly and NBC’s Today Show. But she’s not talking about what you should do in school. Terrero told the Huffington Post that she preps for interviews the way she did for the SATs.
I try to read as much as possible about my subject in preparation for an interview, and when applicable, watch their movies or TV shows. You want to be knowledgeable about your subject so you can roll with the punches and be as relaxed as possible during your interviews.
As a multimedia journalist, Terrero says she does have one fear–of being a jack of all trades and master of none.
I feel comfortable using a variety of social media platforms, digital tools and traditional means of communicating a story, and I get a huge amount of satisfaction from choosing whether I should share a story on video, tweet out a short report, do a broadcast segment or write a magazine story on said topic. But there’s always the sneaky suspicion: am I doing this the best way I can?… Being able to report in a variety of mediums is a privilege — but keeping up with your skill set in all areas can be a challenge.
Terrero got her start as an intern at Fox News where she learned how to translate broadcast content online. She also learned what she calls a valuable lesson, “that one of the keys to being successful in the business is being visible.” She had a quiet cubicle to work in but she decided to spend at least half her time in the newsroom, where she could meet people and they could get to know her.
Volunteering for assignments wasn’t enough…building relationships would ultimately be what got me to the next step. That’s true in any news job — and to some extent, every job. Raise your hand and volunteer away — but remember, your relationships with people are what ultimately adds value to your [career] in this industry. They’re the ones that can vouch for you, give you assignments, and mentor you – and that was something I couldn’t necessarily get sitting in that cube.
Great advice!
