Journalism 101

(If you want to read all of this story Star Struck In Excess - just follow the start from the Archives Section December - too many and too confusing to link to sorry!! Think this is being followed by a small loyal bunch so this is for you..... ;-)

Part 5 -

After the hangover settled and I came to terms with my day of rock n roll - reality set in once again.

The "work" part.

Now, I had to make a story out of my conversation with Jon Stevens.

My first ever interview based piece of journalism (had previously written features: to clarify).

It was like how I felt at the start!

Woo-Hoo I get to interview a rockstar!

Let me revel in that for a while and avoid actually thinking up the questions...

Now it was Woo-Hoo I have interviewed a rockstar! (and sat in the studio while he personally serenaded me - alongside thousands of Triple M listeners) and I wanted to revel in that and not have to actually sit down and write a Sydney Morning Herald standard piece from it.

SHIT.

And of course a steep deadline was involved, of ... tomorrow.

God damn.

So another day spent guising as an "advertising account manager" i was at my desk trying to write the story - sneakily putting the dictaphone to my ear when the boss left her desk,  to relive our conversation, cringing at the sound of my voice and my occasional over laughing.

Where did I start?

How did I structure this?

Oh good God. Why didn't I complete my Communications degree?

 I might have some idea how to go about this!!

I thought I was a writer, but when it came to the nuts and bolts of it - I didn't know where to start.

I spoke to my Dad who was the owner of local newspaper in the One Horse Town - he was the Sports Editor there and had lots of years writing under his belt.

Sure it wasn't for the SMH but for other varied sporting publications.

His advice was pure and simple "Get Jon's email address and email it to him before it goes to print"

(Hindsight lesson: Ask Dad for advice or the Editor? Next time - Editor - but love you Dad all the same) 

Editor told me he wanted the dirt on why Stevens left INXS - as this was the time JD Fortune was making the news as the new lead singer.

So that was where I began, I wrote along these lines, with many flattering parts about Jon's solo album - his presence, his live performance.

I emailed it to Jon.

BOW BOW

I received an email 5 minutes later from Steven's manager:

"DO NOT PRINT THIS STORY - THIS STORY CANNOT GO TO PRINT - PLEASE CALL ME IMMEDIATELY"

Yes it was in shouting letters like that.

"SHIT!"

I forwarded this to the Editor.

He was a moody guy I discovered.

He immediately called me up and said "Why the f*** did you send Stevens the story?"

If I was any greener I would have been environmentally friendly.

"I er... I'm sorry, I thought... ah ..:" stammer, stammer, - "I'm really sorry"

The Editor was audibly pissed with me.

So desperate I was to "please everybody" that no-one was pleased.

 Least of all myself.