I’ve always been a writer, but I haven’t always been a journalist––and in a lot of ways, I’m still not one quite yet. It’s not a seemingly hard job. It’s not brain surgery or rocket science. You do essentially what you’d do in your daily life. You talk to people, ask questions and craft a story to tell others. But it’s harder than it looks. It can be hard to talk to people who are afraid to have their voices heard. It can be hard to make a deadline when you’ve got two days to write an article. It can be hard to ask the right sort of questions to elicit the best kind of responses.
My time at The Jewish Link made me more aware of these challenges, and my experiences there gave me the tools to combat them. Although I write for my school paper at The College of New Jersey, working for a “real-world” local newspaper that addresses a larger audience than my smaller liberal arts school paper gave me a better taste of what it’s like to produce content that will likely resound with a large array of communities.
This internship taught me to take myself more seriously—not just as a writer, but as a reporter as well. I learned how to conduct interviews with people in various positions of authority without cowering under pressure. While it’s not a grueling task, it’s still not easy for a 5-foot, 20-year-old intern to be taken seriously all the time. Yet, during every assignment, I felt the right kind of pressure––the pressure to do my story justice, to talk to the right people and, most importantly, to be mindful of the newspaper I represent. I picked up the phone and called some strangers, I walked over to where people work and live and learned about them and listened as they spoke of their experiences. I was reminded of my intrinsic fondness for reporting––being able to give a voice to those who want their stories heard. And I was able to do so for the sake of the newspaper and the audience it serves.
The skills I’ve developed at The Jewish Link go further than just reporting. I’ve learned how to be a sharper editor. I dusted off my AP Stylebook and cracked down on my writing, making sure I was following its guidelines. I know when to spell out numbers and when to write them as integers. I know when to hyphenate or separate words. I know which months of the year to abbreviate and which to spell out. And most importantly, I learned never to ever include the subtle yet pesky Oxford comma.
I feel grateful for the opportunity to really dig deep and get in touch with the Jewish communities around me. I like to be able to write my own articles and pitch my own ideas. Truthfully, it didn’t matter what I was doing. Whether I was researching news briefs, writing long features or reviewing books, I was learning about the world. With each submission, I reveled in every correction my editor made, committing my mistakes to memory and daring myself to do even better with my next piece.
Everyone at The Jewish Link who made me feel at home and who pushed me to do better deserves my thanks: Elizabeth, Jill, Jen, Nina and the list goes on––they have all been attentive editors and mentors. Everyone’s humor and productivity brought life to the office. Moshe Kinderlehrer puts so much effort into making the paper a success. I admire his passion for journalism and for his community. I won’t soon forget the advice given by everyone I’ve worked with and the multitude of lessons I’ve learned during my time here. Thank you.
By Elizabeth Zakaim
Editor’s note: Elizabeth Zakaim is our first intern of the summer who has completed her six-week internship, for college credit. We wish her farewell, but not goodbye, as she moves back to her “contributor” status on our masthead. Look forward to many more features from Elizabeth, our woman in Paramus!
