My First Real High-Profile Interview

At first, I was excited to be enlisted for a writing assignment that would be printed in the magazine.  I brainstormed a list of entertainment ideas. But with such a wide plethora of topics to choose from, I didn’t know which one to choose. My editor suggested I focus on a couple of popular shows with great moments in television history. I thought I had plenty of time to decide, but then he reminded me that I needed to get started right away due to the long process that went beyond the actual writing component:  

requesting a photo from the art department and having it vetted by three separate editors in charge of the final look of the page.

I finally settled on a popular cable show that I could write a short yet meaningful piece on; the show was close to my heart since I had watched it through most of adolescence and identified with the protagonists. I even managed to find a compelling photo (with the help of one of my fellow interns)  with a review of the show. Then, my editor encouraged me to take the next step and utilize one of his contacts in order to get quotes for the story. Amazed, I called the individual, who directed me to email someone else before I was able to get a hold of the right person to set up an interview. While I waited for a response, I penned my first draft and emailed it to my editor before I left for the day.

The Dreaded Phone Interview

The telephone. That piece of technology, while useful and convenient, is the bane of my existence. Due to my extraordinary fact checking skills, I am on the phone most of the day, calling to verify information, have things sent to us, or getting permission to use their own facts. But due to my not-so-extraordinary phone manners, I usually end up having a conversation like this:

Me: Hello, this is Edit Intern from a really awesome magazine.
(I do have that part down…)

Me: I have…um a uh… question for your fact checking, I mean public relations, I mean media relations… Do you know what I mean?