Last Wednesday was my first full day at Suburban Life Media. The other editorial intern and I learned about the scheduling and the map of the newspapers. Our supervisor told us that the papers were organized much like a magazine, which means the breaking news and less important things go online while the stories that go to print get published once a week. Suburban Life handles 22+ publications, not including its magazine Suburban Life Media, in the western suburbs of Chicago. I cover the newspapers the Westmont Progress and the Woodridge Reporter, which cover the areas of Westmont, Woodridge, Lisle and Naperville. I like the way the format works because things don’t seem as rushed as when I worked for another newspaper. Things are more timely, and more people take a look at your story before it goes to print. It definitely gives the vibe of quality over quickness.I also have a fellow intern who is a Mizzou Student as well and that’s always helpful as we compare newsroom experiences. I’m going to start on-the-street reporting soon as well as cover the page three feature stories and possibly write for the Suburban Life Magazine. More opportunities to come!
Category: Diary
Diary at PTM Day 2: The Tallest and Fastest Rollercoasters
As I am working on my mid-Atlantic roller coaster and water park story I did some research that only a visual learner would think of. I was looking at parks like Kennywood and Sixflags Great Adventure Youtube videos showing the point of view of a rider. I had the same anticipation to get to the top of the first hill and nervousness when waiting for the ride to launch from 0 to 60 in a few seconds. So because they are only videos, they cannot capture how the speed feels and how fast the ride is in miles per hour. So I went to the websites to see the numbers. Looking at theme park websites, I noticed they all used adjectives such as, the tallest, fastest, the only, the unique, in describing their roller coasters. I wanted to figure out “Is the Nitro really the fastest? Or is it the Phantom’s Revenge?” Or even, “What if it’s not even in this country?” So I did some digging and I came up with Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today is a news source that catalogs entrepreneurial happenings in the roller coaster business as well as debuts in the industry and its parks. El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, came at the top for the best and fastest wooden coaster because it reaches a top speed of 70 mph and is 181 feet tall with a 176-foot drop. While Formula Rossa, Ferrari World in Dubai, is the fastest steel-framed coaster that goes from 0 to 149.1 mph in 4.9 seconds with the use of a hydraulic launch system. Other coasters are ranked highly such as The Nitro at 80 mph (Six Flags Great Adventure) and the Intimidator 305 at 90 mph (Kings Dominion.) So I think it may be fair to say that the quality of the ride is not necessarily the top speed but the experience of the ride as a whole. This information has helped my story because I didn’t know that much about roller coasters before I started my research. Now I can say I know more about amusements in the mid-Atlantic area as well as around the world such as the Schlitterbahn water park in Texas and Ferrari World in Dubai. In the future I would like to look more into the companies that make the roller coasters and their machinery like Instamin and Gravity Group. This is a subculture that I would never have tapped into if it weren’t for this story and I’m glad I know more information about the amazing feats people achieve in order to produce speed and recreation.
Learning More About the Fun Side of Life: Diary at PTM Day 1
Today I started my internship at Premier Tourism Marketing as an editorial intern. I am going to be writing stories for their magazines and online content for Leisure Group Travel, Student and Youth Group Travel, Religious Group Travel and more. The story I am working on now is about the top mid-Atlantic amusement parks and water parks. I think this topic is interesting, not only because I have a passion for thrill-inducing activities, but also because I am able to venture into more fun and recreational topics.
When I reported for a newspaper, I was able to learn about unfamiliar topics, which is worthwhile, but this time I am able to venture in unfamiliar topics I can relate to. When I would report stories about a new police vehicle or a legislative meeting, they would be useful stories with useful information but I could not apply them to my life in a tangible way. Vacationing and travel I can apply to my life because I sometimes partake in those things and have aspirations in those categories. Travel helps people escape from the harshness of reality and I am able to do so in a work environment. I am creating a reality that involves the joys and wonders of life. Back to my roller coaster story, rides give me an adrenaline rush and it gives me joy to know that I am helping other people by giving them information about how to plan a group outing to obtain that rush.
Being able to combine business with pleasure is a great thing. When you’re at the airport in customs the attendant asks you whether you are taking a trip for business or pleasure, now you can say both. I think this is a great opportunity that I have ventured into because I can help others obtain happiness through fun activities that everyone covets.
KC Digital Marketing | Becky Neems 