Lessons from Kate Sheppard

Today in Jeff Cohen's Independent Media class, Kate Sheppard -- an IC grad -- paid us a visit. She got her start as an intern with Grist in Seattle before eventually becoming their political reporter in Washington D.C. After being laid off, she was quickly hired by Mother Jones, a magazine known for its investigative reporting.

Here's some of the most important things I learned from her today:

• It's a good idea to specialize in something. Sheppard is an expert in environmental politics, so media outlets know that she can cover these types of stories very well. Therefore, it's a good idea to diversify your skills and breadth of knowledge beyond simply being able to write a good story.
• Sheppard said her biggest challenge in finding a career in indy media was that outlets don't have the money to pay for good reporting. She told us there's no lack of need for good writing and reporting, but many outlets simply don't have the funds to pay reporters as they should be.
• She also emphasized the importance of social networking tools, including Twitter. She said she received one job offer because of links to her writing she tweeted. Personally, I don't have a Twitter account yet, but her account of how much it helped her definitely made it sound advantageous to register for one.