Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

Photo: Nick Loomis

The most time-consuming, enjoyable and rewarding project I completed this first semester in journalism school was a package for Broadcast class about growlers. If you don’t know what growlers are, or even if you do, watch the video on the New York City News Service, then come back and read the rest of the post.

When we initially pitched ideas in class, my classmates and teacher John Schiumo seemed to like the two I’d come up with: “Life on a tugboat” and a recycling exposé. I liked them too, but I thought they might be logistically tough to pull off. When it came time to request the story we wanted to work on, I put ego aside and chose the idea proposed by this guy. I had never heard of growlers before, but after learning that they’re a vessel for carrying beer I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Even if the story turned out to be uninteresting or the people we interviewed were jerks, I would still get to drink beer while reporting. You can’t beat that.

Things turned out much better than the worst-case scenario. Not only did I get to drink beer, I learned a lot and got to meet some really great people. I also became a believer. The first time we filmed at Bierkraft, I bought a growler of Hop Obama. Now I’ve added another growler to my collection, acquired last Friday on a trip to the Captain Lawrence Brewery in Pleasantville, NY.

The inside of my fridge

The brewery is open to the public on Friday evenings and Saturdays for free tastings. I’d had their Freshchester Pale Ale before, but the other offerings on tap were new to me. When I first saw “Espresso Stout,” I had doubts. I’m not a serious coffee drinker and I wondered if the taste would be overpowering. To my pleasant surprise, it was subtle and smooth. I couldn’t resist getting 64 ounces to bring home.

I’m hopeful that after I’m done with J school the media landscape will be less dire and the skills I’ve learned will be impressive enough to land me a decent job. But whatever happens a year from now, I’ll always have beer.