Ask me anything

Blackbird230

I know some of your ladies said on the Boring. thread that you haven't gotten a chance to meet us newbs. So I figured I would start a board so you can get to know me!

The basics: I'm Kait. I'm a reporter and a contributor for a bridal magazine. BF is a videographer. 21. Just enjoying life and maybe making the moving in jump in the spring!

labro

I'll play. Although I by no means count as someone who's been here long-term.

When did you decide you wanted to be a reporter?

Do you ever feel being a contributor to a bridal magazine makes you BSC about getting engaged?

What's your ideal date with your BF?

KeptInStitches

@lmhollister, if you don't count, I definitely don't count.

If you could have a pet today, what would you have?

What's your absolute favorite thing to cook?

CLoGreenEyes

Would you rather be less attractive and rich or extremely attractive and poor?

What is the most courageous thing you have ever done in your life?

If you had your own country, what would be some of the rules?

What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?

GoldenPenguin

I'm also a journalist (kinda). 

What's your favorite piece you've ever written?

If you could pick one publication to write for, what would it be?

If you were a hired as a beat writer for the major newspaper in your favorite city, what beat would you pick? 

cu97tiger

Someone should have told @Kait that when you play 'ask me anything' you should actually answer the questions.... hmmmph

labro

Seriously @Kait ....where did you go?

Blackbird230

Sorry guys I had to go out for girls' night last night that I almost forgot!!

When did you decide you wanted to be a reporter?

7th grade. I worked on my middle school paper!

Do you ever feel being a contributor to a bridal magazine makes you BSC about getting engaged?

A bit. You're surrounded by it a lot. It takes a second to breathe, remind myself it's not my time just yet and just forge ahead.

What's your ideal date with your BF?

Horseback riding! He has yet to be on a horse and I used to lease one and it's one of my extreme passions.

If you could have a pet today, what would you have?

A horse for sure. I miss my lease horse, Missy.

What's your absolute favorite thing to cook?

Chocolate chip cookies. I bake more than I cook.

Swazzle

AMA Fail. 

Blackbird230

Would you rather be less attractive and rich or extremely attractive and poor?

Less attractive and rich. Attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty isn't everything. Money though can certainly help.

What is the most courageous thing you have ever done in your life?

This is an extremely tough one because like, what exactly is courage? I think accepting a low paying job, moving out and taking the plunge into adulthood.

If you had your own country, what would be some of the rules?

No political parties!

What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?

Have you ever had suicidal thoughts.

What's your favorite piece you've ever written?

Some of my poems probably. Journalistically, it waves depending on what I'm working on. I'm super proud of an article that just came out today. Although I adore my horse rescue articles a lot because there's so much emotion there.

If you could pick one publication to write for, what would it be?

Horse Illustrated. I wouldn't mind a bigger bridal mag though either! Mine's pretty small.

If you were a hired as a beat writer for the major newspaper in your favorite city, what beat would you pick? 

Animals. I cover it already for my paper and dealing with the rescues and shelters and everything has been an amazing experience.

Blackbird230

@swazzle and @imhollister, I'm so sorry!!! I completely poofed on you guys. Remembered I had to shower and do my hair and everything for girls' night and got completely distracted.

labro

@Kait I'm a huge horse person too...although I've never had formal lessons or anything. Just always had a passion for them (example: my grandma used to whinney at me when I was a baby to get me to smile and eat my food). One of my little sis's BM's leases a horse too and I just think that's the coolest thing ever. Until I met her I never even knew that was an option.

I was a journalist (or is it once a journalist, always a journalist?). I started writing for my high school paper and then wrote for my college paper all through university. My last year I was the Opinion Section Editor and a member of the Editorial Board. After college I worked part-time at a radio station (loved it!!!) and it would have turned into a full-time gig but I decided that the place I was living wasn't for me so I moved back home for awhile and now I'm in the corporate world. I would have liked to have stuck with radio but I didn't have the portfolio or the network in order to break into a large-market area like Atlanta. At least with my new job I get to write again. I'm drafting and editing contracts between my company and our client for various IT services and such.

How do you think your ethics fall as a journalist? Are you ever tempted to swing the direction of an article? Has someone you interviewed ever tried to pressure you iinto reporting some things and not others? Finally, have you ever gotten angry phone calls/emails from the subjects of your articles? For example, they called because they felt you portrayed a situation incorrectly. At the end of the phone call did you still feel you were in the right in your reporting?

Blackbird230

@Imhollister, ethics are such a tough line for journalists. Since one of my beats is courts and cops, you get people mad really easily and my judgment as far as what I'll write up is one that I'm still working to perfect. I try and be unbiased as possible, but when you get into some of the assault cases and things, it's really hard when the person says "well she asked for it." 

People always want press. They want good press for whatever they're doing because they see it as the most important. We have one elementary school that's pretty pushy about things, but overall isn't too horrible. I just ignore them. I had one with an anti-bullying middle school program though that the guy wouldn't let me write it until I had sat down with him for as long as he wanted. He made me mad that day!

I have already had to call the cops on a guy threatening my life for printing his arrest. That was scary as ever. We do get calls with people complaining sometimes, but generally it's little things. The cops beat is definitely the one with the most triggers for people to get mad about.

Blackbird230

@TwoDimes, a lot of cases especially now, people can't afford the time or money to ride their horses. So free leases or leases in general are great because the person can keep the horse while letting someone else take care of it for them. In my case, it was my best friend's who lived in her backyard. She went to college in Ohio and didn't have the time to ride her. So she let me ride her for free. Now she's traveling the country with a ministry group and her mom couldn't do it anymore so the horse went back to the rescue they had gotten her from.