Each month we reach out to journalists and media professionals to chat with them about their experiences in the industry. For this month’s edition of ‘Questions for Journalists’ we spoke with Annalise Klingbeil, general assignment and breaking news reporter at the Calgary Herald.
Annalise Klingbeil
City Reporter, Calgary Herald
@AnnaliseAK
What story that you’ve covered are you most proud of? Why?
That’s a tough question. It’s difficult to pick one single story. It makes me proud when I write stories that create change or bring attention to an issue that a reader may not know about.
I cover a fair bit of crime and breaking news, which can be difficult. Covering a homicide, a pedestrian fatality, or a freak accident, can entail interviewing people on the worst day of their lives after a loved one has died unexpectedly. Those interviews are never easy. I always try my hardest to tell a deeper story – who was this person, what were they like, how are they being remembered? I’ve heard from family members after a story is published thanking me for my work and for sharing their loved one’s story. That makes me proud.
In what ways do you believe social media has changed journalism?
Social media has made the deadline for daily news journalists immediate. If I’m at the scene of a suspicious death, I’m writing a story on my phone so it can go online instantly. If I’m at a press conference with the premier, I’m tweeting what she is saying live, in real-time. Gone are the days of evening deadlines at newspapers. Reporters are telling people what is happening, as it is happening. I’m often asked by communications professionals what my deadline is. The answer is just about always, today, and as soon as possible.
Social media has also made it easier than ever before for readers, or communications professionals, to engage with journalists and vice versa. Anyone can log onto Twitter and see what a journalist is writing about and interested in, and they can easily get in contact with them.
What’s your number one tip for PR people?
Do your research. I can’t count how many emails go straight into my trash folder because they have nothing to do with what I write as a general assignment/breaking news reporter.
Thanks, Annalise!
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