Name: Rob Davis
Job: Reporter, voiceofsandiego.org
What are your responsibilities? I have a great beat. I cover environmental issues - endangered species, climate change, water supplies - in a county that's home to more endangered species than any other in the country, that has some of the nation's premier climate scientists and that has a tenuous grip on its water supply. On top of that, I do investigative projects, write about the local media industry and monitor politicians' shenanigans.
What's a typical workday? My days are fairly varied. I rarely cover breaking news, so I get to spend more of my time digging. Depending on the day that may mean cajoling lawyers for public records, having coffee with a source or just hitting the phones. Most days I'm in at 9:30 a.m. and wrap up by 6:30 p.m.
What do you like/dislike about the job? Likes: Meeting new people, learning about new issues, shining a light on our community's shadows, exposing wrongdoing. Dislikes: Sometimes your work's impact isn't always obvious. (Though when it is, that makes it all the more rewarding.)
Background: After graduating from the University of Richmond in May 2000, I spent three years covering every possible beat known to man at the Hanover (Va.) Herald-Progress under the mentorship of the late Jay Pace. (This involved everything from something called the Miss Mechanicsville Pageant to the D.C. sniper shootings.) I then spent two years as a cops and government reporter at the Fredericksburg (Va.) Free Lance-Star. Manifest Destiny called in 2005. I answered and moved to San Diego.
What are the skills young journalists need today? When I started in journalism in 2000, going on an assignment meant I took a notepad and pen and a photographer took a camera. That's a bit different today. Young journalists should be ready to produce well-rounded multimedia packages: Sound, words, images, video. That said, while the applications have changed, the underlying skills haven't. Good journalism is all about how well you dig and how well you tell a story. I've heard this question in a few job interviews, and I hate it: Are you a better reporter or writer? You can't be a good writer without being a good reporter. Young journalists who hone those skills - their nose for detail and eye for clear writing - will do just fine.
Any advice to aspiring journalists? Understand that you are entering a field that is undergoing a revolution. At voiceofsandiego.org, we're hopeful about journalism's future. But plenty of my colleagues across the country are not. Journalism will survive the current turmoil, but it may not look like it does today. I do think the future is bright for young storytellers who stand up for themselves, who are naturally curious, who take pride in their craft.
Read more "Working Journalist" profiles here.
