As I returned from Florida two weeks ago, I started to work on my commentary piece for the Foreign Service Journal about Hungarian-American bilateral relations and how Hungarians view the U.S. presidential elections. It was a challange for the sheer size of the work: I have never written anything that is even close to the required2,000 words. In my home newroom, an article of half of this size is already exceptionnaly long.
So the work required a lot of background research and I could put into practice what I learnt about structuring stories (which is my biggest weakness, as I realized at Poynter). The first reaction of the editor was encouraging, but the editing work will not start until the magazine's editorial board meets in two weeks. So I will still work with them on the story.
A disappointing, but not surprising experience came from the Hungarian Foreign Ministry. I first contacted the Hungarian Embassy in Washington to get to know the official viewpoint on a couple of bilateral issues, but I was only given a list of articles that were published in the past year in the Hungarian media. Then I contacted the Foreign Ministry in Budapest, which returned my e-mail with questions about my previous work and the magazine I would write for. I answered their questions and never heard from them ever since.
Their indifference reinforces my two beliefs: first, Hungarian bureaucrats have not realized yet they live off taxpayers' money which makes them responsible for answering journalists' question; and secondly, they are not interested in promoting Hungarian interests in international issues. I have noticed as a reporter on the EU that in most cases it is impossible to get to know the Hungarian standpoint before an EU-decision is made, and my guess is it is simply because they don't have a view - they just follow others.
Most of last week, after I finished this piece, I did not feel very well so I was not really pro-active at the Inquirer. I agreed, however, with my mentor and the online editors on how I will spend my time with the multimedia people; the system is quite confusing as philly.com is completely seperate from the Inquirer, and even within the newsroom, on the one hand there is a reporter who shoots videos for the online desk, and there is another producer who works for the photo department. I hope to spend time with both of them, and maybe even at philly.com where sponsored, TV-style videos are shot.
I also had an edifying session with my mentor who showed me how to try to find contact for such a "top gun" businessman as George Soros. As he is Hungarian-born, I tried to do an interview with him but was turned down by the press officer of his foundation (I was naive not thinking that above a certain level of wealth, having the same national origin does not secure an interview). My mentor did extensive research in my presence in the Inquirer archive, on Nexis and on the Internet, and finally came up with the idea that I should contact one of the leaders of Soros' publisher, who used to be a journalist. I am not very optimistic (neither is she), but I learnt a lot from her method.
I started my online stint today, arriving in the office at 7.25am (!) (and still 25 minutes late). I had a conversation with online editor Julie Busby (she arrives at 6am every day) who explained me how she works with reporters and photographers early in the morning to do quick coverage for events that happened during the night. She also posts advance stories. The most interesting thing was the Internet site where she can view all kinds of statistics and information about the traffic on the Inquirer site; the datas are provided by a company and there are people with the publisher who analyze them each day.
And now comes the fun part! My wonderful mentor did no smaller thing than getting me backstage at a concert of one of my absolute favorite bands, Iron Maiden! Yeah, I was having dinner trying to look calm as Nicko McBrain (drummer) and Janick Gers (guitarist) were walking around in the same room. But I was told in advance not to talk to anyone :)
And the concert was one of the best shows I have ever seen, definately the most spectacular with all the stage-sets and fireworks. These guys at the age of 50 are still so energetic and enthusiastic (much more than the audiance, who could have done better).
I can also thank my mentor for a tasty Greek dinner at her house Sunday, June 22. This was the day when I visited the Philadelphia Museum of Arts, and was amazed by some of Monet's best works. Thursday, June 26 my mentor, her sister and I was invited by food writer Craig LaBan to a restaurant he critiqued called Memphis Taproom. It was interesting as he told his comments in his hidden voice recorder, but we think he was busted anyway :)
And one more culinary experience for this weekend: Saturday I joined my colleague Barry Zukerman and his friend Adam on one of their regular roadside restaurants adventure: we went to Bucks County (North of Philly) to a burger place, then to an ice cream place (which is adjacent to a dairy farm and I also bought fine goat cheese) and finally to a donut place.
I also enrolled in the free library of Philadelphia. I found a book written by John Steinbeck's son, Thomas Steinbeck. It contains stories about the Monterey Peninsula in California, an area I will definitely visit in September. It is the place of several of John Steinbeck's books (who lived in Salinas) and also of one of my favorite Kerouac novel. I might even try to do an interview with Thomas Steinbeck.
I met a Hungarian-born retired architect, who left the country in 1956 and contacted me after my story on John Lukacs was published. Dezso Bacsujlaky invited me for dinner in a restaurant in Cherry Hill, on a Friday evening (probably June 20th).
As I see in my calendar, tomorrow, July 1 is Canada day! So don't miss this one.
Iron Maiden, Somewhere Back in Time World Tour 2008, June 17, Camden, NJ, Susquehanna Bank Center
1.Aces High
2.2 Minutes to Midnight
3.Revelations
4.The Trooper
5.Wasted Years
6.The Number of the Beast
7.Can I Play With Madness
8.Rime of the Ancient Mariner
9.Powerslave
10.Heaven Can Wait
11.Run to the Hills
12.Fear of the Dark
13.Iron Maiden
Encore:
14.Moonchild
15.The Clairvoyant
16.Hallowed Be Thy Name
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Diary - 5
Although I spent the last twoo weeks outside the newsroom, I am writing a few lines to mark this period for my own records and whoever is interested.
I arrived in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday, June 3, met Sopan at the airport, then Lucia, who was so kind to take us to her apartment in Miami Beach where we spent one night. As soon as we dropped our bags we went to the beach which is only a few blocks away from her house; it was a great joy to swim in the surprisingly warm Atlantic Ocean. In the evening, Lucia drove us to take a look around South Beach.
I started the next day with going to the beach again then Sopan and I joined Lucia who went to a conference in South Beach. While she was at the conference we walked around and I swam too. After the conference Lucia drove us to dowtown Miami where we had a lunch together. Then she went to her newspaper's Miami office and we walked to our hotel. In the evening, Sopan and I went to a nice boattrip around the islands of Miami and saw a couple of nice houses of the rich and famous. Then we met Ivan who arrived in the afternoon and stayed at a nearby hotel with Umar and had a dinner together.
The next morning we went to the Kennedy Space Center with Lucia to see a rocket launh - it was delayed, but we spent the whole day visiting the Center. On our way back to Miami we looked around Palm Beach and saw some nice houses there, too.
The IRE conference started Friday, June 6. The most useful sessions for me were those that offered actual help in online research. There were others that I found interesting because they gave me insight to how the best American journalists do their jobs, how they develop sources, socialize with them, etc. Friday, Sonia cooked us a delicious dinner in Lucia's apartment and on Sunday, after some time on the beach, we went out for dinner to Lincoln Road, South Beach.
Sunday afternoon, Sopan and I flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Tampa, and unfortunately missed the train to the airport. The cab was expensive, but at least we had the chance to conteplate on the virtue of resignation.
We met Andrew and Susan at the airport then Susan drove us to our hotel in St. Petersburg. Lucia, Umar, Sonia and Ivan were already there. We went to a pub with a wide variety of beers called Independent, whose owner also joined us for a drink. When the rest of the group - Katie with Samuel and Deepak - arrived, we all had a dinner together.
Monday we went to the beach together and had a dinner at Poynter, where we had our first session too that evening with Paul Pohlman and Tom Huang at the helm. During the week we also had sessions with Roy Peter Clark, Bill Mitchell, Kelly McBride, Ellyn Angelotti and Christopher "Chip" Scanlan.
A great experience for me was a visit to the Dali Museum where I spent more than three hours. Saturday (after a session with Gary Weaver) some of us went to a boattrip to see dolphins (and a couple of nice houses, again). In the evening we all went to Bill's house for dinner where we could try his kayaks.
It was a very pleasant two weeks!
I arrived in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday, June 3, met Sopan at the airport, then Lucia, who was so kind to take us to her apartment in Miami Beach where we spent one night. As soon as we dropped our bags we went to the beach which is only a few blocks away from her house; it was a great joy to swim in the surprisingly warm Atlantic Ocean. In the evening, Lucia drove us to take a look around South Beach.
I started the next day with going to the beach again then Sopan and I joined Lucia who went to a conference in South Beach. While she was at the conference we walked around and I swam too. After the conference Lucia drove us to dowtown Miami where we had a lunch together. Then she went to her newspaper's Miami office and we walked to our hotel. In the evening, Sopan and I went to a nice boattrip around the islands of Miami and saw a couple of nice houses of the rich and famous. Then we met Ivan who arrived in the afternoon and stayed at a nearby hotel with Umar and had a dinner together.
The next morning we went to the Kennedy Space Center with Lucia to see a rocket launh - it was delayed, but we spent the whole day visiting the Center. On our way back to Miami we looked around Palm Beach and saw some nice houses there, too.
The IRE conference started Friday, June 6. The most useful sessions for me were those that offered actual help in online research. There were others that I found interesting because they gave me insight to how the best American journalists do their jobs, how they develop sources, socialize with them, etc. Friday, Sonia cooked us a delicious dinner in Lucia's apartment and on Sunday, after some time on the beach, we went out for dinner to Lincoln Road, South Beach.
Sunday afternoon, Sopan and I flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Tampa, and unfortunately missed the train to the airport. The cab was expensive, but at least we had the chance to conteplate on the virtue of resignation.
We met Andrew and Susan at the airport then Susan drove us to our hotel in St. Petersburg. Lucia, Umar, Sonia and Ivan were already there. We went to a pub with a wide variety of beers called Independent, whose owner also joined us for a drink. When the rest of the group - Katie with Samuel and Deepak - arrived, we all had a dinner together.
Monday we went to the beach together and had a dinner at Poynter, where we had our first session too that evening with Paul Pohlman and Tom Huang at the helm. During the week we also had sessions with Roy Peter Clark, Bill Mitchell, Kelly McBride, Ellyn Angelotti and Christopher "Chip" Scanlan.
A great experience for me was a visit to the Dali Museum where I spent more than three hours. Saturday (after a session with Gary Weaver) some of us went to a boattrip to see dolphins (and a couple of nice houses, again). In the evening we all went to Bill's house for dinner where we could try his kayaks.
It was a very pleasant two weeks!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Diary - 4
On Saturday, May 17 I drove to Cherry Hill, NJ to do interviews with people who went to sell jewelry to a "trading show" that was advertised in a whole-page advertisement in the Inquirer, just in time for me to get some material for my story about diamonds. Although I did not meet anyone with diamonds, I did some good interviews and managed to convince my editor that we can use them to illustrate the story. So I wrote it and was pleasantly surprised when the editor only wanted me to ask one more question from one of the jewelers; based on my previous experience I made myself ready to do a lot more additional reporting.
After I drove back from Cherry Hill I met Umar who came for the weekend to visit Philly. We had a dinner together with my colleague Barry Zukerman, with whom I went to a concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra. They played two symphonies from Schubert, and it was Christoph Eschenbach's last performance as conductor and music director.
On Thursday, May 22 I got a sudden assignment at 16.30 to go to the airport and ask people about their reaction to U.S. Airways' plan of introducing a $15 fee for the first checked-in luggage. It was the third time I was sent to the airport and I totally agreed with my editor who gave me the assignment saying he knew it was "only a pain in the ass". I felt the pain especially intense when in the afternoon peak it took me half an hour just to get onto the expressway just a few blocks from the office leading to the airport. But I was lucky with the persons I approached and in less than 30 minutes I had a couple of good quotes. And in the end my byline landed on the first page, so it was worth it...:)
I spent the Memorial Day weekend in New York. Umar and I met Susan, Randy and Sopan on Sunday for dinner.
For next Wednesday and Thursday, I had three interviews scheduled for my next story about the current restoration on one of Philadelphia's most impressive buildings, the Masonic Temple. I originally wanted to write about the Masons themselves and using the restoration just as a starting point, but then was convinced by my mentor and my editor to focus on the restoration.
I talked to the director of the Masonic Museum and Library, to the Grand Master of the Masons in Pennsylvania, and to one of the partners of the architectural firm that oversees the works. Although I was really interested in who the Masons really are, the interview with the Grand Master was quite boring as he of course did not want to reveal their secrets. But the other two interviews were really interesting, especially the one with the director of the museum who was very kind and even gave me a tour of the building.
So based on what I had I decided not to write about the Masons at all and focus exclusively on the restoration. But my editor did want something about the Masons and more about the history/significance of the building. Fortunately I had everything she wanted on my records and we could more or less get everything done on Friday and today, before my departure to Florida.
I also had a chance last week to observe the editing of an investigative story. It was interesting to see how the writer and the editor discussed which words and expressions to use at critical points, and what kinds of details the editor wanted to be added. One of the deputy managing editors also came by and gave his suggestions and there was an ethical issue that was discussed as well.
Sopan came over for last weekend (we saw a great jazz performance at Natalie's together with Maria) and I had a dinner with Susan yesterday. She came to the Inquirer today and we had a lunch with Maria, Vernon Loeb, Dotty Brown and Tom Ginsberg. I finally got a haircut today and in the evening Maria and I were invited for dinner by Jane Von Bergen. After the dinner, we did a quick visit to the house of one of Maria's best friend who lives near Jane's house.
After I drove back from Cherry Hill I met Umar who came for the weekend to visit Philly. We had a dinner together with my colleague Barry Zukerman, with whom I went to a concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra. They played two symphonies from Schubert, and it was Christoph Eschenbach's last performance as conductor and music director.
On Thursday, May 22 I got a sudden assignment at 16.30 to go to the airport and ask people about their reaction to U.S. Airways' plan of introducing a $15 fee for the first checked-in luggage. It was the third time I was sent to the airport and I totally agreed with my editor who gave me the assignment saying he knew it was "only a pain in the ass". I felt the pain especially intense when in the afternoon peak it took me half an hour just to get onto the expressway just a few blocks from the office leading to the airport. But I was lucky with the persons I approached and in less than 30 minutes I had a couple of good quotes. And in the end my byline landed on the first page, so it was worth it...:)
I spent the Memorial Day weekend in New York. Umar and I met Susan, Randy and Sopan on Sunday for dinner.
For next Wednesday and Thursday, I had three interviews scheduled for my next story about the current restoration on one of Philadelphia's most impressive buildings, the Masonic Temple. I originally wanted to write about the Masons themselves and using the restoration just as a starting point, but then was convinced by my mentor and my editor to focus on the restoration.
I talked to the director of the Masonic Museum and Library, to the Grand Master of the Masons in Pennsylvania, and to one of the partners of the architectural firm that oversees the works. Although I was really interested in who the Masons really are, the interview with the Grand Master was quite boring as he of course did not want to reveal their secrets. But the other two interviews were really interesting, especially the one with the director of the museum who was very kind and even gave me a tour of the building.
So based on what I had I decided not to write about the Masons at all and focus exclusively on the restoration. But my editor did want something about the Masons and more about the history/significance of the building. Fortunately I had everything she wanted on my records and we could more or less get everything done on Friday and today, before my departure to Florida.
I also had a chance last week to observe the editing of an investigative story. It was interesting to see how the writer and the editor discussed which words and expressions to use at critical points, and what kinds of details the editor wanted to be added. One of the deputy managing editors also came by and gave his suggestions and there was an ethical issue that was discussed as well.
Sopan came over for last weekend (we saw a great jazz performance at Natalie's together with Maria) and I had a dinner with Susan yesterday. She came to the Inquirer today and we had a lunch with Maria, Vernon Loeb, Dotty Brown and Tom Ginsberg. I finally got a haircut today and in the evening Maria and I were invited for dinner by Jane Von Bergen. After the dinner, we did a quick visit to the house of one of Maria's best friend who lives near Jane's house.
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