Linda Battaglia

Current student

Public Relations option

Department of Journalism

California State University, Chico

Q. Prior to attending Chico State, did you have any writing experience or internships that related to journalism?

A. Before coming to Chico State, the only writing experience I had was in the classroom at my high school. We didn't have a school newspaper or anything, so I didn't have an opportunity to write.

Q. Why did you choose to study at Chico State?

A. Three of my cousins went here and absolutely loved it. I knew it was a good school and I wanted to get away from home. I was worried about the party aspect because of its reputation; however, I knew there would be parties at every school. Chico State just appealed to me as not being too far from home, and not too close.

Q. Why did you choose journalism as your major?

A. I recently switched from business to journalism. Business was definitely not my thing. My cousins were all journalism majors here. When I told them how much I hated business, they convinced me to switch to journalism. After looking at the classes I would be taking, I knew journalism was the right choice for me.

Q. What is your minor?

A. My minor is marketing.

Q. What misconceptions about your journalism major (that your coursework has now cleared up, of course) did you have before you entered the program?

A. Before taking classes and finding out more about journalism, I was like: "No way am I going to major in that, it's all writing!" I really thought that journalism would strictly be writing, and A LOT of it. It turns out that, yes, there is writing, but it is really fun. There isn't as much as I thought there would be, especially with the PR option.

Q. What do you hope to do with your degree?

A. I'm definitely interested in moving to a big city and working for a top PR firm. I would love to be involved in fashion, magazines and big companies. The big city really appeals to me. I am passionate about what I am learning here at school and I know this passion will ride out into my job in the future.

Q. What skills do you think you need to get there?

A. I definitely feel that I need to obtain a number of internships. I am hoping to have at least two internships by the time I graduate and to really find my place. I obviously need to commit to my studies and learn as much as I can to be on top when I graduate from Chico State.

Q. What are your perceptions of the future of journalism?

A. You know, it's really sad that the newspaper readership is decreasing. I feel that most journalism in the future will be Web-based and not so much in print anymore.

Q. Who are your role models in the industry? Professors?

A. I haven't been able to have a lot of journalism professors since I just switched my major. But I really admire John Roussell, the teacher of my JOUR 101 class. I admire his experiences in life like his travels and jobs. I also admire a good family friend, Mel Salvador, who has a company called Rockstar PR that is becoming well-known. She gets to work with huge celebrities and attend amazing events. I'd love to be somewhere like she is in my future.

Q. If you were Mr. Goodwrench, what tool would you be and why?

A. I think I would be a hammer because they are always on top of things making sure that things (the nail) are getting done!

Information compiled by Nicole Benbow

Cat Bytes is a student-produced publication of the Department of Journalism / California State University, Chico