Zuri Berry

2007 graduate

News-Editorial option

Employed as

Sports Writer / Online Communication Manager

The Grass Valley Union

Q. Thinking back to your early days in the journalism program (e.g., “Writing for Mass Media”), is journalism what you expected it to be?

A. Hell yeah. I wasn't just a student of the craft; I was a student of the business. The industry is no surprise to me and it's no surprise what's asked of me on a daily basis to contribute to my paper.

Q. How are you applying the skills you learned in the journalism program at Chico State?

A. By pumping out copy everyday and using my news judgment to write headlines and figure story placement.

Q. How many jobs have you held since graduation?

A. Just one, which I obtained after an internship.

Q. Are you happy with your job (and life) post-graduation?

A. There could always be more money, but yeah, I'm happy that I'm doing what I love and having an impact in a strong way.

Q. Please briefly describe what you do in an average day.

A. My duties will vary dramatically in the coming weeks. Right now, I cover games and write a weekly column for The Union while helping layout/design/paginate pages each day. In addition, I recruit bloggers for our Web site and I lead in the viral marketing for our new Web site, which is launching May 19.

Pretty soon I'll be moderating the online message boards and blogs in addition to managing user-generated content for reverse publishing.

Q. Do you think the journalism program prepared you well for your job?

A. There's nothing better than the experience you gain from reporting and editing on a daily basis. The journalism program, via The Orion and Cat Bytes, helped push me in the direction I need to be in to be successful.

I was prepped with the tools needed to not just write and edit but manage the people politics that are involved in every newsroom.

Q. Do you think the skills you gained in the program gave you a competitive edge in the job market? Why or why not?

A. Yes, particularly my skills with online tools as well as my pagination skills. There’s no shortage of people who can write and edit concisely. But the complete set of tools I carry make me an attractive candidate that stands above the pack.

Q. What do you wish you’d learned or done differently while a journalism student at Chico State?

A. I wish I spent more time designing pages in addition to my editing duties on The Orion. I also wish I spent more time learning how to design Web sites and playing with tools like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Q. Do you have any advice for graduating seniors?

A. Give yourself enough tools to not just succeed but excel beyond the pack.

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

A. There are two possible outcomes: Newspapers will put the cookie back in the jar (i.e. Less online content available) or become more magazine-ish while the focus will be shifted heavily toward online endeavors.

Information compiled by Shannon York

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