Ashley Gebb

2008 graduate

News-Editorial option

Department of Journalism

California State University, Chico

Q. How have your perceptions of journalism changed between when you started the program and now?

A. When I started out, I actually knew very little about the profession. I was fascinated and intrigued by the different ways a story could be written. I had no idea of all the options that would become available to me or the bittersweet perception the public has of the media. When I originally started out, I thought metropolitan big-time news was what everyone wanted to read and why they picked up the paper. But in my five years here, I have realized people turn to the Internet for their national/international/state news, but only one source can tell you about your town - community journalism, with a focus on people, places and things both good and bad. I still struggle with the role a journalist plays or my faith in how long print will last or what form it will eventually take.

Q. Was journalism what you expected it to be?

A. It was everything and nothing I expected at the same time. The writing, the interviewing, the editing were all predictable. But what I learned about fairness, accuracy, diversity and ethics opened my eyes to issues I had never really thought about and now cannot escape. I have always loved people, but the challenges and opportunities that are available to me as a journalist I never would have imagined.

Q. How have your goals changed?

A. I once thought I would become a reporter for a big-city, metropolitan newspaper, but now I want to pursue a career in community journalism, thanks to the insight of an inspiring teacher and my experience at a community newspaper last summer. I am also considering teaching journalism, because of my love of education, the teachers who have helped me reach this point in my life and my experience mentoring journalism students at Pleasant Valley High School.

Q. What has been the most beneficial course in the journalism program, and why?

A. It's often seen as a cop-out answer, but no course has been more beneficial than another. Jour 260 was the foundation that sealed me onto this career path, but I would not be complete without my classes in ethics, law and diversity. I don't really consider it a course, but The Orion, the best first example of a real newsroom any student could have, has probably helped me more than any other class because it has challenged me in my six semesters there to put the ethics, law and diversity I learned in classrooms into action.

Q. What course had the most surprising impact on your potential career options?

A. "Photojournalism," because it is the only course where I have learned a bit of multimedia, which is crucial for getting a job in this modern newsroom market.

Q. If you could change one thing about the journalism program at Chico State, what would it be?

A. The journalism program is crippling its students by not allowing them to minor within the department. A minor in communication design or media arts would have allowed me to learn some of the most desirable traits in journalism graduates. I was always too busy finishing my theme, minor, G.E. classes and spending countless hours working at The Orion to take classes to learn multimedia skills. If I could have used them as requirements to graduate, I would have taken them in a heartbeat. Even if we could just include basic multimedia classes within the core journalism program, our graduates would be exponentially better suited for a career in a real newsroom.

Q. What extra-curricular activities (e.g., clubs, internships, study abroad) have helped shape your worldview and preparation for the “real” world?

A.My time with the speech and debate team, the Society of Professional Journalists and my internship at the Appeal-Democrat in Marysville have all helped prepare me for and show me what the "real" world is like.

Q. What is your minor and how does it fit with your employment goals?

A. My minor is Spanish. Spanish-speakers are becoming a majority within California. Not only am I more desirable as an employee, I will have more opportunities to pursue stories I otherwise would not have been able to. Last summer I interviewed an Iraq soldier home on leave. His parents did not speak a word of English. I was the only one in the newsroom who could do the story, and now it's one of my best clips.

Q. Do you feel equipped to go into the workforce?

A. I do feel equipped, but know I could be better equipped. If I had knowledge of and a background in multimedia, whether videos, audio slideshows or other digital projects, my job options would expand greatly. That is one of my only regrets about graduating now instead of waiting to be more prepared.

Q. What qualities does a journalist embody?

A. Passionate, inquisitive, honest, ethical, creative, people-person, open-minded, quick on his/her feet, persistent.

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

A. Community journalism and online. We will always have wire stories to inform us of the goings-on of Iraq/Afghanistan/Iran/etc., world disasters, political circuses and environmental fears and developments. But there will also always be an interest to know about who raised the largest pig at the country fair, when a podunk town gets its first stoplight, when a small business rises to success. We will always need to know what happened at city council or who is running for mayor. But we will also want those stories in online form, with videos, audio slideshows, the option for public commentary and feedback. The percentage differences between readers who read print versus online will rise and fall. And all newsrooms will have to change to accommodate them. It will be exciting, scary and different. But news is news and always will be.

Information compiled by Christy Pryde

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