My work experience commenced on April 10 2007. I had never had any experience with working on a local newspaper before, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. From living in Southampton all of my life I had a good knowledge of reading the newspaper but not the creation side that went into making it. My Dad had visited the office for various jobs a few times and described what the newsroom was like. However nothing could have prepared me for the sheer size of it all, I was truly amazed! The office was split up into sections with different groups of people working on different parts of the paper, for example news, features, sports, sales and advertising, photography etc… It was then how I realised how much work goes into making a newspaper and getting a new print out everyday.

There was another girl called Gemma that also started work experience that day. She was very nice and we had things in common, for example, how we both attended university and had an idea that we wanted to become journalists.

The first activity of the day was to go out on a job with Ash Bolton. The story was about the first Princess Anne Hospital baby that was born 25 year ago, now having her very own baby! I went with Ash to ask some questions to the family. The baby was so cute! The Photographer Chris Moorhouse was there as well taking pictures to go with the story in the newspaper. They lived in Calmore, which was very near to where I live. Ash was a bit unsure how to get to the house, so I was able to direct him. I had a chance to ask Ash about the work he does and how long he has been doing it etc… and this was very useful to hear his answers.

When I came back Gemma and I were set a task to try and write a feature on the Wheels Appeal being run by the Rose Road Association. I found this task quite hard as we had to try and have a personal approach and we kept not getting the introduction quite right. This task took us to half way through the second day.

In the afternoon of the second day we were set a task to try and find out things that we didn’t know had names and to find foreign signs with bad translations. This task was a laugh to do and I enjoyed it.

The next day Gemma and I went to different departments. I went to the features section and helped them out with some sections to go in to the ‘What’s On’ pages of the newspaper and the weekend magazine. I found this day the most pro-active one and felt like I was really having input into the newspaper. Also went out with Sally to an art exhibition at the Bargate. The art exhibition had different art pieces of what it means to be human. One artist decided that he was going to sit in an armchair and that was his idea of what it meant to be human. People that visited the art exhibition also had their chance to sit in the chair if they wanted too, but it had to be a very quick change over as the chair could never be left unoccupied. I had my chance of sitting in the chair! We had camera and microphone out with us so that we could do a ‘Video News’ clip and Sally took some footage of me in the chair. Malcolm the photographer was also there and took photos for the weekend magazine. I had to say how I felt, I said ‘I felt artistic and special. I also felt I had the responsibility of having to sit in the chair and wasn’t allowed to get out of it’.

On the last day before the weekend, I was very tired at this stage and glad that the weekend had come around. I had really enjoyed the first week but with everything being new, trying to put all my effort into things and not being used to working 9 till 4.30, I was feeling the effects. I worked in the archive library that day, it was really fascinating seeing all the old newspapers and the way they were stored. I went out with the photographer, Chris Moorhouse, in the afternoon and again got to ask him lots of questions. At the end of the day, he mentioned that he would be going to the Saints match that weekend, to take photos. He showed me the lens that he uses, it was very big and heavy, but very impressive!

I came back for my second week. Dave King had asked me based on my first week what I would like to be doing the second week. I said I wanted to do half on features and half on news. He said that was fine.

My first day on features I had to write about a couple of plays that were showing next week. I also had to do a feature on the benefits of owning a holiday home. My last task was to do some research on retro sweets for the ‘What’s On’ section of the newspaper.

The second day on features, I completed quite a few tasks, including writing a preview for a new play coming to the South for the Looking Ahead section of ‘What’s On’ and a preview for ‘Rat Pack: Live from Las Vegas’ coming to the Mayflower. Also used my research skills to complete the 48 hours section suggesting things to do with the kids, date, folks and what to sing along too and what films to rent. I used the Internet and some leaflets Lorelei gave me. I enjoyed this task and it got me thinking about how I might like to spend my weekend!

When moving to News, I was given a couple of stories to write up. I then was given a News Release/Photocall Notice about the fundraising event, Big Bike Ride 2007, for the NSPCC, that the Saints were lending a hand with publicity in order to recruit cycle ride organisers. I was told I would go out to get some quotes and then write the news story up. I found this task challenging, as I wasn’t quite sure what I should ask! It was great seeing the players, but even though I had prepared questions it was really hard knowing what to ask! I got some things from the NSPCC Communications Officer for the South and East who spoke to me as well. Stuart the photographer was there taking photos as well to put with the story.

My last and final day, I went to the features department to help them out with a feature on health matters, I researched and wrote a piece on dental treatment.

My time spent at the Daily Echo was a worth while, brilliant experience that’s taught me a lot more about journalism at work. There is a big difference between just reading a profile for a journalist on a careers Internet site and seeing one working in the real and almost being a one yourself within the work experience. I found the staff very friendly and helpful, which put me at ease.
Christine Kerr

As my last hour of work experience draws near, I'll let you in on my experiences of the past few days.

I went out with a photographer to a school - where my hand became famous in the pages of the Echo for a picture story on text messages being sent to parents when their children truant. I had to hold up a mobile phone and pose next to the school sign in chilly weather. A different job, you could say.

Today, was all indoors in the office and printing building. I wrote two pieces for FastTrack, the Southampton airport magazine - one on Frankfurt and a more challenging article covering the highlights of the Isle of Man. Tricky.

At lunchtime we visited the printing presses to see how all the papers are printed. Would you have guessed, all the double page spreads are inked onto sheets of aluminium as the base copy first, then re-printed onto paper. The rolls of paper are about 50 miles long - that's got to be a small forest of trees at least!
All dud papers which go out first are thankfully recycled, but after a while we had to leave due to the strong smell of ink in the building.

Back in the main offices I grabbed some interesting facts for the weekend supplement - did you know 10,000 birds die every year flying into closed windows? Or that Roman babies with crooked noses were thought to grow up to be good leaders? No? Well you do now.

My last job was writing a short 3 paragraph story on the Southampton branch of the British Cactus and Succulent society handing out cacti to children so they become more interested in them! Fascinating interview with the 75 year old 'publicity officer' and an experience which has put me in good stead for my news life of the future.

Overall the week has been quality - shame it's Good Friday tomorrow huh? A day off on work experience is such a shame isn't it... ;)

Signing out before my big break after graduation,
Dom Sacco.

Today proved to be much more challenging than it first appeared, after having to chase rats around a park.

Yes, I had questioned if such a thing counts as journalism, but apparantly it does, since it's to do with gathering information about the rat-infested area of Sholing - a top story.

These rats have been in the area for over a year now, with residents up in arms over them swarming a park and moving out into the surrounding houses.

So what did we do to cover the story? Go around with a nearby resident and her four children rat hunting. Yes, that's right, rat hunting. Although we didn't technical call it a rat hunt, that's what it was, so for the purposes of this blog that's what I'll call it.

Again, Will was at hand with video camera and mic, Jo the photographer was also with us today and I was armed with my trusty notepad and pen. When we got to the park, about six rats ran from one bush to another. The four kids started getting all excited and shouting, scaring the rats off. You know what happened next - Jo was telling us to keep quiet so to not scare the rats off and miss her chance of capturing a clear photo. The irony of the situation was that Jo started panicking and couldn't handle the pressure of taking a picture of a rat, so stuck close to Will and myself. She changed to a longer lens so she didn't have to get close to one of the park's little vermin. Picture it - a nervous photographer, Will a journalist hurriedly moving the camera to try and film a rat running about when we found one and myself keeping an eye out for more of them.

After seeing about twenty rats, we reach the edge of a lake and the edge of the park. When spotting two rats on an island in the middle, it was to my humour and Jo's horror that they started swimming towards us. Yes, rats, with long tails and squeaky teeth were coming right for us. Luckily, this allowed us to get some great shots of them - but made some nearby ducks go a bit loopy. These ducks chased the rats away, then while still angered, came towards us, hissing into the air and right up to a poor little child with his grandmother, who just so happened to be walking past at the time, causing the child to start crying.

"What on earth is going on?," I think to myself. Since I've been at the Echo just under two days now, I've seen rats get attacked by ducks, a six foot iguana walked by its owner and children starting to throw sticks at the rats (to get them to move for the camera shots of course).
This creates quite the scene, so many residents walking around the park stop and I manage to grab some quotes from them for Will's article. Using shorthand is great for jotting down important notes quickly - one difficult task is asking for an older woman's age. Word of advise: don't overdo it.

And so, after an hour or so of the hunt, we had back to Zena's house (parent of the four children) for a brief interview. Then its back to the office and time to write the story up. Phew.

Signing off for now,
Dom Sacco,
Journalist and new-age rat hunter.

This is the first of hopefully many a blog written by work experience students at the Echo offices.
After stumbling across this section of the website, I thought why not have a blog for us keen work placement people to write, while here at the Echo - so I chatted to IT guru Phil and we got this show on the road!

Firs things first - there are a lot of us carrying out work experience here in just one week, around eight or so in total. So, making yourself stand out with confidence and enthusiasm is vital as you work with the different departments, especially if you have a work placement upcoming.
As for me, I've been hauled right into the deep end of the news team, as I found out first thing on Monday morning, when I came face to face with a six foot iguana.

The story we were sent to report concerned a man who takes his pet for walks on the streets of Southampton. His was not your ordinary, cute labrador puppy however - his was a giant, six foot iguana with sharp claws and a stubborn attitude.

Kevin Pearce, 42, spoke to us about his new pet as he hopes to discover nearby residents with similar exotic breeds. I was helping out Will, one of the Echo's super sleek journalists armed with a video camera to capture this story for the website. And so, I found myself watching Kevin take this gigantuan iguana for a walk down his street, lead and all, while Will filmed it. At one point the iguana rebelled and scratched its owner on the face, making him bleed.
After a quick interview with Kevin and his family about this quirky creature, who sometimes goes up to their front door and knocks, we were finished. Our experienced photographer, Malcolm, took photographs of our scaly friend eating grass and being held over Kevin's shoulder.

All in all, quite a surreal experience, I'm sure you'll agree, but one that will stick with me.
News isn't all fun and games however - writing up press releases and NIBs (news in brief) gives you a sense that news can be hard and requires strong effort.

Signing out for day one,
Dom Sacco.
Cool new school journalist.