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Stringing Together a Career

Sasha Wilson and Lucinda Holt talking on a bench
Sasha Wilson (left) and Lucinda Holt talk outside the College of Media & Communication.
“I think having a student working as a New York Times stringer is great publicity for the college. It definitely shows that our students have initiative.” -PETE BREWTON

A chance to write for The New York Times is a dream for many journalism students. Two Texas Tech students made that dream come true.

Lucinda Holt (BA Journalism, 2014) and Sasha Wilson (BA Journalism, 2014) have recently worked as stringers for The New York Times. A stringer is someone who helps with articles by doing specific research. Holt and Wilson helped with articles that featured a West Texas or New Mexico element.

Pete Brewton, journalism instructor, said the positions came about after receiving an email from Mark Getzfred, day editor for The New York Times, looking for stringers to help with legwork in the West Texas and New Mexico area. Brewton forwarded the email to a few exceptional students. Holt and Wilson were chosen from the students who applied.

Wilson said Holt was a great choice for the stringer position. Wilson has been greatly impressed by Holt’s work and the dedication that Holt puts into her stories.

“Lucinda works hard for her stories,” Wilson said. “She worked on a story about synthetic marijuana for over a year and talked to dozens of people involved. It was her baby.”

Brewton said there was not a set number of articles that the students will help with. Brewton said he has first-hand experience having worked as a stringer previously. He worked as the Houston correspondent for The Economist for five years.

“The work will be sporadic,” Brewton said. “However, having this sort of position is a good opportunity to get your foot in the door.”

Holt said her tenacity might be one reason why she was selected. She said journalism is about ‘not taking no for an answer’ and persisting when other applicants are more passive.

“I know some students were just sending emails to Mr. Getzferd,” Holt said. “But he gave us his phone number, so I just picked up the phone and called him. I think that might have been one of the deciding factors why I was chosen.”

Wilson said the interview process was fairly standard. She said this would be a good opportunity to get some experience while still in school.

“Mr. Getzfred asked me to send him some of my work,” Wilson said. “ I sent him a few pieces of writing and a video package I had made in Brewton’s class and was then offered the job. I am grateful for the opportunity.”

Since Getzfred works in New York, Holt said all communication takes place through email or over the phone. She said even the initial interview took place over the phone and was very relaxed.

“The interview with Mr. Getzfred was very laid back,” Holt said. “We spent most of the interview talking about Texas and school. He told me in the middle ‘I feel comfortable with you. You have the position.’”

“Mr. Getzfred kept asking me about Clovis,” Holt said. “I’m not sure if a something is happening in Clovis or if he just wanted to see how far I could travel for a story.”

Holt and Wilson are both older, non-traditional students. Wilson said this might be a reason why both students were selected.

“I just think Lucinda and I are much more focused than some other students,” Wilson said. “We have had more life experience. We also took the original email seriously since we have seen the job market and know any bit of journalism experience can help your resume.”

As for ideas about what types of stories the two students might cover, Brewton thought a story focusing on Cannon Air Force Base might be a possibility.

“Lucinda told me that Mr. Getzfred kept mentioning Clovis to her during the interview,” Brewton said. “Cannon Air Force Base has recently changed purpose so that could be an interesting story.”

Brewton said that a stringer position will mostly involve doing local research or conducting interviews with local sources. However, a chance to get one’s name in the paper is possible.

“A stringer mostly does legwork for a writer,” Brewton said. “I think it will also be possible to run their own story ideas past the editor.”

Wilson said this position would be a great way for her to get started in the field. Wilson said she has national-level aspirations and a stringer position would be a good start.

“I eventually would like to be a reporter for CNN,” Wilson said. “I know that is a wild dream but I am working my way there.”

Holt agreed that this position would be a good start in the field of journalism. She hopes to work internationally in the future.

“I would like to be a foreign correspondent in the Middle East,” Holt said. “My husband has served in the military overseas and I think that part of the world is fascinating.”

Brewton said having journalism students working as stringers is great for the college. Brewton also said it shows what kind of students the college produces.

“I think having a student working as a New York Times stringer is great publicity for the college,” Brewton said. “It definitely shows that our students have initiative.”

Wilson said that she would not have gotten the position without the knowledge she has gained in the classroom. She said the college is doing all it can to stay on top of the field.

“I think being selected proves that the college is reaching out and touching every aspect of communication,” Wilson said. “It proves that the college is making sure our education is whole and complete. The way the industry is advancing, we have to do it all.” mc

(Preston Redden graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts degree in Mass Communications and in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Jay Crain is a senior electronic media and communications major from De Kalb, Texas.)

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