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Samantha Cheng Shares Advice on Setting Up a Strong Journalism Career
A journalist-turned-documentarian advises reporters on pitching, finding a mentor and bringing confidence and flexibility to newsrooms.
by Samantha Hooley, National Press Foundation

Working in an industry that’s constantly evolving, there are a few key pieces of journalism advice to maintain your stamina and passion. Samantha Cheng, journalist and co-founder of Heritage Series – documentaries about U.S. ethnic minorities – discussed these tips with NPF’s Widening the Pipeline fellows.

3 Takeaways:
1. Understand technology and how news is delivered
“It’s really important as a journalist to understand how your stories make it on air … if you understand the processes of how news is delivered, you can then argue for your piece,” Cheng said.

When attending editorial meetings, it is crucial to understand how stories make it in front of audiences in order to have a successful pitch.

Understanding graphics and delivery of visuals is important too, according to Cheng.

“Technology is important. I mean, you may not need to know end to end how things work. It’s just really good for you to have a base understanding,” Cheng said.

2. Find a mentor – in or out of the newsroom
Cheng said there are two kinds of mentors: one who will give advice and walk away and one who will guide you for years. She suggests finding the latter.

“A supporting mentor will nurture you and support you throughout your career … someone who understands your space,” she said.

3. Bring confidence and flexibility to your work
“Always be confident. Believe in yourself. If you don’t present as a believable person, no one’s going to believe you,” Cheng said.

If a job starts to wear on you, keep the big picture in mind and pivot.

“I’m not saying leave the industry, but make a lateral move,” Cheng said.

She advised journalists to explore different divisions of their newsrooms to see if other areas interest them. She emphasized the need to be flexible in the journalism industry since it is constantly changing.

“You can’t be set in your ways in this industry because it changes faster than lightning,” she said.

Speaker: Samantha Cheng, Co-founder, Heritage Series, LLC; Producer, Director, Writer,
Documentarian & Journalist

Summary, transcript and resources: https://nationalpress.org/topic/3-thi...

This fellowship is sponsored by the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation and Lenovo. NPF is solely responsible for the content.

This video was produced within the Evelyn Y. Davis studios.