Learning Journalism Through Progressive Reporting: The McPhee Method Approach
By
jsomers
If you only eat one bagel today, this is the bagel.
Summary
The article describes the author's self-taught method for learning journalism through a progressive curriculum of six to seven articles. The approach starts with writing from personal knowledge, then gradually incorporates real-world reporting experiences including shadowing professionals, conducting interviews, and eventually developing the "McPhee method" of immersive, detail-oriented reporting inspired by John McPhee's techniques.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledWhen I first started writing for a real publication, I taught myself "reporting" with a simple self-made curriculum unfolding over six or seven articles
The fourth article required more gumption: I decided to shadow a friend of mine for a day while he did his job as a derivatives trader
I'm not sure how he got me in the door
The method involves starting with what you know and gradually expanding into more challenging reporting scenarios
Progressive approach to developing journalistic skills through practical experience
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