Ole Miss Alumna Gives Advice to Students

Leslie Dickinson

Jour 271

October 15, 2012

Meek Week

429 words

Ole Miss Alumna Gives Advice to Students

UNIVERSITY, Miss - Aspiring journalism students packed themselves in Farley Thursday morning to listen to Sandra Knispel, a German native who worked her way to succeed in journalism. Knispel came to speak to students during the Meek School of Journalism and New Media’s “Meek Week” about her experience in the journalism field. She gave simple but necessary advice along with stories from her experiences.

Sandra Knispel gives advice to students through her experiences as a journalist. 

            Knispel has worked across the journalism platform. She has gone from newspapers to new media. She has worked with print, broadcast, and radio. She started out with telling the students that it is hard “not just getting a job but maintain and keeping a journalist job,” said Knispel. She said that to gain the experience to become a good journalist and succeed do anything they ask like work on the weekends. “Just say yes and do it,” said Knispel. To be a journalist you need know everything from broadcast to writing.  Knispel snuck in some humor by saying, “just put it in the bathroom and you’ll have time there,” referring to reading Newsweek and Time Magazine.

            Knispel made sure to mention the importance of knowing the basics. Things like don’t spell names wrong and invest in a grammar book. “A good editor brings out the best reporter,” said Knispel. Having a good editor will make sure you have the correct grammar and correct facts.  

            Knispel has won the Edward R. Murrow award twice; the most current was for her news series on Smithville. She shared with the audience an excerpt of the series. When listening to the excerpt the audience could hear the very descriptive details that Knispel included in her series. By showing this to the audience she was able to give her thoughts on reporting stories in small towns. One that stuck out was to go the gas stations because that is where most people are in a small town. She also added to look at the stats and report the facts.  

            Knispel most memorable interview was with a PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, patient. With this story she is able to tell the audience that it is ok to cry, the interviewee will open up more because the reporter will not look like a hard news reporter but as a person they can trust. By interviewing a PTSD patient you have to practice human dignity, and with that you as a reporter are able to build a good reputation. “Do no harm,” said Knispel.

            “Stand your ground,” said Knispel as she ended her presentation to the aspiring students looking to pursue a career in journalism. 

Sandra Knispel Meek Week

Paige Gustafson

JOUR 271

16 October 2012

442 words

Tips to Become a Successful Journalist

UNIVERSITY, Miss.—When German-born journalist Sandra Knispel moved to the United States, she worked for a newspaper in N.Y. and realized it was the worst job in the universe. “I had the most horrible boss you could imagine. He was sexist, he was racist, and he had a horrible temper,” Knispel said.

It’s safe to say Knispel didn’t run away from the hectic journalism industry, even after quitting the horrid job in three months. Since then, Knispel has worked the journalism industry at all angels.

National television anchor in London for Bloomberg TV Germany, managing editor for the weekly Oxford Enterprise, multimedia editor for Bloomberg Financial Markets in Princeton, N.J., and later London were a few of the many jobs Knispel took up as a journalist. Since 2002, Knispel has been freelancing for Mississippi Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio.

Knispel shared her many accomplishments to a packed room of faculty and journalism major students in Farley Hall Thursday morning. The students were all ears as Knispel stressed the importance of internships and news consumption in the journalism industry.

“Do internships as quickly as you can. You need internships, you need clips and you need work to show off to prospective employees,” Knispel said.

When looking for internships, Knispel said if there are openings on the weekends go for it because not many people will. Starting out in the industry Knispel worked during the week and did internships on the weekends. Internships are what gave Knispel the experience she needed to work in the industry.

“If you don’t know how to do something [a task in an internship] then ask questions and study at night. There are so many good books that explain how to be a good reporter. Read everything you can and consume news,” Knispel said.

Besides books, Knispel said it’s a great investment to get a subscription to Newsweek or Time magazine. If you’re in a job interview and something comes up it makes a huge difference knowing what is going on in the world.

“If you only watch local television news as your main source, you are totally uninformed…You will have no idea what is going on nationally or internationally if that is all you rely on,” Knispel said.

Joseph Atkins, Ole Miss journalism professor, couldn’t imagine a better journalist to speak to the students. “Sandra you‘re the perfect example for multimedia journalism, radio and television, magazines, newspapers and so forth,” said Atkins.

Atkins asked Knispel how important it is for young graduates, coming into the journalism field, to be flexible and to be able to adapt to various sorts of media.

“If you want to eat,” Knispel laughed, “if you want to have a career that keeps going, even though you may move, gosh you have to know everything.”

Sandra Knispel

Sarah Douglass

Jour 271

Oct. 16

443 Words

      

Sandra Knispel, alumni from the University of Mississippi, talks candidly with students about integrity, flexibility, and determination with journalism students.

  Sandra Knispel

UNIVERSITY, Miss. - Tucked away in a sound proofed room in her Mississippi home, Sandra Knispel sits weaving heart wrenching clips with colorfully narrative soundbites creating award winning broadcast reports. 

After years of work as a multi media reporter, Knispel views herself as just “another human-being who is interested.”

As a native German, Knispel’s accent isn’t the only thing that separates her from other journalists on the job. Her loyalty to the principle of do no harm has proven she embodies what journalism was intended to be. 

“I found out in the field that so few journalists know that principle, adhere to that principle,” Knispel said. 

With recent displays of dishonesty in journalists, people have grown to value the importance of honesty in reporters. 

“I’d rather a journalist be upfront about what they are doing and give me just a few facts rather than a journalist go undercover and be sleazy about getting the full lowdown on what’s going on,” Camille Edlen, sophomore pharmacist major at the University of Mississippi, said. 

Along with upholding her integrity as a journalist, Knispel has found a way to gracefully balance the desire of positive outlooks after a disaster with the truth in her reports. 

“It is your job as a reporter to overcome that feeling of saying ‘O, it will all be okay,’” she said. “That’s natural, it’s human, but it’s your duty to report the facts.”

After graduating with a B.A. in politics and Russian studies from the University of Wales, Swansea, she continued her education at the University of Mississippi where she earned her M.A. in journalism 

With experience ranging from a national television anchor in London for Bloomberg TV Germany, regional German newspapers, to a freelance reporter for Mississippi Public Broadcasting and NPR she has mastered the art of multimedia journalism. 

Journalism student, Megan Hauglid referred to Knispel’s range of work as “inspiring”.

Stressing the importance of being able to juggle all platforms of reporting she joked “do you want to eat?”

Balancing professionalism with sincerity is one way Knispel has gotten ahead. 

“I cry my way through some interviews, and it is okay,” she said. “In the beginning as a young reporter I thought I had to suppress that, I thought it made me look unprofessional, and you know what? It doesn’t.” 

By valuing “human decency” she has excelled in the life as a journalist. 

“By crying a lot, it tells the interviewer you know what? You’re only human and you’re taking their pain seriously,” she said. “And I find that after that people do open up and tell you more things because they don’t perceive you as that hard nose reporter.”

Megan Hauglid

JOUR. 271

Oct. 15. 2012

Feature Story

495 words

            UNIVERSITY, Miss. – Sandra Knispel, a native of Germany, started her life in the United States looking for a career in journalism, and has now received two Edward R. Murrow Awards for her work in Radio Broadcasting. Knispel currently works as a radio reporter for Mississippi Public Broadcasting; she is also writes freelance for NPR and WKNO in Memphis.

            Knispel graduated with a B.A. in politics and Russian studies from the University of Wales, Swansea, and a M.A in journalism from the University of Mississippi. Knispel worked for a variety of companies including Bloomberg TV in Germany, regional German newspapers, a national German-American newspaper in New York City, Bloomberg Financial Markets in Princeton, New Jersey, Bloomberg in London and the Oxford Enterprise in Oxford, Mississippi.

Knispel says she has experienced working for “horrible bosses” as well as working for rewarding jobs. Throughout her years in journalism, Knispel has mastered how to “show don’t tell” allowing the subjects to do the “emotional lifting.”

Knispel’s determination and will helped her succeed in finding a career in journalism. While interviewing for a company in the United States, Knispel said that she was “willing to do whatever it takes, work for free, drive there” regardless of the fact that it was a four hour round trip.

Her hard work eventually led her to reporting events such as the EF-5 tornado that flattened the small town of Smithville, Mississippi. Knispel received an Edward R. Murrow Award for her Smithville story, which qualified for the news series category. The Radio-Television News Directors Association has given out the Edward R. Murrow Award to broadcast news organizations since 1971.

“It’s fascinating to see how someone from a different country can come to the United States and achieve so much in such a short time,” sophomore journalism major Sarah Douglass said.

            While reporting the facts about the Smithville tragedy, Knispel learned that you have to report the facts, as a journalist, you can’t just say, “it’s all okay.” 14 Smithville citizens died as a result of the EF-5 tornado and Knispel realized that she couldn’t just report what happened anymore; she had to interview people and figure out what’s next.

            Knispel also expressed the importance of the principle of “do no harm.” Knispel faced this challenge while interviewing a soldier who was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“The things that stick in my mind is that soldier with all the tattoos who looked like a tough guy and then he was a crying man,” Knispel said. “People who tell you incredibly personal things that they probably haven’t told their friends and all of a sudden they trust you.”

Unlike most speakers who come to the Meek School of Journalism and New Media, Sandra Knispel provided us with life lessons instead of the usual “build your resume” talk that most students hear. Knispel provided students with an outlook on how to use your determination and keep pushing through because you’ll learn along the way. 

             

Ole Miss Grad Chronicles Journalism Journey during Meek Week

MarKeicha Dickens

Meek Week Story

October 16, 2012

Jour 271

444 Words

                          Ole Miss Grad Chronicles Journalism Journey during Meek Week

UNIVERSITY, Miss-- Mississippi Public Broadcasting lucked out when they hired this ball of entertainment. From the looks and sounds of Sandra Knispel, one would never guess she studied at Ole Miss. The German born and bred journalist received her MA in journalism from the university and has gone on to accomplish some great things. The former Bloomberg TV anchor talked about her journey and gave advice to a crowded room full of aspiring undergrads Thursday morning.  

            Straight out of college Knispel’s first job was in New York City where she worked for a German-American newspaper that no longer exists. She hated her boss. She hated her job. She even plagiarized.

“My green card was tied to this job,” Knispel laughed as she reminisced about this trying time in her career, “I didn’t know what else to do!”

After quitting for not being given enough vacation time for the holidays, Knispel worked for Bloomberg TV in Princeton. The shift from newspaper to media was intense. She advised the quiet but alert class to take openings on the weekend. The beauty of doing so is that more responsibility falls on you, making it seem like you are outworking everyone she explained.

After moving to Mississippi in 2001, the new mother of twins began freelancing for MPB the following year. She has received numerous accolades and awards while working at MPB, her most recent being an Edward R. Murrow (RTDNA) award for her feature series about the tornado that ripped through Smithville, Miss.

Knispel walked her audience through exactly how she received this prestigious honor. She never wrote that the people she interviewed were sad or emotional. She let her quotes and sound bites tell the story and found people who were personally affected by this tragedy.

“I didn’t want to do any harm to anyone. If someone started to cry during their interview I turned it (the recorder) off. You just don’t do that,” Knispel said. She hung out at gas stations and added personal touches to her finished project. The most important thing she did however was brought some positivity to her story, because people’s lives go on. They don’t just stay down and out, they rebuild themselves and find normalcy again someday.

At the end of her discussion Knispel wanted to know if questions were had by any. Professor Joseph B. Atkins broke the ice by asking the seasoned journalist to let the students know how crucial it was for young graduates to be flexible. Knispel’s reply? “If you want to eat, very important.”

Hayden Phillips           

JOUR 271

10/15/12

Sandra Knispel

437 Words

            UNIVERSITY, Miss. – Classroom 124 in Farley Hall had more people standing against the wall than sitting in desks last Thursday at 11 a.m. Students and faculty of the University of Mississippi were gathered together as part of the Meek School of Journalism’s ‘Meek Week.’

            Meek Week at Ole Miss is when numerous professionals from the media world come to lecture and give advice on certain topics over the course of a week. Some students were required to attend specific events by their professors of journalism classes and some went by personal choice.

            Sandra Knispel, a renowned media writer and award winner, was the subject of concentration at 11 a.m. last Thursday. Knispel, a native of Germany, has lived, studied and worked all over Europe and the United States. Now living in Oxford, she has been freelancing for Mississippi Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio since 2002. Knispel is also the general manager and managing editor for The Oxford Enterprise.

            In her lecture, Knispel told about personal experiences that have stood out in her career and gave advice to the students about specific things. Students were also given the chance to ask questions and have a personal experience with Knispel since it was held in a small classroom.

            A student asked if it was really important for a Journalism student at this day and age to be good at many kinds of Media.

“If you want to eat. Gosh…you need to know everything,” Knispel said.

            She started her career out when she moved to New York city at age 23 to work for a German American newspaper in which she shared a bad experience. Knispel stressed repetitively how important it is for young college students to get internships and experience in order to start their careers on the right foot.

            The hour was spent learning the acceptable and non-acceptable actions of reporting and interviewing. There were many stories told of past experiences such as interviewing tornado victims or farmers with flooded land. She emphasized her advice on what it is like and how to handle traumatized sources.

            Knispel told a story of an interview she had with a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder. The source was an army veteran and it was hard for him to answer questions without getting sad and crying.

            “Crying along with a person in an interview is ok. They perceive you as another human being that is just interested,” Knispel said.

            She explained how you should give sources time in these situations and even more importantly a journalist should be real with their source.

Danielle Bean

Jour 271

10/4/12

Word Count:

UNIVERSITY, Miss. -  After 50 years of the University of Mississippi being integrated, distinguished members of the University’s administration came together to recall the events that impacted the University in different ways.

            The discussion panel entitled, “Ole Miss After The Crisis: An Assessment of Racial Progress” was the one of many events that were a part of the “The University of Mississippi: Opening the Closed Society” that helped celebrated the 50^th year event of James Meredith being allowed to enroll at the University of Mississippi.

Panelists included the moderator, David Sansing, Donald Cole, Valeria Ross and Gerald Walton. Cole, who was once expelled from the University of Mississippi for taking part in a civil rights demonstrations, came back to become an assistant to the Chancellor. Ross, who attended the university in 1990, is also a leading figure in racial reconciliation on campus. Walton, who played a constructive role at Ole Miss as a young professor in 1962, later rose to become provost before his retirement. Sansing, the emeritus professor of history and author of the sesquicentennial history, “The University of Mississippi,” was the moderator.

            “The student body has seen a lot of change. It has been slow, hard, and difficult,” said Walton in reflecting on the progress of the university throughout the years.

            The stories that were told from the panelists were about how the University of Mississippi has changed throughout the years and still is changing.

            “The University has always attracted students, good students, students with promise,” said Cole, “but at the time I wanted to fix the university, the town, and the state to make people more comfortable here”.

            “I’m excited and I commend Mr. Meredith on what he did for African-American students. And to hear what Dr. Cole and Mrs. Ross said at these events, makes me more proud to be an African American student here,” said Breanne Griffin, a sophomore biology major.

            Walton and many others agree that “the university still has a long way to go but we have made some magnificent moves in the right direction”.