Freelance

U-T San Diego

Mobile-home owners hit with rent control fee

Chula Vista rec, library to merge

South Bay Community Services to move downtown

Applicants sought for exchange program

Friendship Games planned for Saturday

Sharp Chula Vista cancer center brings services under one roof

Exercise your shopping options at Team USA Store

Chula Vista OKs rules for undoing tourism tax

Chula Vista leans on private industry

Marijuana initiative appears headed to ballot

Chula Vista council wrestles with budget

Chula Vista breaks ground for Third Avenue project

Courtyard homes come to Otay Ranch

Bright future for academic standouts

Report says Chula Vista police short on 'proactive time'

Fight against childhood obesity kicks off

National City rejects Walmart liquor-sales request

Chula Vista pushes home energy upgrades

Marketing manager shares Chula Vista plan

Citizens get a look at Chula Vista budget

Complaints over cheer team

San Diego Uptown News

Old House Fair promises new features

San Diego's 23rd EarthFair draws diverse crowd and ideas (Photos and Copy)

Photos

Sets & Galleries

• Pictures From The Hawaii Capitol Today
• Civil Unions: Photos Of A Day Of Drama
• Homelessness: Gene Champion

learning a lot

I've been drinking from the fire hydrant again. Too many lessons learned to summarize all here, but a couple of highlights I don't want to forget:

• Submit records requests for correspondence to ALL parties involved in the exchanges. That will help keep everybody honest and ensure nobody's burying the inconvenient parts of the conversation.
• E-mail people — in advance, as follow-up, or just to plain get their attention if they're not returning your calls. I know they told us in J-school not to do this, but it helps prepare your sources for your phone calls. They're better prepared with answers for your questions, and it makes for higher-quality conversations almost every single time. Also, an e-mail, unlike a voicemail, continues sitting there as a reminder that they need to respond.
• BE. TEACHABLE. I don't know even half of everything. Every suggestion or critique is an opportunity to learn.
• Don't be afraid of people questioning you.
• Be tenacious. Follow up, follow up, follow up, and get people's cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
• Sit down face-to-face with key sources. Have lunch or coffee. Get to know them, let them get to know you and just talk story. It's better to establish solid relationships before you need something from them. They'll be more likely to help you later on. And you can get tons of story ideas from this practice.

OK, got lots to do today still — 4:10 p.m. on a Friday before a four-day weekend. Oy.

Awards

• First Place Public Service Reporting, 2011 SPJ Excellence in Journalism Awards, Hawaii Chapter, for "Taken for a Ride" series on Hawaii's rising school bus costs
• First Place Government Reporting, 2011 SPJ Excellence in Journalism Awards, Hawaii Chapter,  for "Taken for a Ride" series on Hawaii's rising school bus costs
• First Place News Photography, 2010 SPJ Excellence in Journalism Awards, Hawaii Chapter
• Finalist, Photo Essay, 2010 SPJ Excellence in Journalism Awards, Hawaii Chapter
• First Place Non-Deadline Reporting in 2009 Alabama Associated Press Managing Editors Contest for "When Homelessness Hits Home"
• First Place Best Special Section in 2009 Associated Press of Alabama Better Newspaper Contest for "When Homelessness Hits Home"
• Second Place Best News Feature in 2010 Associated Press of Alabama Better Newspaper Contest for "Caution: Dangerous Reading Ahead"
• First Place Community Service Journalism 2008, Associated Press of Alabama
• First Place Sports News 2007 Michigan Press Association College Editorial Contest

Ft. Benning