Tips from an editor: Nathan Rode

Baseball America writer and former Pendulum editor Nathan Rode spoke to our class Friday, March 11. He talked about the purpose of his company — to cover more than just the ESPN-MLB stories, getting down to the amateur players. He also offered his tips on how to be successful as a reporter. His blog, focused on high school baseball, can be found here.

BaseballAmerica.com

1. Editors are trained to make your writing better, but if you ask your peers, they can give you the perspective of an average reader.

Rode works on a story for Baseball America. Photo submitted.

2. Work ahead. You’re not always going to be under the gun.

3. Write and record interviews. It will save time, and it will also provide a backup.

4. Use your sources. Don’t interview someone and then not use their quotes.

5. Have a notebook handy.

6. Learn and adapt. You’re going to make mistakes. Take the blame and make it right.

7. Ask the experts. Talk to someone who’s familiar with what you’re writing about. Go beyond just the subject.

8. Don’t sensationalize things. Especially when it’s already a good story.

9. The biggest thing is accuracy. Especially with numbers. Check your facts.

Interviewing the director of an Indian nonprofit

Health care isn’t guaranteed for the people of rural India — that is, not in the way it is to many Westerners.

For a Periclean Scholars Class of 2012 project, we’re working on a documentary about the discrepancies of the health care system in India — one that leaves many people without health care because government systems are too big and underfunded, basically collapsing within themselves. The issue’s prompted several NGOs to come in and develop village models of health care, teaching villagers to act as nurses, and building hospitals that treat people for however much they can pay, even if that means nothing.

One of those organizations is CRHP.

The Comprehensive Rural Health Project has been around for more than 40 years. They’ve been covered by National Geographic and, last week, by The New York Times. Last summer, our class had a chance to work with them on-site in Jamkhed, India. This video is one of a series that came out of that, and it’s part of a bigger project to make a feature-length film about the issue.

Ravi is the director of operations at CRHP. For the other videos in this series, and updates to the documentary, subscribe to Periclean2012 on YouTube.