Erik Cheng
NEWS GATHERING
As a member of Carlmont's Journalism program, I am held to a high standard to gather information and sources without bias and ethically. No matter the topic, sensitivity, or other outside factors, I never let my own biases influence the gathering of my sources.
GATHERING SOURCES
As I gather sources for articles and interviews, I always make sure that I use a formal and respectful tone no matter how familiar I may be with the source. Below is an example email asking for an interview. I made sure to explain who I was, why I wanted an interview, and how I wanted to interview in a concise manner.
GATHERING DATA
When writing an article relating to large amounts of data, I ensure to use a critical lens when analyzing the large documents to ensure that the most relevant and useful information is used. In the winter of 2021, my partner, Evan Wang, and I received a document for our upcoming multimedia package concerning the total budget for Carlmont's departments for the school year. Evan and I read the document carefully, bringing in a source familiar with budgeting and financial documents to pick out the most relevant data for usage in our article.
NEWS LITERACY
In addition to gathering information, I also ensure that my writings do not convey a biased message. I try to bring attention to all points of view and allow for a wide variety of sources in my articles. Additionally, I strive to maintain transparency with my sources and readers to ensure that nothing of importance is left out or removed unless strictly necessary.