I Am A Stringer!
The Johor office is currently lack of journalists and contributors, and I need you people’s help in writing stories and covering assignments for The Star. Your article would be published in Metro south and east edition and you will be paid accordingly.
Please contact me for further details.
EH,
Johor Office.
I received this email 2 weeks ago and I replied his email, saying that I could help him out. However, he only wanted Brats who are based in Johor only. My offer was turned down and I thought that would be the end of it until one day, I received another email.
Jason
EH contacted me stating that you would like to contribute your articles to us. If you are interested, you can call me at this number, 012 – 6842434 and we will arrange a time to meet up and discuss the details.
YP,
Malacca Office.
Immediately, I gave her a call and we agreed to meet up on Thursday, at 3PM.
Fast forward to Thursday, 3PM, I arrived at the office and requested to look for Madam Lee. Her colleague brought me to her office and the “interview” started.
Here are some of the highlights :
“You are a Brats?”
“Yes. I attended the Kuala Terengganu workshop in 2000.”
“Good. It means you have the basic idea of what journalism about, gives you an advantage.”“What is your interest? I mean, what would you like to write?”
“Food.”
“Other than food?”
“Food.”3 seconds of silence…
“I mean, other than food, what else do you think you can write? You see, if I know your interest, I will know what type of assignments and stories that you can write or that I can send you to.”
“Gadgets, internet stuffs, and little stories that happen around my area. I haven’t tried writing about events though.”
“Alright.”“I will train you up, don’t worry about that and it will definitely earn you some extra cash. I have trained about 14 stringers so far and most of them are not based in Malacca anymore. Some went to UK for studies; some got married and etc. So, I am really short of journalists and contributors here, so, its good that you are here.”
“The highest paid for 1 of my stringers is RM2700 so far. And depending on how much time you are willing to spend on this, you will earn the extra cash. But most of them are full timers, part timer but works full time.”
“That’s a lot of money. Definitely will help me in my always-seem-to-be-not-enough-allowance.”
“Haha…”“Do you have a digital camera?”
“A 4.0 mega pixel camera.”
“Good enough.”
“But that’s my dad’s.”
“Haha… Never mind, you can borrow mine if you want to.”“Once I start assign you to cover assignments and news, we can loan you a notebook for you to do your work. You won’t have an official nametag, but you can just tell them that you are The Star’s journalist and that’s it. If there’s anything, you can ask them to call me. You can use your Brats’ tag also.”
“Ok.”“Bla bla bla bla…”
“Bla bla bla bla…”
“Bla bla bla bla…”
“Bla bla bla bla…”“So, I will fax in these details to HQ and they will setup an account for you. And hopefully, by next week, you can start writing your stories.”
“Thank you.”
I stepped out from the office and I have never feel so great before. Why? It is because my name will appear on the papers soon, but not very soon.
Thanks to Twinsmom’s advice. Most of the food articles, you have read it in my blog because there are not much to be offered in Malacca. However, I will need to rewrite them into an all new article, with different writing style as well. As for new stuffs / food, I will try to blog it here first. However, somehow, I feel, this is going to limit me from blogging certain things.
P/S :
To avoid unnecessary problems (Pelf should know about this.), I have to password protect this post because it is work related. In another words, I have to protect my identity of as a stringer for The Star.
BratS stands for Bright Roving Annoying TeenS, which is a young journalist program started by The Star for teenagers aged 16 to 18. You will learn a lot of things about journalism throughout the 3 days 2 nights workshop. It was during my workshop which I got to take my first flight.
Stringer is another word for contributor / part time journalist.
Related posts:
March 31st, 2006 00:47
Wow good good. RM2k wor.. so when’s my ikan bakar coming? :P Anyway i think this is by far one of your greatest achievements. At least the ones that i know of. Give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Good job! Can’t wait to see your name in the papers.
March 31st, 2006 00:52
congrate first wor :D.
But I think even though with the password protected function, you still shouldn’t share the story with us before the Star publish it, it is an ethic practise in the media, for example I never share my article that came out on the newspaper and magazine, unless it already passed one year, and get the agreement from the editor, is a respect lor.
March 31st, 2006 00:52
password protect or not i think better do not give the real name and the phone no. there leh….
good. you can get all your gadgets in one month time…but again complete the course still mroe important than the short term pocket money….
March 31st, 2006 00:54
Wah damn chun… way to go
March 31st, 2006 01:02
great news dude.
u can earn extra money.
i dun think the read it 1st and exclusive at http://www.jasonmumbles.com is a good idea
March 31st, 2006 01:15
Jeremy : It will be don’t know how many more years before I can start earning RM2.7k at one go. LOL. Yeah, I also think so. Thanks for the wishes!
Twinsmom : Thank you. Ok, I will take note of it and edited my post.
Lee C.S. : The phone number is mine lah! Aduhai~! Haha, it will take few years before I can earn alot to buy my gadgets in 1 month time. :P Yes, I know. :)
Fabian : Thank you.
MengZ : Thanks! Ah, I have noted it down. Thanks for the reminder.
March 31st, 2006 01:52
wow!!! congratulations!!! but i tink u shd preserve the identity & number of the staff oso lor =)
March 31st, 2006 03:19
Congrats man, and now you’re one of em insiders for the STAR officially.. Just make sure you know who to call for dim sum when the check comes in aite..!! Hahaha…
March 31st, 2006 07:30
So proud of you … looking forward to your journals!
March 31st, 2006 08:20
Wah, so nice…
Alangkah baiknya jikalau pejabat TheStar, PJ juga kekurangan pekerja…
.
.
.
nah… not now.. basic news reporting also haven’t learn…
March 31st, 2006 08:22
hohoho… great!!! my first journalist friend hohoho
March 31st, 2006 08:23
Autumnmusic : Thank you thank you! Ok, I have editted the names, but you should try calling that number. Really, you should. :P
Analgestic : Thank you. Haha… That will be some time before my 1st stories get published. ;-) But will belanja you eat one, don’t worry.
Louyau : Thanks. I’m looking forward to it as well.
Chea Teing : It doesn’t mean the office must lack of people only you can work as stringer/contributor. You can give it a try by contacting the editor there. PJ one is the HQ leh. Don’t play play wei. Haha! Everything has the first step, never try, never know.
Tien Soon : Haha! Thanks man!
March 31st, 2006 08:44
haha i think u beter passworded all your post… coz it attracted me to read it imediately :p
and lake u explain wat is brats.. was cracking my head while reading it.
yeah, nextime your turn to belanja lo :>
March 31st, 2006 09:06
Great news! This year seem to be a good year to a lot of people huh! Just watch out that it doesn’t affect your study though. :)
March 31st, 2006 09:39
more money to burn on another phone :P
congratulations! hope you can have “pig cage enter water”!
March 31st, 2006 09:46
another journalist fren..i agree that u shud not publish here, then only TheStar publish it..Else all aso come here read lo..No need buy TheStar ard :P But I think you can make announcement that ur article is published. Then v all can go and read.Good?
After some time, I think RM2.7K is easy la..1 of my fren now can earn my 1month salary with just 1game review. *He just started last year*
So I think Jason can get more than that, as he have lots of food to ‘review’
March 31st, 2006 12:47
u’ll definitely become one good writer i believe! keep up the good work! =)
March 31st, 2006 12:49
Loc Kee : LOL. Means other time you don’t read lah. Tsk tsk! Haha… Yeah, alot people still don’t know what is Brats. :P Haha! After I start earning RM2.7k per month, sure can belanja you eat. Hahaa..
Suzette : Good year? Errr… Abit too early to say that though. Haha! Alright, I will. Thanks for reminding.
Egghead : Haha! The next thing to burn is the digital camera lah! :P Thank you!
Young Brat : Haha! Whatever food you read in my blog, you will see it again in the papers. Yeah, I will do that, provided I know when it is published. Haha! Aiyoh, I just started, need to learn alot of things first leh.
Joan : Thank you!
March 31st, 2006 14:11
congratulation!!!!!!!!!!!wasai u so fast found a job d a?! me stil haven leh~ anymore vacancy?!
March 31st, 2006 14:46
wahseh….!! must belanja makan lor…!!
hmmm…let me think what i want to eat..write a list down 1st..kekeke…
work harder ya!! and also must concentration in ur studies ler..
March 31st, 2006 16:08
cool its good that you put your skills into some serious use :)
March 31st, 2006 16:10
Good for u wor…congratulations ya!
no need me chia u eat lor, u hv to chia me eat then! :P
March 31st, 2006 16:16
But you are not a teenager woh!! Still consider a BRAT?
You are big man now!
Anyway, good job.. it’ll give you extra cash and also help you develop your writing skill.. Who knows one day you’ll be a full fledge writer!
March 31st, 2006 16:17
Tash : Haha! Thank you. Its not a full time job, just part time only. ;)
Milly : Belanja you makan? Can, when I start earning RM2.7k lah. LOL. Ok, I will.
Mun Kit : Yes, hopefully it will bring me further this time.
Jesslyn : Thank you! Haha! When I start earning money baru say lah… :P Before that, you have to chia me eat. LOL.
Zara’s Mama : Haha! Why not? Once a brat, always a brat. Kekez. Yeap, will give me the cash and improve my writing skills alot. Full fledge writer? Err… Still long way to go loh~!
March 31st, 2006 16:27
wah RM2700 is a lot! and its a part-time job right
March 31st, 2006 16:33
First and foremost, Congrats!
Wow! A journalist in the making. I’ll be waiting patiently for ur ‘works’.
It’s good to hear dat u’ll be earning extra cash and doing something u’re interested. Best of luck to u!
March 31st, 2006 16:34
muahahaha.
you just made the most greatest mistake in blogosphere, man!
i’ll CNN ur identity to the whole world.
muahahaha
muahahaha
now, pay me rm2700 to shut my mouth. hehehe
kidding la. *jealous* why does good things always happen to you?
i think im starting to hate you. *wipes tears*
March 31st, 2006 17:09
That’s good. I’ve always always wanted to be a stringer too but never had the opportunity to. And BRATS, I did consider submitting the essay some years back but again, oh well. Will look forward to seeing your articles in The Star but is it just gonna be published in the south and east edition of Metro only? If so, you better scan cut-outs of your articles so people like me with “Metro Central” can read k!
March 31st, 2006 17:21
Good for you, i always wanted to write for a paper. let me know if they have an opening for a non Brats writer, OK? i’ll write any rubbish.
March 31st, 2006 17:33
Boss Stewie : Yeap, but RM2.7k is the highest and nearly work full time, although is just a part time job. :)
Tracy : Thank you! Yaloh, doing something that I enjoy while earning some cash. What can I ask for now? Got got… A new digi cam. :P
Cheng Sim : Why you……. You…… *stranggles* Haha, is whether you can find the opportunity and give it a try or not mah. *takes out tissues and wipes CS’s tears*
Emily T : Ah, you don’t have to be a Brats to be a stringer. You need to call up the office around your area and ask them whether they want to recruit any stringers or not. Brats is just an advantage, optional one. ;) Yup, south and east edition of Metro. Yeah, I will do that. :D
Simon : Haha! Any rubbish? LOL. :P
April 1st, 2006 04:34
congrats jason!
April 1st, 2006 05:06
hey why dont you write something on the brat when you are freee sometime. no wonder you can write so well la.
and 2.7k is the highest ohh, i dont think your target iss that… coz u stil a student wo. concerntrade on your study first huh?
April 1st, 2006 06:58
Hey, Jason. Congratulations! Luck is coming your way! Gambateh ooo…. ;)
April 1st, 2006 08:04
Congrates to you! So your next career will be….? Journalist? or Engineer? I think if there’s the option of becoming journalist. You would choose that. Won’t you? ;) Good luck man! All the best!
April 1st, 2006 19:11
Welcome to “my” world :) Happy writing!
On second thoughts, maybe I should NOT encourage you to write since both our articles will be used in Metro South & East. But what the heck! :) Go for it! Hhahah :)
I just received a call from the local reporter in Terengganu to write for a NEWS article trrw. I’m going to Redang for a couple of hours. But that’s NOT the point. The point is, NEWS! Instead of articles! *tsk* *tsk*
April 2nd, 2006 03:00
Hsin : Thank you!
Loc Kee : Ya, won’t target that much, maybe a few hundred a month is good enough for me already. :) Will do concentrate on my studies.
Emotionalistic : Thank you!
Shinky : No idea yet, most likely I wont be an engineer. 3rd class degree engineer, who wants to hire? Hehe. Thanks!
Pelf : Haha! I knew it. :P Oooo… Means you are starting to write news already lah, status upgraded. Haha!
April 2nd, 2006 06:47
congrats!!! dun forget to share share ah.. hehe
April 3rd, 2006 14:07
Sandra : Thank you. Share share apa? :P
April 4th, 2006 08:54
I almost missed dis post …
then i decided to check my mail for the sake of the password.
And muahaha, luckily i did. Anyway, gud luck ya in ur food article.
I wanna eat and eat and eat in Melaka so dun forget to bring me around in MAY. nyek nyek nyek~
April 4th, 2006 14:38
Ellone : Haha. At least you are smart enough to check your mail this time. ;-) Wait till you come baru say.