November 2008 – Christopher Wink

WDSTL: My first podcast

My good friend Sean Blanda and I put together a weekly podcast on our travel blog WeDontSpeaktheLanguage.com during our European backpacking trip. We returned earlier this month but only now got the last of our posts up and put some finishing touches on the site, where we broadcast our weekly Sunday night episodes.

See our last episode below or all the episodes here.

Continue reading WDSTL: My first podcast

Professional versus personal: My Web presence explained

Last month I introduced a personal blog, where I intend on updating about meaningful experiences in my life, as part of pursuit of a Life To Do List.

In truth, I tend to lose interest when someone has a legion of online presences, blogs begetting other blogs.

That’s not what this is meant to be. Instead, I believe a professional outlet is of paramount importance — develop and share perspective on your industry, become a thought leader and all that good stuff. To do that, you ought not muddle it all up with too many personal stories. …I think.

To be honest, I’m still figuring it out. While our brands need personal attention too, of course, I think there’s a line. I suppose that’s what I’m trying to figure it out.

If you’re going to have a professional and personal split online, that’s one I can understand, though I am still developing an opinion on whether I agree with myself.

WordPress tags and categories: how a journalist can organize a personal site

I’m reworking this site. There is no reason for you to have noticed that I’ve changed all the categories and started using tags for my posts. All of my archives are now online with the concept.

I was trying to organize a post last week and realized I had more than 40 categories and was barely using tags. That’s ridiculous. Their purposes are to better organize posts and allow you to group like material. None of that was happening.

Yes, for those of you new or unfamiliar to WordPress, it gives you every reason for your product to be super organized and increase the searchability of your posts. The better organized, the easier it is to disseminate and let others find your material. That’s good news for a young journalist looking to promote himself.

The only problem is that I have more than 400 posts in less than a year of this blog’s existence. That’s a lot of work.

Continue reading WordPress tags and categories: how a journalist can organize a personal site

Lessons from WDSTL: podcasting, travel blogging, exploring

Sean Blanda (left) and I on the Philadelphia Art Museum steps on May 28, 2008. Together we travel blogged and podcasted for a month while backpacking Europe. — Sean Blanda (left) and I on the Philadelphia Art Museum steps on May 28, 2008. Together we travel blogged and podcasted at WeDontSpeaktheLanguage.com for a month while backpacking Europe.

After returning from backpacking Europe earlier this month, I shared some of the professional experience I got while blogging at WeDontSpeaktheLanguage.com.

My good buddy, travel partner and fellow aspiring new media journalist Sean Blanda beat me to a post on lessons learned, but I have some thoughts myself: on podcasting, travel blogging and exploring generally.

Continue reading Lessons from WDSTL: podcasting, travel blogging, exploring

Now I’m about to live alone (without roommates)

Today I signed a lease on a one-bedroom apartment in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia.

It ended an exhaustive search of Philly real estate – or somewhat. I did look into more than 20 apartments, including 10 in one day. While I did spend nearly two splendid years living in the bottom floor of a rowhome in the Lower Tioga neighborhood of Philadelphia and this past summer living in a hostel in Harrisburg, while working for the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association, I have never lived entirely on my own.

I have always had roommates.

When my six-month lease begins next week, so will my long held desire to really try it out on my own.

Why I want a job: do you really want one too?

When unemployed, author grows beard and develops pirate tendancies. — When unemployed, author grows beard and develops pirate tendencies.

I probably could travel forever.

Traveling can be cheap. That’s something I relearned early on the European backpacking trip from which I just returned. I could freelance a bit, and continue out in the world.

But I’m not. I came home and am on the prowl for more permanent work. I still had money in my back account, places I wanted to see and people I wanted to meet. Why did I come home? Why are you working?

Continue reading Why I want a job: do you really want one too?

Should an unemployed journalist have a business card?

I am looking for a job.

When I mentioned that yesterday to a neighbor, he asked for one of my business cards to pass off to a friend.

I don’t have one. I didn’t want to spend the money. I never knew what to write on one. Being young and transient, I feel like my information and location would change to quickly. …I think I’d feel uncomfortable slipping one to someone.

Continue reading Should an unemployed journalist have a business card?

Can Philadelphia retain its best college graduates?: media industry looks bleak

During recent weeks backpacking Europe, I have had a great deal of time to think about my future – mostly on long train rides between the great cities of Western history, Vienna and Berlin, Brussels and Prague. I want very badly the opportunity to write, to tell stories in a resurgent metropolis.

Right now, I am trying my very best to make that Philadelphia – the home of my alma mater, Temple University, from which I graduated in May.

Since the world seems to be in financial meltdown, it might seem silly for me to question the sluggish hiring of me and my peers, but I can’t help but wonder if Philadelphia is on the road to better retention of graduates from its many, varied and respected colleges and universities.

Continue reading Can Philadelphia retain its best college graduates?: media industry looks bleak

Month: November 2008

Happy Thanksgiving