The Great Mix-Up

It could well turn out to be a blessing in disguise, but there was no mistaking my bewildered state when Dr Perry announced the people taking up the key positions for the newsletter my laboratory group was going to produce for Media Writing class.

I was appointed as one of two assistant managing directors, which equates to the number four position on the newsletter when I had wanted to apply for the top position.

And guess what?

It turned out I got the names of the top two posts mixed up - I had placed the managing director position as my first choice because I thought it was the number one leadership position on the newsletter.

In the end, it is the executive editor who is going to call the shots.

Maybe it is a direct result of the dazed state I was in during the opening fortnight of the new term, when the application and resume had to be completed.

But beyond that initial bewilderment, I remembered the first thing that came to mind after that, was that the position that I was assigned would make my learning curve less steep.

Instead of plunging straight into heading a paper, it kind of occurred to me that maybe a position that would allow me to link up between the reporters at the ground level and the top position would help me maximise my time on this module.

I am always a firm believer of "starting at the bottom." For somebody to lead, he or she must know what it is like to be in the shoes of the reporter, sub editor or copy editor among a whole host of other positions on the publication.

This is important because in the event I do assume any top leadership position, I would be able to empathize and not make unreasonable demands.

Besides, after working on the ground level for a while during my time on the ST Sports Desk, it would be good if I do not take more steps than I can manage in my development as a journalist.

And on hindsight, I did not put in much thought into the reason for wanting to assume the head honcho position, so might as well just take a position with relative lesser responsibility and learn.

The thing that surprised even myself was how lightly I brushed off the whole incident. In any case, I thought it was so uncharacteristically blur-cock of me that I sneaked a wry smile there and then.

Oh well, there's always another opportunity to be executive editor next semester when I would probably take the follow up class on News Writing & Editing.

I think this class may just be my highlight of the semester.