NEWS QUIZ

[Lil News Girl]

hey going for an interview in a top 50 market, should I be prepared for a news quiz? I'm up on current events and well-versed with who's who in government...anything I should look out for?

[Jane Craig]

Bone up on market basics -- geography, major place names, etc. Having some preliminary local knowledge is always a plus and shows interest.

[News Is Broken]

Originally posted by Lil News Girl:
hey going for an interview in a top 50 market, should I be prepared for a news quiz? I'm up on current events and well-versed with who's who in government...anything I should look out for?Only if you're ugly.

[talkinghead03]

A friend interviewed in a top 65 and had to take a news quiz. It covered state politics - governor, senators, congressional reps, state assembly reps, and mayor. She didn't know it all...the station didn't expect her to. But she kinda wished she had!

[Homsar]

I interviewed for a photog job at a station in Florida and had to take a rather lengthy quiz as soon as I walked in the door. First section was typical know-your-market stuff: Name the governor. Name the NFL football team in this city. Explain one story you saw in the local newspaper today. Lucky for me I saw a paper as I was tying my shoe at the airport and remembered the story I saw.
Then there was listing newsroom positions in order of importance in my opinion.
Then there was an short answer section on various newsroom scenarios and what I would do in them.
I'd never seen anything like it before. It was very interesting. I didn't get the job, but I don't think the quiz had too much to do with that.

[ August 22, 2007, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: Homsar ]

[Roy Hobbs]

Here's a phone test I recently got at a top 100 station (questions changed to protect the innocent job seeker)

1. How do you spell the word _______(commonly misspelled word for a public place)

2. What major event happened in 1865 (I gave two; I got the impression some answer The Vietnam War)

3. What is a grand jury?

4. Have you heard of the movie ______ (a historical sports movie based in that market that had come out a few months before)

5. Who are the two Senators in your state?

[s'news]

I would be ready for more than a quiz. I would be ready to weave local news references into the discussion. And then I would be ready to inject how I might be able to advance the coverage related to those issues.

[Roy Hobbs]

And remember it's now okay to wear white after September for interviews.
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2005/images/11/02/tx_cheerleaders.jpg

[ August 25, 2007, 11:54 PM: Message edited by: Roy Hobbs ]