Reporter Skills Equal LIfe Skills

From celebrities to hard news, this Kid Reporter has done it all.

What I learned the most from being a kid reporter was how to conduct a good interview.

Conducting an effective interview is one of the key skills to being a good journalist. Knowing what questions to ask and how to ask them will help you get better information and better quotes—whether you’re working on an article, blog post, or video.

As a Kid Reporter this 2009-2010 school year, I’ve gotten a lot of practice and coaching at interviewing. For me, however, learning how to conduct a good interview isn’t just a skill I need as a reporter. Knowing how to get information from people by asking good questions is a skill that can help you socially and academically.

I’ve also learned how to be more comfortable talking to people. I remember that when I was 9 years old, my step-dad took me to the premiere of the movie Tale of Despereaux and I met Emma Watson. She portrays Princess Pea, but is better known for her role as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter.

Looking back on it, I remember being very shy and nervous, which is really embarrassing. That was before I was a Kid Reporter. Things are different now. Recently, I was complimented by actor Keke Palmer—whom I’m a fan of—after a recent interview.

“You’re so well spoken,” she said.

My experience as a Kid Reporter has been absolutely wonderful. I’ve gotten the opportunity to go to cool events such as the Kids Choice Awards and the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. And I've met a ton of interesting and fun people.

I know the next set of Kid Reporters will be just as fortunate as I am. Want to be one of them? The application process just started! You can find instructions for how to enter here.

—Miranda Rector

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Miranda Rector at one of the many movie press days she covered during the last year. Los Angeles Kid Reporters get to do a LOT of fun events like the press day for Fantastic Mr. Fox. (Photo Courtesy Miranda Rector)

On the Orange Carpet!

Kid Reporter Miranda Rector covers the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

The Kid's Choice Awards can be described in three ways:  extreme, slime-filled, and orange! Although there's no green slime on the celebrity-filled orange carpet, the anticipation of slime and energy is high! It's also really LOUD!

Getting the chance to join the orange carpet frenzy was exciting beyond belief. I was super pumped and peppy.

A lot of covering a red—or in this case orange—carpet event is shouting things like "FRED! FRED! LUCAS! LUCAS! LUCAS! FRED! TAYLOR! TAYLOR! TAYLOR!" to get the celebrity's attention. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but you can't be disappointed when they rush on by you. Look for the next one and keep on shouting!

Sometimes, to make life a little easier, the publicists come by first to arrange interviews with you. Mostly, though the celebrities see who you are and come to you on their own. I found out that most of them love Scholastic and the Kid Reporters, so if they saw me standing there in my red shirt, microphone in hand, they stopped to talk. That was really awesome and cool!

The biggest star I met was Selena Gomez, who was attending her first ever Nick Kids' Choice Awards show. She was tremendously nice and seemed to be really happy. Even though Wizards of Waverly Place didn't win Favorite TV Show, Selena Gomez took home her first blimp for Favorite TV Actress. After my interview with her, I can only bet Selena Gomez felt really happy inside.

I also met Jennette McCurdy from iCarly. I am a HUGE fan! She was pumped and totally excited, especially to see Apollo Anton Ohno and Shaun White. She wore a green BCBG dress to "respect the slime," she told me. She was hoping to be green and goopy by the end of the show, but sadly missed out on the ritual sliming. I was kind of glad just because I thought her dress was too cute to be slimed.

McCurdy also told me she was disappointed that Harry Potter was not nominated this year. As a self-described "Potterhead" I totally related to that sentiment. I'm also a fan of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, so I'm still glad that it won Favorite Book.

For years I have been staying up watching the Kids' Choice Awards on TV. I never expected to one day be part of the orange carpet. It was mind-blowing!

Did you watch? What did you think? Did your favorites win? Send in your opinions in the comment box below.

—Miranda Rector

The Grimke Sisters, Female Abolitionists

Kid Reporter inspired by historic figures' fight for equality.

When I first read about the Grimke Sisters, I was inspired by them. Even though they were white, southern, aristocratic women, they stood up for the abolition of slavery and women’s rights.

As I read about them for a school report, I found that it was the best research project I’ve ever done. They were absolutely fascinating and talented people.

Sarah Grimke (1792-1873) and Angelina Grimke (1805-1879) were born and raised in conservative Charleston, South Carolina. They’re father was a wealthy judge and slave owner who kept to the common beliefs of the South.

The Grimke sisters often felt that they were being treated unfairly since they were not given the same level of education as their brothers. They were also able to see how cruelly slaves were being treated. For both reasons, Sarah and Angelina Grimke felt the need to do something to make things better. 

Angelina became the first woman to ever speak in front of a legislature. She spoke before the Massachusetts legislature against slavery and for women's equality. Both spoke publicly about their beliefs and were eventually forced to move from their southern community to the north. Their call for equal education opportunities and the right to vote for women was taken up by the women's movement.

I find it amazing how, through the power of their words, the Grimke Sisters were able to bring people together in a battle for freedom and equality. As a writer, this is one of my goals, which I truly believe I can achieve.

Equality is also an important issue to me, and it’s great hearing about women who for for multiple aspects of it. Who are some of the women you learned about and admire for Women's HIstory Month?

—Miranda Rector

Nellie Bly, My Hero

How one journalist can make a difference.

Elizabeth Cochrane appeared to be a frail girl, but inside of her was a will of iron. After taking up the pen name Nellie Bly at age 18, she started out her career writing for The Dispatch, a Pittsburgh newspaper. She covered controversial issues at the end of the 19th century like divorce, worker’s rights, and the treatment of the mentally ill.

Nellie Bly wasn’t afraid to go behind the scenes as a female reporter, and is one of my heroes. I feel that Nellie Bly is a true example of two main things.

The first is to not judge a book by it’s cover. Even though she appeared to be a delicate young lady, she proved that she was stronger and smarter than many of the male reporters of the time.

Since I’ve been stereotyped for my looks, I always love to learn about women in history who have proved that women can be both pretty, strong, and smart at the same time. It helps feed my courage to do the same.

Bly is also a good example of someone who really took a stand for something she believed in. She took it upon herself to further investigate terrible and gruesome issues. Although at times she was asked to back down, Bly never gave up.

I truly feel this is an amazing thing to do, especially since women were often made to feel like they had no power to change anything. Through her hard work and courage, Nellie Bly was able to do great things and raise awareness for many controversial causes. It’s no wonder the The New York Journal called her the “best reporter in America.” And adding to that, she will always be someone who inspires me.

—Miranda Rector

Academy Awards Bake-off

VFX nominees announced with special effects.

Before there can be an Academy Awards show, there has to be an announcement of the nominees. When it comes to the Visual Effects Award, before there can be nominees, there has to be a bake-off.

No, not cookies! At a Visual Effects Bake-Off, the top seven visual effects (VFX) movies are reviewed and narrowed down to the three nominees.

The seven movies reviewed for possible nomination this year were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Star Trek, District 9, Terminator Salvation, 2012, AVATAR, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. They were chosen from 271 eligible films.

I’ve grown up in Hollywood and my step-dad introduced me to the “VFX side of things.” He covers the VFX business for Variety Magazine and has shown me around as much as he can.

At the event—where no actual baking took place—15-minute highlight reels of the VFX for each movie were played. The audience of VFX specialists then voted for the nominees. Also in the audience were members of the press (including me) and the public.

The event is fun beyond belief, very crowded, and all around just cool because it’s so visually amazing.You see highlights of all the cool action in these films. I think any kid would enjoy it if it didn’t last until midnight, which it always does.

This year seemed to have some of the most outstanding VFX ever. From Harry Potter’s wonderful realism and moody colors to AVATAR’s great visual storytelling and revolutionary technology, special effects just keep better and better every year.

I felt so much joy experiencing the stunning art in most of these movies. It made me wish I could watch all the ones I like—and am allowed to see—on the big screen a thousand times more.

“I thought there was an incredible body of work,” said Roger Guyett, visual effects supervisor for Star Trek. “And for me, in this business, it’s incredible to be here this evening to see that. I think it’s an amazing evening, one of the best bake-offs I’ve ever seen.”

After the bake-off, I was rooting for AVATAR, District 9, and Star Trek  as the top three.

AVATAR by far had the best VFX. Although it portrays an imaginary world, it felt very real.

With District 9, I was blown away. I had not seen the film because it's rated R, so this was my first viewing of the VFX. The bake-off allowed me to see a world within my world that was dark and frightening, yet so realistic.

Then came Star Trek, where another element came into play: I’m an absolute fan of all things Star Trek! Even putting favoritism aside, Star Trek had some amazing views of space and the ships that travel through it, such as the Enterprise and the Nirata. Although, I think the director could have toned down on the camera flares and shaking.

And then.… my wish came true! A week after the bake-off, on February 2, my top three picks became the nominees for the VFX award at the Oscars. Vying for the top visual effects film of the year are AVATAR, District 9, and Star Trek.

I would have like for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to be in that group, too, as it also has some outstanding VFX. But that may never happen for a Harry film. Every year, the latest Harry Potter movie comes in with a strong reel, but never gets nominated. And I think it should have at least been nominated for something beside Cinematography. Still, that’s just me.… why can't the Academy think more like us kids? Guyett may agree with me.

“If you take those seven movies, every one of them in my opinion deserves to get an Academy Award nomination or an Academy Award for that matter,” Guyett said. “Every movie has things that all have.”

Now that VFX specialists have picked the nominees, it’s time for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to choose the winner. That, along with Best Picture, Best Actors, Supporting Actors, etc., will be announced with much hoopla and splendor on Sunday, March 10. I'll let you know what happens!

—Miranda Rector

PHOTO: Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, right) teaches Jake (Sam Worthington) the skills he'll need to survive on Pandora, an imaginary world made real through visual effects. (Photo Credit: WETA/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)

I Took the NaNoWriMo Challenge

Ready, Set, Write!

NaNoWriMo is a fun word to say. Yet National Novel Writing Month—aka NaNoWriMo—is a lot of hard work. I took part in this month-long novel writing adventure, which happens every November. I had to keep telling myself I need to stop sleeping and begin putting my dreams to paper!

The point of NaNoWriMo is to challenge writers to reach a word count goal for a novel during the month of November. If you're 13 or younger, you can set your own word count goal with the Young Writer’s Program. For writers ages 13 or older, the goal is a full 50,000 words, or about 175 pages. Whatever your goal is, you have to try and achieve it one month. (Another fun word to say: Wrimos! That's what NaNoWriMo participants are called.)

There is no fancy prize for finishing your goal, just a nice feeling of accomplishment and a certificate to proudly display. Though, even if you don't reach your goal in time, you still have accomplished something great: the sense that you've tried. No matter what, you can always keep writing.

This was my first time to take part in NaNoWriMo. Right now, I'm listening to the music I "novel" by, the Evanescence/Coraline soundtrack. Daydreams of werewolves are spinning through my head. For those of you sharing this adventure, I wish you good luck. It's time for me to get back to writing my story.

—Miranda Rector

Fantastic Mr. Fox Press Day

You got to fight for your right to interview!

Recently, I went to a press event for the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox. I sat in on round table interviews with director Wes Anderson, actor Jason Schwartzman, and Roald Dahl's daughter, Lucy Dahl.

I've never done round tables before, and my first experience was a little odd. You sit at a table with other reporters and ask the actors questions. With lots of adult reporters all trying to get their questions answered, it kind of puts you in an awkward situation—as a kid trying to be heard, I mean.

The biggest tip I would give to reporters doing these types of interviews is BE ASSERTIVE. Keep trying to ask your questions as long as they haven't already been answered. That means you have to listen carefully while plotting to ask your own questions.

Other reporters will keep trying to talk over you, but it's likely that you'll eventually be able to get into the conversation. Sometimes another reporter helps you in or you finally are able to speak up loud enough.

It's also important not to get frustrated. With most round tables, you're probably going to be the only kid, which is how it was with me. Even if it gets uncomfortable, you have to acknowledge that you are with fellow reporters who are trying to get the same thing you are: information.

If it becomes way too difficult to get yourself in, keep trying, but also listen to the questions the other reporters ask. Most likely, they'll be asking questions you need the answers to also. You're usually allowed to use anything the person you're interviewing said, even if another reporter asked the question.

The Scholastic Kids Press Corps has been really busy covering Fantastic Mr. Fox, which opens November 25. You can read my review of the movie and Grace McManus' experience at the red carpet premiere, as well as my round table interviews.

    • Fantastic Mr. Fox Movie Review

    * Press Day Interviews

    * Red Carpet Movie Premiere.

Hope you enjoy the movie and Happy Thanksgiving!

—Miranda Rector

Miranda Rector with a puppet for Fantastic Mr. Fox at the roundtable press day recently in California. (Photo Courtesy Miranda Rector)