12:00 AM – Rolling into bed after countless deadlines and a full $50 tank of gas guzzled after driving from interview to interview.
8:00 AM Good morning sunshine! Time to get out of bed, check the news and rush into work to cover the latest story. A coffee to go and you’re out the door!
8:30 AM You have your first assignment, your first deadline, its time to get working! You have 5 minuets to update your blog with your first lede before you dive into a story for tomorrow morning’s paper.
9:15 AM You furiously keep writing, hands cramping, eyes dropping from the lack of sleep but you write on.
9:30 AM And on….
9:45 AM And on…
10:00 AM Deadline. New Story, time to get writing-
11:00 AM And writing and writing. Deadline time!
12:00 PM Your stomach begins to growl, it’s finally time for that juicy double double you’ve been craving when-
12:03 PM. Chaos hits. Breaking news, grab your coat, your wits, and your notebook. Its time to get going.
1:30 PM Interview after interview you slowly move past the caution tape and into the making of a great story.
2:15 PM The rush hits! You’re running around, the puzzle pieces are beginning to slide into place.
3:00 PM The digging continues as you realize the time for eating lunch has long past. You no longer crave that burger. You’re hungry now, starving even, you’re hungry for information.
4:00 5:00 6:00 PM You’ve been updating your blog, Twitter and Facebook with breaking news ledes. You’ve been running around nonstop and are finally ready to retire to your desk and begin furiously typing.
6:30 PM Deadline is approaching, you’re half done with your story and time is running out. Your blood pressure’s rising as your stress builds.
6:45 PM Finally a breath of fresh air, you finished your story just in time! But let’s be honest, it’s really never that easy.
6:47 PM A breaking update, the facts have changed.
7:20 PM Again, breaking news, a new press release is out!
7:32 PM It changes yet again.
7:45 PM An hour ago you were ready to submit, now you have nixed over half of your first paper and are furiously writing a second.
8:45 PM Deadline, paper submit.
9:15  PM Grab a bite to eat and admire a hard day’s work.
9:45 PM One last press release, you craftily update your blog with a breaking lede and head home. Exhausted.
Most importantly with a day like this there is always one last feeling that dominates all else. Satisfaction. The joy that comes with informing others and the rush that comes from real time hard-hitting journalism.
Love it. But I definitely don’t start work that early
A lot of reporters I know are not morning people!
In all seriousness, it really is a joy, what we do. There’s nothing quite like it. I’m so glad you’ve got the passion, Alyssa!