What’s fresh off the press and ready for you to read?! The Quibbler, that’s right my curious kittens. You know, there’s the paper and then there’s THE paper, the one all of us nargle gossip mongers are itching to read every Friday to see what’s the latest scoop in the Wizarding World without the boringness of facts. GASP. I mean, who wouldn’t like a good fluffiness of a story over fact-zilla anyways? I need something to giggle and dramatically gasp at while I’m eating breakfast or I just wouldn’t be meeting my daily goals of Aubrey Hepburn.
Wanna know a funny story? Probably not, but I’ll just tell you anyways. My very own, fantabulous room-mate, is a writer for the Quibbler. That’s right, Bex Savant. If you guys don’t know, we’re like fire and ice and have been connected at each other’s hips since Day one of Year one since we ran into each other at the Library and realized we both equally dread essays and enjoy music! I might dread essays a little bit more than she does, who knows!
But, let’s get back to the subject before I “Quibble” your heads off. Get it? Ramble? Quibble? No, alright. My jokes will grow on you guys one day, I just know it! These creative Nargle lovers enjoy writing a variety of articles, including ones that help me figure out what horoscope has in store. Apparently, I’ll be meeting a tall, dark, and handsome man soon who is bringing me chocolate frogs! Hopefully it’s accurate. These Salmons are incredibly free-spirited and were led by the wonderful Em Waterstone! I miss her in her teal of EIC but let’s be honest, red looks simply ravishing on her now! I know some of you guys really have a wonderful talent for writing and maybe the Daily Prophet wasn’t exactly up your alley, but if it wasn’t, boy do I recommend the Quibbler. If you’re unsure, I managed to track you guys down some fun and exciting interviews so you can see exactly what goes on inside the Nargle filled place!
Fifth Round: The Quibbling Salmons
Name: Bex Savant
Year: Second
What made you interested in joining the job you have?
I've always been drawn to journalism. I don't know which aspect of it that it is--the research, the interviews, the writing, seeing reactions to the information we give the people of the wizarding world, or maybe a combination of them all. The Quibbler is also such a great place for creative output, which seemed like a lot of fun to me when I was applying, and it still is.
How long have you been on your team?
I've only been on the team for a little over a week, but I've loved every minute of it.
Could you briefly describe your job from your perspective and what it is that you do?
As a journalist for The Quibbler, my job is to find/create stories about people and places around Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and Hogwarts and to then write them. As I said before, I do research and interviews before actually writing, which takes up most of the time I spend as Journalist Bex.
Do you have a daily/weekly routine with your job, if so, what is it?
I haven't really been on the job long enough to establish a routine, but this is what I'd like to accomplish: all of my articles are due on Wednesdays, so I give myself Wednesdays to just submit my article and take it easy, Quibbler-wise. Then on Thursday, I submit a story pitch of sorts to the wonderful editor, and come up with backup stories just in case I need to pick something else. I do research on Friday, then come up with my interview subjects and questions on Saturday and send out interviews. While I'm waiting for responses, which can take a few days, I outline my article and organize the information I have as I receive responses from interviews. I take the rest of my time to write and fine tune the article, then submit it on Wednesdays and start again!
What do you think is the most important quality someone needs to have in order to strive at this job?
I think that a Quibbler journalist really needs to be creative and adaptable, which is something I try and improve within myself every day.
If you had to say something to a student aspiring to join the ranks of your job, what advice would you give them?
To anyone who might want to join us at The Quibbler--be fearless! Go for the job, and if you get it, don't be afraid to branch out with your work. It may seem a bit daunting, but writing articles is something that can be incredibly freeing once you embrace the fact that sometimes, you might make a mistake. That's absolutely fine. It's expected, even of the most seasoned writers. So, keep your head up, and don't let anyone or anything stop you.
Name: Genevieve Shubert
Year: Second Year
What made you interested in joining the job you have?
Well, originally, I actually entered the Journalism Contest that Pirro and Em held, and just decided to join in on the writing fun. I actually like English, like I'll be that girl who writes /wayyy/ too much, and makes the teacher put limits on our assignments. I actually won that contest, which made me squeal out loud. I /freaked/, no joke there. You can ask the people in my household. Writing that article and seeing it being read made me beam with so much joy. Pirro actually recommended that I should become a journalist, so when I finally grew some confidence and I went and began to write a mock article for the Quibbler. And then, with a anxious wait, I received the job I have today.
How long have you been on your team?
Actually, I kept track of when I was accepted into the Quibbler, like the weirdo nerd I am. I was awfully excited to get accepted, so I just /had/ to mark it down. I was accepted by Em Waterstone and the Quibbler Krew on August 10, 2017. #NeverForget
Could you briefly describe your job from your perspective and what it is that you do?
From my perspective, my job is my outlet for my creativity, and I use it to find topics that people might find interesting, while still staying true to what and who I am. It's a way for me to be true to myself, and have an audience actually see that side of me.
Do you have a daily/weekly routine with your job, if so, what is it?
A weekly routine is unfortunately something I cannot have. I have a lot of things going on in real life, but I'm still very determined to never miss a deadline! So, any free time I get, I cram in my moments for research, drafting, and finalizing everything. It's more of a plan of steps to follow, of course. To this day, I've only needed an extension once, that that extension was only for less than 24 hours. I'm working hard to stay diligent in my work!
What do you think is the most important quality someone needs to have in order to strive at this job?
An important quality you'd need to be a journalist is creativity. With great writing, comes a great mind, of course. And you'd better have writing articles become your second nature, because you'd have to write an awful lot. You also have to keep up communication with your fellow writers. Sometimes you might want to collaborate on an article, or communicate to your Chief Editor that you'd be unable to make a deadline and need an extension, or even if you just have something going on in real life and you can't make your deadline at all. We're all human, and understanding, so don't be afraid to speak.
If you had to say something to a student aspiring to join the ranks of your job, what advice would you give them?
Well, I'd first like to say: DO IT! Even when I was applying, I totally /freaked/ out, and spend a few days looking over my mock article. Looking back on it, it was a quite silly choice to make, since I ended up making little to no changes in that span of a few days. The longer you wait to officially apply, the more your anxiety side begins to make you doubt. I have the utmost confidence that if you want the job, and are passionate about writing, then journalism is the path for you.