By Andrew Danielson
It’s a simple assignment.
Go to a location. Ask a stranger to tell their story. Write it down for publication.
Easier said than done.
But for student journalists, this is the challenge that awaits them at the Keating Competition.
Sponsored and organized by the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation, the contest brings 10 student journalists to downtown Indianapolis for two days of intensive mentoring and journalistic competition. These young storytellers are given the task of finding a story to write, edit, and submit in just a few hours. A judges panel then reviews the stories, awarding cash prizes and honors to the top three winning stories.
The Legacy of Thomas R. Keating
But the Keating Competition would never have been created without the life and example of Indianapolis journalist, Thomas R. Keating.
“He wrote a daily column about people,” Michael Sanserino explained. “His approach was that everybody had a story, everybody was interesting.”
Sanserino is no stranger to the world of journalism. He is the executive director of the Radio, Television, and Digital News Association as well as the President of the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation.
Sanserino, who competed and won the Keating Competition as a journalism student at Indiana University, explained that the Keating Competition tries to emulate the kinds of stories Tom Keating covered when he wrote a daily column for the Indianapolis Star.
“It was his job to find people and share their story with the rest of the world,” Sanserino said.
But sharing someone’s story comes with a lot of responsibility.
“As a journalist, you have a responsibility to that person and your audience to be as accurate and truthful as possible,” Sanserino reflected quietly.
Behind the Scenes: Planning the Competition
Organizing a reporting competition doesn’t happen overnight. It takes many meetings and many hands to make light work.
Lindsey Erdody, another member of the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation board and the chair person of the Keating Competition committee, plays a big role in helping plan out each year’s competition.
Erdody explained that some of the background tasks for organizing the competition include picking the date for the event, choosing topics the students will be reporting on, and picking professional journalists to serve as mentors and judges for the stories submitted by the participants.
“We do try to make sure that the mentors and judges are different so there’s no bias in the judging,” Erdody said.
For Erdody, being a journalist was an aspiration from an early age.
“I knew I wanted to go into journalism from a pretty young age,” Erdody said.
Attending Indiana University in Bloomington as a journalism major, Erdody herself competed in the 2011 Keating Competition.
She explained that her experience at the Keating Competition was both intense and exhilarating.
“It was a little intimidating,” she said with a laugh. “As a student journalist, I hadn’t really spent much time in Indianapolis. I’m from a smaller town in Michigan.”
But it wasn’t just coming to the competition that made Erdody a little unsure of herself.
“You don’t often get the chance to just sit there and make a connection with a professional journalist and get their thoughts on your work,” she explained.
Erdody’s fellow 2011 Keating Competition participant and IU – Bloomington colleague, MaryJane Slaby, shared a similar feeling.
““It’s stressful – It’s really nerve wracking,” Slaby said with a chuckle.
Slaby’s journey to journalism paralleled Erdody’s own path, starting in journalism as a kid in high school and eventually enrolling in the journalism program at IU – Bloomington.
Like Erdody, Slaby also viewed her experience as a Keating Competition participant as thrilling.
“I remember being just excited, but also really nervous,” Slaby said.
From Application to Assignment: How the Competition Works
The journey from student journalist to Keating finalist starts several months before the competition.
Students interested in participating in the competition must submit some samples of their journalistic work to the competition’s committee.
Sanserino explained that, generally, the committee is looking for a few characteristics in this sample work.
“Broadly, I think we’re looking for strong writers,” Sanserino explained. “We’re looking for people who can use descriptive language, who can be colorful…”
But good writing isn’t the only criteria the committee is searching for.
“I think we’re also looking for people who are curious,” he said.
Sanserino emphasized that curiosity in the journalism profession takes time and dedication.
“I think being curious requires continued practice and asking questions and letting the answers be your guide,” he said.
Sanserino explained that the committee typically receives about 40 entrants each year. Once the committee has selected 10 finalists for the competition, the finalists receive an invitation to travel to Indianapolis for the competition. The committee provides some financial assistance to the finalists to reduce travel expenses.
On a Friday evening, the Keating Competition finalists meet for a combined info and networking meeting. They are connected with an assigned mentor, a professional journalist who reviews their story submissions and goes over some key tips and tricks for getting good stories. The finalists are also encouraged to network with one another, learning about the people who will be their colleagues for these two days.
The next morning, finalists receive a story assignment and are given a location where they will report.
Once at the destination, students have a couple of hours to conduct on-the-street interviews.
At an agreed-upon time, they are picked up and return to their hotel, where they have a few more hours to write, edit and submit their stories to the judges.
On Saturday evening, the competitors are treated to a wonderful dinner hosted by the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation, where a guest speaker addresses the finalists.
At the conclusion of the evening, the competition’s three winners and their stories are announced, with a group photo of all the finalists held as a final memento of the eventful weekend.
A High-Pressure, Real-World Reporting Experience
The competition’s organizers were quick to point out that the Keating Competition is a challenging experience that can be quite stressful.
“When I’m talking to my own colleagues and explaining what the Keating competition is, they’re like, ‘Wow, that’s really stressful,’” Slaby said with a laugh. ““But I also think it just gives you such a confidence boost to say hey, this is a thing I can do.”
Sanserino agreed.
“Reporting and writing a story from scratch in just a few hours is a skill that is developed over time,” he said.
But that’s just the point of the competition – to simulate what the real world of journalism can be like.
“You know, pressure, discomfort, you’re gonna experience that as a journalist throughout your career,” Sanserino explained.
The Keating Competition organizers had some great advice for dealing with the stress of random, on-the-street interviews.
“The last question I always ask is, is there anything else you think I should know, or is there anything else you want to tell me?” Erdody explained.
“Kind of slow down and don’t rush through your questions,” Slaby emphasized. “Of course, get contact information as well for those follow-up questions.”
A Defining Experience for Young Journalists
Regardless of the story the student’s write or their placement in the competition, the Keating Competition is a formative experience that will help these young journalists prepare for a life-long career in storytelling.
“Win or lose, being a finalist is a really big deal,” Erdody said. “We do get more applications than we can accept for it every year.”
Slaby agreed with that sentiment.
“I do think that Keating is one of those things where once you do it, it gives you such a confidence boost,” Slaby said.
Sanserino summarized the entire Keating experience: “I think Keating is one of those things that – it sticks with you forever,” he said. “It is an experience unlike any other.”