By Javacia Harris Bowser
Last month fashion blogger Alexis Barton of SameChicDifferentDay.com made an important announcement on her website and social media channels. This particular announcement wasn’t about a new line of designer duds or about fall fashion trends. Last month Barton announced that she was going back to school.
Barton is now attending a graduate program in community journalism at the University of Alabama. The program, “encourages students to think critically about the role news plays in community and to explore new ways to serve communities through the evolving practices of journalism,” Barton says. And she believes this program is the next step in her journey as a digital storyteller.
Barton has maintained her popular style blog for three years. Her personal style tips also have been featured in The Birmingham News, Skirt.com, Life and Style PR and on WBHJ 95.7 JAMZ. Barton has appeared on ABC 33/30′s Talk of Alabama, CBS 42′s Wake Up Alabama and a number of other television programs. Barton has been named a 2013 Role Model by the Girls Scouts of North-Central Alabama and this year was named a Birmingham Trailblazer by The Birmingham Times. She has worked with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, H&M, Girls Inc., Macy’s, Belk, and many other non-profits, businesses and brands to help make the world a more stylish place.
But Barton has more to do and she believes education is the key to unlock the doors she wants to strut through in style.
How do you think this field of study will help you in your efforts to become a digital journalist?
My background is primarily in creative writing and blogging, which can be very different from traditional journalism. I hope to learn the fundamentals of the craft, add to the skills and instincts I’ve already developed as a creative writer/blogger, and gain new ones. This program presented me with the opportunity to really immerse myself in the craft. I want to serve my community to the best of my ability as a writer/blogger/journalist and have learned a lot already, but I wanted to fill in the gaps and this program will allow me to do that.
Why are you interested in journalism despite the challenges the industry is currently facing?
It’s a calling for me. It’s what I’ve wanted to do for a very long time, and despite the changes in the industry I believe we will always need people to report what’s going on in the world. So the challenges don’t discourage me, they excite me; there are plenty of opportunities for storytellers and journalists to remain relevant and to thrive. As a blogger, I’ve already embraced the digital realm and that’s where a lot of opportunity lies. The key is in being ready to adapt to those changes and challenges.
How will you balance both school and work.
I find balance by sticking to a schedule and trying to maintain some semblance of organization at home. I try not to overload myself, and I’m always reminding myself that I can do anything, but not EVERY thing. The blog has been great practice for getting a handle on that.
How will you make time to maintain your blog?
I’m accustomed to maintaining the blog while working, volunteering and trying to maintain a personal life, and that won’t change. It’s a creative outlet for me, and I just make carving out time for it a priority.
In what ways do you feel blogging and the opportunities you were afforded because of blogging pushed you toward pursuing this goal?
Over the years, blogging definitely helped me figure out that I have something to say and gave me the confidence to say it. It has shaped my instincts for storytelling as well. When I found certain doors in the journalism industry closed to me, it was a way of proving to myself that I could find a way in anyway. I have always taken blogging seriously, and to have others respond to it the way they have – whether that’s reading it or inviting me to participate in fun opportunities – has been further motivation to pursue digital journalism as a career rather than just a passion project.
Javacia Harris Bowser is the founding editor of See Jane Write Magazine.
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