I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Sunlight filtered through the glass curtain wall of the newspaper building, illuminating Zhang Wanqing. She stood at the office door, her employment letter clutched tightly in her hand, her eyes gleaming with anticipation and anxiety about the future. Today was her first day as a reporter, and here she would begin a new journey.

Zhang Wanqing took a deep breath and mustered her courage as she pushed open the door to the newspaper office. The hall was bustling with people, the sounds of ringing phones, keyboards, and conversation blending into a busy symphony. Everyone seemed so busy that no one noticed her entrance.

She walked to the front desk and showed the receptionist her employment letter. The receptionist was a warm young woman who smiled and directed Zhang Wanqing to the Human Resources Department. Zhang Wanqing followed the receptionist, looking around curiously.

The head of the HR department, an experienced middle-aged man, carefully explained the newspaper's rules, regulations, and procedures to Zhang Wanqing. Zhang Wanqing listened intently, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

After completing her onboarding formalities at the Human Resources Department, Zhang Wanqing was transferred to the News Department. A newspaper has many departments. Besides the familiar Human Resources, Advertising, Post-Production, and Editorial departments, the most core are the News Department and the Social Affairs Department. What's the difference between these two departments? Most people don't know. The News Department primarily covers breaking news, livelihood news, and current affairs of the Party and the country, primarily reporting on news items. The Social Affairs Department, on the other hand, focuses on less-timely events and produces more news items.

Zhang Yuqing walked into the news department and saw rows of desks filled with computers and documents. Reporters were busy typing on their keyboards or gathered together to discuss news clues. No one looked up at her, the new colleague.

"These colleagues will be my comrades in the news battlefield."

The director of the news department, a young-looking woman, welcomed Zhang Wanqing and introduced her to several core members of the news department. Zhang Wanqing shook hands with each of them, feeling the strength in their hands and the enthusiasm in their eyes.

"Dear teachers, you are all my predecessors and the ones I learn from."

Under the director's arrangement, Zhang Wanqing was assigned a small desk where she would begin her career as a journalist.

“This table, although not big, will be the place where my dreams begin.”

In the afternoon, the director called all the reporters from the news department for a brief meeting and assigned them news assignments. Zhang Wanqing was assigned a report on urban traffic conditions. She looked carefully at her colleagues but didn't see Fu Siyuan.

So, she asked her colleague next to her: "Teacher, is Fu Siyuan not here today?"

"Xiao Fu, he's on a business trip and will be back in two days. Oh, by the way, haven't you met yet? You two are the two best reporters who have been admitted to the newspaper this time!" they said at the same time.

After the meeting, Zhang Wanqing grabbed her camera and notebook, shouldered a large backpack, and walked out of the newspaper building. The sun shone on her face, and she felt a hint of nervousness, but more of excitement.

"This is my first mission, and I must give it my all. This city, these streets, will be the backdrop for my story."

Reporting on urban traffic conditions wasn't difficult for Zhang Wanqing. She began by interviewing traffic police, drivers, and pedestrians along key arteries, recording their opinions and suggestions. Finally, she visited the Transportation Bureau to interview officials about their plans and prospects for urban transportation.

During the interview, she was incredibly attentive, her fingers scribbling rapidly across her notebook, as if capturing fragments of time. Shorthand is a must-have skill for journalists. As the saying goes, a good memory is worse than a poor pen. Using a recorder is worse than taking notes by hand; it's faster and more efficient.

As night fell, Zhang Wanqing returned to the newspaper office and began writing her first news report. For journalists, there's no such thing as an on-duty or off-duty schedule, nor is there any such thing as overtime. As long as it's work, no matter how early you get up, how late you stay, even weekends, it's all part of the daily grind. People often assume that professionals like doctors and police officers are toilsome day and night, but journalists are no different.

Her fingers danced quickly on the keyboard, her words were fluent and powerful, her views were unique and profound. After writing, she began to revise, over and over again, her words became more and more refined, her views became more and more distinct.

"These words will be the medium through which I express my voice to the world, and the tool through which I influence the world. Therefore, I must carefully consider every word and sentence, and I cannot make any mistakes."

By the time she finished her final revision, it was already late at night. She stood up and stretched, but her eyes gleamed with satisfaction and anticipation. She knew this was just the beginning of her work, and her future as a journalist still had a long way to go.

The next day, Zhang Wanqing sat at her director's desk, her first news report—"City Threads: Traffic Dilemma"—on the screen. She felt a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. This was her debut as a journalist, and she wasn't sure how readers and colleagues would react to it.

At the morning meeting, the director announced that Zhang Wanqing's report would be featured on the front page as the day's featured news item. Simultaneously with the newspaper's release, the report would also be published on the newspaper's website, its official WeChat account, Weibo, and other new media outlets. Zhang Wanqing's report immediately captured readers' attention. Zhang Wanqing nervously refreshed the page, watching the comments section grow in volume, a wave of trepidation welling up inside her.

Over time, Zhang Wanqing's report began to be shared and spread across various social media platforms. Some readers praised her report for its insightful and objective nature, truly reflecting the current state of urban transportation. However, others expressed differing opinions, arguing that the report lacked key data support or that its analysis of certain issues was insufficiently thorough.

Zhang Wanqing reads every comment carefully, thinking as she goes along: "These criticisms are also the driving force for my growth. I will learn from them and do better."

During lunch, Zhang Wanqing's colleagues began discussing her reporting. Some senior journalists praised her writing, praising her fluent writing and her fresh, unique perspective. However, others offered suggestions, such as more in-depth interviews and more comprehensive analysis. Zhang Wanqing humbly accepted these suggestions.

In the afternoon, the director called Zhang Wanqing to her office. With a smile on her face, she praised Zhang Wanqing's report and offered some suggestions for improvement.

"Wanqing, your reporting has great potential and your writing is powerful, but you are still too young and need more training. Don't be afraid of failure. Every failure is an opportunity for growth." Zhang Wanqing nodded seriously.

"By the way, when Xiao Fu comes back, you two can have a good chat and exchange work experiences. Comrade Xiao Fu has a much more thorough and comprehensive understanding of things than you. You should learn more from him!"

"Okay, I understand!" At this moment, Zhang Wanqing was even more looking forward to meeting the excellent colleagues mentioned by the director.