658: How to Break Into Journalism and Writing With John DeDakis, Fake [Espresso Shots]

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John DeDakis is a writing coach, educator, former journalist and award-winning author of five mystery/suspense novels including his latest Fake. The plot of Fake features a young journalist, Lark Chadwick, who is a White House correspondent investigating the sudden death of the First Lady even as Lark, herself, is the victim of “fake news.”  John’s other books include: Fast Track, Bluff, Troubled Water, and Bullet in the Chamber. The novels provide a behind-the-scenes look at real-world journalism.  In March 2013, John retired from CNN after a 25-year career that included working as a writer and senior copy editor for newscasts like “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” and “Daybreak with Carol Costello”.  From 2006 to 2013, John led workshops in broadcast news writing in CNN’s Washington, D.C. bureau.   He is available as a one-on-one writing coach, a leader of day-long workshops for aspiring and/or struggling writers, and as an editor of book-length manuscripts. 

 WHAT YOU’LL ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE: 

• What entry level jobs to look out for if you want to break into the journalism industry 
• What skills to develop when you want to break into the journalism and writing industry
• Whether your major matters
• What are the tedious aspects of writing and copy editing
• Why to watch All the President’s Men and Network to get a window into the journalism industry
• If you want to learn more about what John does as a fiction writer and how he built his journalism career tune in to his main Time4Coffee interview episode #261