Vicki Chachere Life as a Former Reporter Turned into a Critical Writer.

Vicki Chachere is the news manager; her job is to tell the USF story. She used to be a reporter and an editorial writer for the Tampa Tribune from 2003-2008. Last week she spoke to our class about her transition from a reporter to a critical writer.

Chachere explained that a reporter’s job is to research and inform the public about the truth without adding personal opinions. But a critical writer informs people about the truth while adding their personal points of view. She believes editorial writers have the power to influence the public. Chachere said, she njoys being a critical writer because she can express her opinions.

“What you think may not be true,” said Chachere, because many people believe some things are true without even knowing the validity about that belief. Many people confuse general knowledge for true knowledge, in many cases they are wrong. According to Chachere, research is the best way to prove yourself right or even wrong. The important thing is to find out the truth.

When Writing editorials Chachere recommended not to write about topics that can cause an unwanted reaction. The two most unrecommended topics are abortion and spanking children as a form of discipline because the readers will bombard your inbox.Her advice to the class was to write about topics that would stir up personal emotion in yourself and the readers. “All viewpoints must be backed up by facts,” Chachere said. “Write about things you are passionate about.”

She also recommended the classroom to think outside the box when writing an editorial because many topics have already been covered. The key factor is to find a different approach to captivate the readers and to distinguish yourself from other writers.

When the classroom was having their editorial meeting, Chachere was very insightful on how to narrow to topic and make it your own. She gave a lot of positive feedback and helped the students. She gave the students starting points for their editorial investigation. She suggested putting sources from where all information was obtained to establish credibility with the readers.

The most important aspect is to make the editorial memorable whether it was for uncovering the truth or giving people another way of thinking about a specific topic. Personal style is very important, it will make your writing characteristic of who you are as a writer.