Medill Cherubs 2008

BY MARIELLE COLLINS

Throughout her weeks as a journalism cherub, Zanny Lannin said she was convinced that her school newspaper is really a magazine in disguise.

Lannin’s newspaper staff in Edina, Minn., produces an issue once a month, plans articles weeks in advance and considers layout a team effort.

That's the type of pace Lannin enjoys, and hearing from Cynthia Wang, assistant editor at People magazine, reinforced her decision to stay away from daily deadlines.

“I like having the time you have with a monthly publication to have meetings, rewrite articles and iron out the wrinkles,” Lannin said.

Wang discussed magazine writing, publication design and headlines that grab a reader's attention during a magazine workshop at the National High School Institute this summer.

“I like how magazines usually have engaging pictures and shorter stories that the average person can pick up,” Grace Altman, of Scarsdale, N.Y., said. “There’s a lot magazines offer that newspapers don’t.”

Cherubs discover the world of magazine writing.

Wang also recounted stories of the celebrities she has interviewed and how it’s important to make contacts that can help you get an interview when you need it.

“Hearing Cynthia speak was really exciting because I’m a big-time fan of People,” Lannin said. “I like how she interviews sources by taking them out to lunch, not just questioning people on the scene.”

Magazines also have niche audiences which give writers a chance to invest time in a topic, Wang said. The world of magazines is filled with options. There are now at least 20,000 magazines in circulation.

“I like magazines because the stories are more in depth and you can use more colored writing,” Alix Cohen, of Weston, Fla., said.

Krystin Arneson, of Overland Park, Kan., loves that there is a magazine that fits every side of her personality.

“I’m kind of a polar person,” Arneson said. “Part of me wants to do the whole National Geographic or Newsweek thing, but then the other part of me wants to work at Elle or Vogue.”

But Lannin knows what her dream job would be, thanks to the cherub program. Working at Vanity Fair or W magazine. Lannin said she would like magazine deadlines and the blend of fashion stories with serious articles.

“It was really helpful meeting with all the different editors and reporters,” Lannin said. “Seeing all the different jobs helped me think more narrowly about what I want to do in life.”