A Day in the Life: Becky Dillner

This account was written for the MidAtlantic News Research Conference on July 18-19, 1997.


I am a researcher in the News Research Dept at the News & Observer in
Raleigh. Our department consists of researchers, archive enhancers,
photo archivists, database specialists and resource specialists. There
are 4 researchers who work from at least 8 a.m. until about 11 p.m.
(sometimes later). There is a researcher on call every weekend as well.

*********

July 8, 1997

11 a.m.: Arrive at work (my normal hours are from 11-7, Monday thru
Friday), after 10 days of vacation. Of course, today is the day that my
co-researchers are either on vacation or in the Durham bureau, so it's
going to be a busy day. Check my voice mail and return any calls. Check
my email and answer the most important first. It could take all day to
go through 10 days of email!

11:15 a.m.: A request comes in from business which needs immediate
attention - a couple of guys are wanted for spending peoples investment
money. Our reporter needs any articles, an autotrak search and house and
dmv information. 

12 p.m.: Take a break to read more email and eat some lunch. I'm slowly
but surely whittling the email down.

1 p.m.: A request comes from Our child welfare reporter needs several
articles having to do with abuse by foster  parents. Wants anything
about changes with the child protective services and reunification.

1:30 p.m.: Go back to the business department request about our
money-stealing thieves. Spend about 20 minutes on hold with the DMV, but
come up with exactley the information I need - the house address and the
types of cars. That will help with the rest of the research.

2:30 p.m.: Have finally finished all the research on the thieves. Did an
autotrak, which gave us all the previous addresses that these men have
lived at, where they live now, relatives, neighbors, etc. Our
correspondent in Washington, DC, has called, wanting articles about
ozone standards in North Carolina, and what Governor Hunt has to say
about the clean-air regulations.

3 p.m.: One of the sports reporters needs the contract and salary of
about 5 different college coaches from around the U.S. Just needs a
nexis search. 

3:30 p.m.: Just hear on the news that a Blackhawk helicopter has crashed
at Fort Bragg. Check to see if the newsroom knows about this, and what
they will need from me. Pass on a request from our health reporter to
Chris out in Durham. It's going to get wild here.

3:45 p.m.: The repoter covering the crash wants any major articles over
the past several years about major Blackhawk crashing, not only at Fort
Bragg, but nationally.

4 p.m.: It is now known that eight people were killed in the crash. The
editor in charge of the story on the crash wants a list of all the major
crashes since the Blackhawk was first used (in 1982). This could take
awhile.

4:45 p.m.: The Washington correspondent calls, needing immediate
attention (imagine that). He needs to know if  Gordon Gray (father of 
former White House chief counsel C. Boyden Gray) was ever president of
the UNC system. Also needs to know what four major plants in the North
Carolina produce. He also wants to know the exact location of two CP&L
plants in Roxboro. Need to place the call to CP&L before they close.
Told him the other would have to wait until morning if possible due to
the crash. Said that was fine.
 
5:30 p.m. Spent the last hour in Nexis trying to find major articles
about the Blackhawk crashes and any deaths related to this. Now just
trying to piece it together.

6 p.m.: Chris calls. He's answered a help request from a metro reporter
who needs some Wake County information. But he doens't have access in
Durham to the Wake County info and needs me to do it. I told him I was
up against the wall, and it might take awhile to do. He decides to head
back to Raleigh. Just then, Charles, our evening researcher arrives.
He'll take the request.

7 p.m.: Finish the chronology of deaths by Blackhawk Crashes. Waiting
for the editor to give the okay to head out. Finish reading my email.

7:45 p.m.: Editor says fine, just what we need. I'm outta here.



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Last Updated: 09/16/02
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