My First Byline: Kerra Bolton
My First Byline: Kerra Bolton
Freelance journalist
What is your current job?
Only one job? I’m an independent journalist, writer, author, filmmaker and educator. My work has appeared in CNN, Hearst Magazines (digital), Narratively, MemoirLand, Yahoo Finance , NASDAQ, and EBONY.
What was your first byline?
The first byline with meaning was covering the Senior Spelling Bee in Brevard, N.C. It was my first journalism job at the Hendersonville Times-News, then part of the New York Times Regional Group. As a young journalist, I imagined covering presidential elections, international issues, and having a front-row seat to history. All of that came … in time.
But first, I had to start by covering the Senior Spelling Bee in Brevard. I knew that I had to get the details right — the winner, the correct spelling of participants’ names, and the winning word — because it mattered to the participants and their friends and family. Covering the Senior Spelling Bee taught me that how you do one thing (even the smallest thing) is how you do everything. Each story, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant, matters to someone.
What was your first real job in journalism?
My first real job in journalism was working as an office assistant in the Photography Department at National Geographic magazine. I had daily access to some of the best photographers in the world. I offered to take them to coffee and interview them about how they accessed and captured the story of some of the most secret and forgotten communities in the world. The photographers taught me how to approach others with respect and visually tell a story. I took their advice in my first newspaper job at the Hendersonville Times-News and subsequently as a writer and filmmaker.
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How did you get it?
I was talking to a guy in a chat room (back when those existed). He introduced me to a woman who worked at National Geographic. She encouraged me to apply for an in-house internship program where you worked at the different departments of National Geographic. I applied and was accepted. Within a month of working as an in-house intern, I had offers from the Photography and Writing departments of the Geographic to work only for them. I chose the Photography department because I wanted to learn the language of visual storytelling.
After a while, I got restless and wanted to write. I took a day off from my job at the Geographic and attended the National Association of Black Journalists convention. I walked from booth to booth, shopping around my resume. Everyone told me that I needed an internship or more experience. I was married and in my early 20s at the time. There was no way I could afford to take an internship. However, the New York Times Regional Group thought I was a good fit. Within two weeks, I got a call from the Hendersonville Times-News asking if I would be interested in coming for an interview.
What advice do you have for people looking to break into journalism?
Play the hand that you have. Make the most of every opportunity. You may not have the “credentials” to get the job you ultimately want. However, how can you start from where you are? Who or what do you know? What inspires you? When you answer those questions, the next step appears. Take it and then wait for the next one. Also, don’t give up. You’re closer to your breakthrough than you think.