Taking on Politics and Media: Our Latest Bossy Lady
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Posted
July 30, 2012 by Jessica Cooper
Quite the Bossy Lady, Amanda Terkel is a Senior Political Reporter and Politics Managing Editor at The Huffington Post. Previously, Amanda served as Deputy Research Director at the Center for American Progress and the Managing Editor of ThinkProgress.org. We are so glad she has filled us in with her advice on being a woman in the political media. She is a graduate of Colgate University and can be reached at aterkel@huffingtonpost.com or on Twitter @aterkel.
1. Did you always know that you wanted to have a presence in politics, or has your career path been one that evolved over time?
In 8th grade, my class took a field trip to Washington, D.C. and we began learning about U.S. government. My interest in politics was sparked around that time. I made a couple other trips to D.C. during high school for school again and a program called Presidential Classroom; both cemented my desire to be involved in politics and live in the nation’s capital. Part of the reason I chose to go to Colgate University was because of its strong political science program and its semester in D.C. — both of which I took full advantage of. While at Colgate, I was really active in the political groups on campus. I stumbled into my first job out of college — an internship at the then-new Center for American Progress — when my adviser gave me a New York Times Magazine article about the new think tank. It seemed like a perfect fit for me. I interned in the national security department, moved into a full-time job in strategic planning, and a year later, went to the research team where I contributed to our daily newsletter (The Progress Report) and our blog (ThinkProgress). I stayed there until summer 2010, when I moved over to The Huffington Post. So I came about journalism in an untraditional way, realizing it was the part of politics I most enjoyed.
2. What challenges do you face everyday in the work you do?
There’s a lot of news out there, and there are a lot of people trying to report on it. Coming up with story ideas is by far the toughest part of my job — finding stories that matter, that readers will be interested in, that I will be interested in, and that are fresh. With so much news in magazines/newspapers, on TV, on radio, on social media, and on blogs, it can be hard to break through — but it’s a thrill, and every day I’m excited to come into work.
3. What are some of the greatest rewards of your job?
It’s very rewarding — and humbling — to know that thousands of people are reading what you write, and your stories could change the way that people think about current events. I love getting feedback where readers tell me what they thought of my stories and share their experiences. (The vicious hate mail is less fun, obviously.) It’s great to see what you write affect the national conversation.
4. What advice do you have for young women who want to be involved in politics and the media?
Get involved in any way you can, as early as you can. Run for office, work on a campaign, join a local political group, get internships, start writing for the paper, and meet with people you admire.
5. What are the unique challenges women deal with in the media?
Political media is still very much dominated by men. Politicians are still overwhelmingly male, as are the journalists. Sexism still exists, whether it’s in an uncomfortable comment someone will make or the different standards that men and women are still occasionally held to. But that’s why it’s so important for women to fill these positions in journalism and politics, to give a different perspective and make sure that younger women have role models who look like them.
6. If you were going to start a new reality show what would be the premise?
I think there are plenty of reality shows out there already. I’ll stick to watching “So You Think You Can Dance.”
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About the Author
Jessica hails from Northern Virginia, but tells most people she's from D.C. because it's easier. Working on her degrees in English and Political Science, she enjoys reading, making new friends, traveling, talking about traveling and talking in general.
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