Journalism isn’t like working at McDonald’s. Every day that I cover a story finds me in a different outfit. If I’m at a conference, I’m in a suit and flats. If it’s an evening reception or dinner, it’s a cocktail dress and heels.

Other times I’m out at a rally in the freezing cold or blazing sun. Then it’s sneakers to provide my battered feet with comfort, and weather-appropriate casual wear.

I find that wearing the event-appropriate gear allows me better access to comingle with those people I want to speak to. Here’s an example. There’s a political conference every winter I like to attend in Washington, DC. During the banquet dinners, I get to clink wine glasses with the crème at a table, while the so-called “real” reporters – all dressed in jeans and t-shirts – have to stand at the back of the room with their camera equipment, drinking tap water out of styrofoam cups. Which of us has it better? I get to exchange business cards and go for drinks with interview-worthy people, and the “real” media are shunned from many of the events – and most certainly not welcome at the after-hours festivities.

Whether you’re covering a press conference, a convention, a sit-down dinner for 500 or a riot – dress appropriately. Comfort, functionality (My evening bag is exactly big enough to hold camera, Blackberry and credit cards. No more, no less!) and a degree of stealth (you get further if you look like you belong in the room) are all things to be considered when getting ready for an event.

1. Famous people got to be famous by talking to un-famous people like you. I was listening to Radio for Conservatives the other day, and they were talking to uber-blogger John Hawkins about scoring the big interview. He’s had the opportunity to interview heavyweights like Ann Coulter, Thomas Sowell and even the late Milton Friedman. He was asked how he managed to land these big fish. His response? “I ask.”

The courage to ask is one of the most valuable tools you can have in your interviewing toolbox. You don’t ask, you don’t get. I asked for a minor miracle a month ago – I wanted the same guest host for my podcast that Rush Limbaugh uses for his radio show. I asked. I got. Shazam!

2. Do your research. You don’t have to be a mathematician to interview one. You don’t have to know the ins-and-outs of taxation or the Israeli one/two-state solution. But if you are interviewing a subject who has spoken or written extensively on the subject before, it might be best to find out why they’re an expert, and what they intend to impart to the world with their knowledge.If they have a book, read it. If they’re in the news, read/watch the interviews of others.

I frequently use the line “too pretty for math” to describe myself, but have interviewed economists and tax experts, and come off not sounding like an idiot. I always dread the interviews lest I sound like a fool, but I have my notes and questions in front of me, and I’m confident that I’ve done my homework.

3. Remember that your subject shits, too. That’s right. Whether you are interviewing a local cop or the queen of Denmark, they all eat, sleep and shit like the rest of us. This will help you get over any hero worship and do your job. Be polite, treat them like a friendly acquaintance, and you will get plenty from them. Be nervous and you’ll forget your questions.

4. YOU are not the subject. At various conferences I’ve been to, I’ve made the mistake of being in the photograph with my subject. Well, I suppose it makes sense that you’ll want a picture of yourself with someone famous for your personal collection, but be sure to get some solo shots for your news story. You are not Oprah – and even she looks like an ass most of the time being photographed with her betters.

My personal regret was only getting one shot of the head of Pacific Command, Admiral Timothy Keating, which I was in with him. Dumb, dumb, dumb. But we all make mistakes.

5. Take your mother’s advice. Write a thank you note. The subject of your interview has better things to do than spend an hour with you – they might have a a great symphony to finish or a country to run – yet they took the time to sit down and talk to you. Don’t be a putz – thank them for that. Use your discretion as to whether an email, a letter or a handwritten note is most appropriate. If someone in their office – an assistant or publicist – moved heaven and earth to assist you, they get a thank you as well.

6. Sometimes second best is good enough. So you couldn’t get your schedule to work with Senator So-and-So. That’s a pity. But did you find their staffers to be helpful? Why not send them a few questions via email and get an exclusive statement from the Senator’s office? It might not be the chat you were hoping for, but if you’re the only one who does it, it’s still an exclusive.

7. Be sure to send them a copy. Whether it’s a link to a blog, the MP3 (or link) to a podcast, or a copy of your local paper, be sure to send it to the subject and/or their assistant. Some people have scrapbooks they keep their interviews in, others use certain lines for future interviews. In some cases, if you hit upon something juicy, it might hit the wider news radar. When that happens, the subject will need to refer back to your chat for context when answering questions to other reporters.

Everyone has a story to tell. A good interviewer can get the story and a whole lot more besides. And sometimes, your subject can become a contact and a stepping-stone to the next subject. If you have regular dealings with someone you’ve interviewed, don’t be hesitant to ask them for an intro to someone they know that you want to talk to. Everyone is a resource.

A Word On Class

I have interviewed author, columnist and polemicist Mark Steyn on several occasions. I can also say he bought me a martini once (the way to this woman’s heart, indeed!). Mark Steyn is a journalistic powerhouse with fans around the world, but he doesn’t act like it. A friend of mine who recently had the opportunity to meet Steyn said to me afterward “He didn’t dominate the conversation. He was interested in our stories, even though people pay to hear his. He was like a friend.” This is so true of Steyn, and it makes him the ideal interview.

So as you rush out to score your big subject, I leave you with this blessing: May they all be like Mark.

That makes me part of a new breed called the Citizen Journalist.

So what does it take to be a citizen journalist? Well, it doesn’t take a journalism school degree, that’s for sure. It takes a healthy dose of curiosity, some skepticism, a moral compass really helps, and the ability to write.

Curiosity: If you don’t have the necessary drive to find out about a subject or event, there’s no point in committing to write about it. But if you have passion for something, be it government, commerce, pop culture – whatever, you will be able to imbue your readership (or listeners or viewers, if you are a podcaster or vlogger) with some of your enthusiasm.

Skepticism: Don’t believe everything you read/hear. Just because your local paper or the New York Times says something doesn’t mean you’re getting the full story. Do your research.

Moral Compass: Though shalt not lie. Keep it honest. There’s enough blatant lying in mainstream media without you adding any. You also need a thick skin, because if you’re the one exposing lies, you will be attacked. Let’s just hope you’re attacked in print, and not in the flesh.

Ability to Write: If you have no basic grammar, you will have no basic readers. Simple as that. And while you may never master that free flowing Hunter S. Thompson-esque storytelling ability, you can brush up on the tenets of good writing. Until you know the rules, you can’t break them.

Just because you don’t need to spend money on a J-School degree doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some basics under your belt. Things like the difference between Associated Press and Chicago Style, how to conduct an interview, how to act around famous people without losing your cool, and where you should be hanging out to find stories.

So here are some great resources to get you started:

University of Kansas Covering Communities: Tips, information and guidelines for the budding citizen journalist

Chi Town Daily News Community Journalism Workshop: Sign up for local events if you are in the Chicago area, or just peruse the links if you aren’t local

MediaBistro: Online or live courses and workshops. Lots of great articles

Help A Reporter Out: HARO is a great place to find a quotable source, like an industry expert

Read other news and events blogs. Consume as much mainstream news as you can, and then try to triangulate the facts. And keep at it. You really haven’t arrived till you get your first piece of hate mail.

At the time I began, my dearest friend in the world was an unemployed journalist. She had done the “necessary” years of university to give her some kind of paper that said she had the “right” to report the news. Yet, she remained unemployed.

Out of my exuberance, I suggested she start a blog to help get her name known in the right circles. Her reply? “I’m a journalist. I don’t write about the news for free!”

Fast forward five years. Today I will be lunching with the editor of the National Post, one of Canada’s two national newspapers. Next week I will be a pundit once more on the Michael Coren Show.

And my friend? She gave up and now works in a bookstore, stocking shelves.