Read Zisser's story on the Physical Planning Committee

Check out the Web page Zisser helped design for the Janesville Gazette

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Engineer student finds new life as online journalist

Greg Zisser woke up one morning five years ago realizing accounting and math were boring classes, although he was good at both.

“I woke up every day hating going to class— I hated the math,” Zisser said about his experience as an engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-- Platteville. He decided to transfer to the UW-Eau Claire where he knew a couple friends.

Zisser said he found an interest in literature and philosophy while taking classes at the UW-Eau Claire. He said changing his interests slightly, from literature to journalism and from philosophy to political science was a practical decision for entering the work force. He also morphed his engineering experience into an Internet hobby, beginning the road to electronic journalism.

Zisser gained some Web experience as an online intern in his native Janesville with the Janesville Gazette. He said their Web site far outranked other Web sites owned by the parent company Bliss Communications Inc. He and his boss worked on the Web site together for the last two years. The Web site, www.gazetteextra.com, is now an award winning Web site.

He wrote original stories for the Web site that appeared sometimes on the site late at night and were printed in the newspaper the next day.

He experienced first hand what it’s like to “punch-in” as a reporter. Although there weren’t any set deadlines, Zisser said he pushed himself to get stories done sooner or web designs done by 5 or 6 p.m. Basically, the deadline was as soon as possible.

“Some days you had so many things to do you couldn’t do them all,” Zisser said working at the newspaper. Other days he left at noon because there was nothing to do at work.

He escapes boredom and work by reading books, preferably classic literature. His favorite book is Breakfast of Champions because he agrees with its outlook on life. He prefers books over movies saying, “I like using my imagination more than being spoon-fed.”

He also has some outdoor hobbies, such as bow hunting, canoeing and camping. Zisser said he enjoys bow hunting in the fall, although he doesn’t have the time to pursue the hobby because of his studies. He explained that bow hunting is a skilled sport that needs constant practice.

“I don’t feel right hunting if I’m not as accurate as I can be,” he said.

Zisser hopes to move to Alaska, somewhat away from civilization, so he can be closer with the outdoors. He said he could see himself writing for an outdoor magazine and camping and fishing in his spare time.

However, he doesn’t plan to move away from the information super highway anytime soon.

The Internet is the future of journalism, Zisser said. He found that there were a number of journalists that are for and against Web journalism and he said he didn’t want to get caught up in that debate. He wanted to maintain an open mind to Web reporting.

“I didn’t want to be afraid of technology because then you get left behind,” he said.

There are a number of differences between Web and print writing, he said. A Web audience is much broader than the traditional print audience, which for the Janesville Gazette consists of Janesville and the surrounding communities. However, the Web audience is international, and therefore datelines must be adjusted considering the person reading the story half way around the globe. “You would never say ‘today’ on a Web site, because ‘today’ could be tomorrow,” he said describing the issues of time and location.

In addition, readers can find more information about a topic they read on the Web site by clicking on numerous Web links in the article on the site. The same aspect isn’t possible with print, what you read is what you get.

“There’s so many infinite possibilities on the Web,” he said.

Zisser hopes one day he'll take a cross-country motorcycle tour on a Triumph or a Harley-Davidson. He also wouldn't mind fishing for 30 inch Northerns in Canada, on Lake of the Falls, again with his dad and brother.