And with them, it's time to start thinking of invitations! Here's the DL on my presentation this year:
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Time: 6:00 PM
Place: Mueller Theater, McKelvey Campus Center
It's a new millenium, and many things are changing, especially in the news media. And although it may not appear as clearly, the way your TV news is being produced is changing as well. The old deadlines are still there, but the job that reporters perform is definitely evolving. Want to find out how? Senior Broadcast Communications major Alex Hines has spent the past semester using new methods in filming and editing, combined with the old pressure of getting stories done before the deadline! Come and hear all about what these new storytelling method involve, and what you might be seeing more of in the future.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Up and coming....
This week, out topic shifts from current professionals we admire to people the we admire who are still rising through the ranks of broadcasting here at Westminster College. The first person who came to mind when I started thinking was Ryan Hitchcock. This year Ryan has dove headlong into all the craziness that the BC department creates, and he’s come out of it doing well on all counts.
The first incident that came to mind was when I was shooting my first story of the year. When the photographer who I had asked to come with me on a shoot stood me up, I asked Ryan if he’d be willing to come along, and he accepted. As it turned out, the shots that he gave me were not only good of their own accord, but were probably better than the first person who shot for me.
He has also lately been taking over the role of technical director for the County Line, a job that is very demanding and fairly unforgiving as well, but he’s taken it on with great skill and is already doing well after only a few weeks in the position. Even if he’s not one of the most recognizable faces on the County Line, I’m pretty sure he’ll play a big role in the future of the show.
The first incident that came to mind was when I was shooting my first story of the year. When the photographer who I had asked to come with me on a shoot stood me up, I asked Ryan if he’d be willing to come along, and he accepted. As it turned out, the shots that he gave me were not only good of their own accord, but were probably better than the first person who shot for me.
He has also lately been taking over the role of technical director for the County Line, a job that is very demanding and fairly unforgiving as well, but he’s taken it on with great skill and is already doing well after only a few weeks in the position. Even if he’s not one of the most recognizable faces on the County Line, I’m pretty sure he’ll play a big role in the future of the show.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Alums
So for this week, I'm going to look at another alum of WC who I respect a lot. He also happens to be related to me as well.
My brother-in-law Jason Kalajainen has in the space of ten years (or so) managed to carve quite a niche for himself in the professional world. After attending Westminster College, Jason went on to get a masters degree in non-profit administration, and he never really stopped from there. One of his first jobs put him into the art world, and he's risen through the ranks rather quickly. Since my sister is an artist herself, it's turned into a family affair. Jason started working for the Ann Arbor Arts Council, and has progressed through to the point where he is now the director of the prestigious Ox-Bow Art Retreat in Saugatuck, MI. Ox-Bow is an extension of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jason was also recently honored with a Young Alumni Citation by Westminster College.
Despite this amazing work history, I admire and respect Jason for many other reasons. One of these is his work ethic. He pours himself into any project he takes on, and doesn't just stop when it's done. He stops when it's done WELL, and that's something that I'm trying to emulate more often. On another note, as a broadcaster, I also admire his talent at speaking to a crowd as well. He seems to have a knack with speaking, and keeping people's rapt attention, and this is something else I hope to learn as well.
Now, I realize that I may be somewhat biased, since we are related, HOWEVER, there's definitely no question that when I've been stuck on some problem, Jason, on multiple times, has been there to help me figure out exactly how to handle whatever comes my way. I really hope to take what I've learend from him to be a far more effective person in the professional world.
My brother-in-law Jason Kalajainen has in the space of ten years (or so) managed to carve quite a niche for himself in the professional world. After attending Westminster College, Jason went on to get a masters degree in non-profit administration, and he never really stopped from there. One of his first jobs put him into the art world, and he's risen through the ranks rather quickly. Since my sister is an artist herself, it's turned into a family affair. Jason started working for the Ann Arbor Arts Council, and has progressed through to the point where he is now the director of the prestigious Ox-Bow Art Retreat in Saugatuck, MI. Ox-Bow is an extension of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jason was also recently honored with a Young Alumni Citation by Westminster College.
Despite this amazing work history, I admire and respect Jason for many other reasons. One of these is his work ethic. He pours himself into any project he takes on, and doesn't just stop when it's done. He stops when it's done WELL, and that's something that I'm trying to emulate more often. On another note, as a broadcaster, I also admire his talent at speaking to a crowd as well. He seems to have a knack with speaking, and keeping people's rapt attention, and this is something else I hope to learn as well.
Now, I realize that I may be somewhat biased, since we are related, HOWEVER, there's definitely no question that when I've been stuck on some problem, Jason, on multiple times, has been there to help me figure out exactly how to handle whatever comes my way. I really hope to take what I've learend from him to be a far more effective person in the professional world.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
My Broadcasting Inspiration
No matter what profession someone decides to enter, usually you can find a person who influences you to go for your goal and succeed in the path that you choose for yourself. In my case, I was fortunate enough to have such a person in my family, and she's been a huge part of my drive to become a broadcast journalist.
Peggy Robinson is a (VERY) distant cousin who also happens to be a senior producer at the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. I first met Peggy in middle school, before the idea of a career in broadcast journalism was anything more than a pipe dream of mine. After speaking with her, I was gripped by her descriptions of that world and so it kept my interest running in the field a bit longer. During my high school years, my family and I went to visit her in Washington, D.C. where she lives and where the NewsHour is based. While we were there, we were able to sit in on the live production of one of the daily NewsHour shows. It's at that point that I think I was finally bitten by the broadcasting bug.
Peggy has since kept in touch with me about my experiences in college and with broadcast news, and has also pointed my towards opportunities in the field, including my recent desk assistantship with the NewsHour at the Republican National Convention this month. Without a doubt, I would not be in the place I was at today without her guidance in the industry.
Peggy Robinson is a (VERY) distant cousin who also happens to be a senior producer at the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. I first met Peggy in middle school, before the idea of a career in broadcast journalism was anything more than a pipe dream of mine. After speaking with her, I was gripped by her descriptions of that world and so it kept my interest running in the field a bit longer. During my high school years, my family and I went to visit her in Washington, D.C. where she lives and where the NewsHour is based. While we were there, we were able to sit in on the live production of one of the daily NewsHour shows. It's at that point that I think I was finally bitten by the broadcasting bug.
Peggy has since kept in touch with me about my experiences in college and with broadcast news, and has also pointed my towards opportunities in the field, including my recent desk assistantship with the NewsHour at the Republican National Convention this month. Without a doubt, I would not be in the place I was at today without her guidance in the industry.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Day 3 Recap
So Convention continued last night, and it was GLORIOUS event again! Those republicans actually seemed to have some energy last night. And THEN Sarah Palin came out, and FINALLY it felt like the big party the conventions were designed to be. As to actual events, it was the usual drudge work (not to complain, just to define) on tap for the morning, and I did end up being a bouncer during the shows again, BUT I got to make it down to the convention floor, and THIS time, it was chock-full of delegates! The only problem is, anyone with a headset, camera, audio recorder, or other form of recording device had alREADY descended on the floor as well. So I didn't exactly get very far. It WAS very neat to be down in the crush of things as the convention was going on all around me, and the potential historic first female VP was speaking.
More from the RNC later on today; duty calls!
More from the RNC later on today; duty calls!
Shaping my career in college
Although there are many things that have contributed to my development throughout college while working towards becoming a professional journalist, there is one experience that really comes to mind in helping me decide where I wanted to end up and pointing out to me that my career was moving in the right direction. It came to me during the class Radio and TV Announcing that we had here at Westminster. About that time, I got my first taste of the most visible position in broadcast journalism, the anchor desk. It had always been a dream of mine when I was a VERY young kid to try out being a news anchor, after of course, the firefighter/police officer/doctor stage. As I got older I heard more and more about how it was a hard field to get in to etc., and eventually said, OK I'll let that go, and moved on to other things. However, after discovering the BC program again, I was inspired to try and reach for the old goal again, and it turns out that it's been there all along.
Getting behind the news desk for the first time was a VERY weird experience. No matter how simple it looks from the TV side of things, the whole production is (of course) much more complicated than it seems. But the one thing that makes it stand out for me was that, even with all the nerves running through me for my first time anchoring, it felt natural in some ways. And now I think back to it and realize how much of a turning point that moment was for me. From that point on, I finally had the experience of doing, albeit on a smaller scale, what I had literally only dreamed about for years. And it's nice to know it's something that (eventually) I will be able to keep on doing.
Getting behind the news desk for the first time was a VERY weird experience. No matter how simple it looks from the TV side of things, the whole production is (of course) much more complicated than it seems. But the one thing that makes it stand out for me was that, even with all the nerves running through me for my first time anchoring, it felt natural in some ways. And now I think back to it and realize how much of a turning point that moment was for me. From that point on, I finally had the experience of doing, albeit on a smaller scale, what I had literally only dreamed about for years. And it's nice to know it's something that (eventually) I will be able to keep on doing.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
What a day!
So it's Day 2 of the Republican National Convention and what a day it's been! I've gotten to see a lot of things today that a big production has to go through that's kind of hard to experience any other way. In addition to my usual duties (including 6 AM newspaper delivery) I also got to stand in one of the sets and help manage the ebb and flow of people in and out during the regular show AND the special convention coverage later on in the same night.
And now for proof that Western Pennsylvania NEVER goes away, no matter how far away you are. As I was in the green room watching people come in and out, who should appear escorting a guest on the show but Liz Stephans and Scott Baker of breitbart.tv, who had come to campus and spoken to the broadcasting majors. I had introduced myself to them then and we'd spoken since, and they still remembered me (always a good sign!) I may be meeting them later tonight to keep in touch further, as work kept me jumping while they were there just long enough to keep us from having a very long conversation.
That's all I'll add for now, I may be posting later tonight, but if not, look for another update tomorrow!
And now for proof that Western Pennsylvania NEVER goes away, no matter how far away you are. As I was in the green room watching people come in and out, who should appear escorting a guest on the show but Liz Stephans and Scott Baker of breitbart.tv, who had come to campus and spoken to the broadcasting majors. I had introduced myself to them then and we'd spoken since, and they still remembered me (always a good sign!) I may be meeting them later tonight to keep in touch further, as work kept me jumping while they were there just long enough to keep us from having a very long conversation.
That's all I'll add for now, I may be posting later tonight, but if not, look for another update tomorrow!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Convention Opens!... sort of...
It's Monday, September 1st, and that means it's the opening of the Republican National Convention... or is it?
Although Convention was ready to go, Mother Nature made other plans, and Hurricane Gustav is wreaking havoc with the convention schedule. Although it seems now that the brunt of Gustav is missing New Orleans, it's still too late for today's activities. McCain's called off any convention activities besides the absolutely necessary business, so as not to be seen celebrating while a hurricane destroys the southern Louisiana coast... AGAIN. So they'll be going about the details and procedures of officially convening the convention, and making sure that the convention is valid.
While that's all well and good for the Republicans, it throws a HUGE spanner in the works for the media here, ESPECIALLY the NewsHour. So today's kind of nuts, as we are uncertain as to what the heck is actually going to occur. We also are down to 3 anchors/correspondents, to make matters even more interesting. Jim Lehrer decided to return to Washington after hearing that Gustav would be throwing things out of whack, and Margaret Warner was unable to make it to this convention. This leaves only Gwen Ifill, Ray Suarez and Judy Woodruff to man the fort here. There's still PLENTY of crew too, but the on-air group is now reduced to those three.
At the moment, Gustav is going to be the ONLY thing on CNN, so we're watching that around keepign the show afloat, which is being made even more interesting because the cable is cutting out for a few seconds every so often. Then again, this is bound to happen when pushing a signal through hundreds of new TVs across the center.
Anyway, that's where things stand as of this morning; more to come as things get going!
Although Convention was ready to go, Mother Nature made other plans, and Hurricane Gustav is wreaking havoc with the convention schedule. Although it seems now that the brunt of Gustav is missing New Orleans, it's still too late for today's activities. McCain's called off any convention activities besides the absolutely necessary business, so as not to be seen celebrating while a hurricane destroys the southern Louisiana coast... AGAIN. So they'll be going about the details and procedures of officially convening the convention, and making sure that the convention is valid.
While that's all well and good for the Republicans, it throws a HUGE spanner in the works for the media here, ESPECIALLY the NewsHour. So today's kind of nuts, as we are uncertain as to what the heck is actually going to occur. We also are down to 3 anchors/correspondents, to make matters even more interesting. Jim Lehrer decided to return to Washington after hearing that Gustav would be throwing things out of whack, and Margaret Warner was unable to make it to this convention. This leaves only Gwen Ifill, Ray Suarez and Judy Woodruff to man the fort here. There's still PLENTY of crew too, but the on-air group is now reduced to those three.
At the moment, Gustav is going to be the ONLY thing on CNN, so we're watching that around keepign the show afloat, which is being made even more interesting because the cable is cutting out for a few seconds every so often. Then again, this is bound to happen when pushing a signal through hundreds of new TVs across the center.
Anyway, that's where things stand as of this morning; more to come as things get going!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Summer Fun in St. Paul
So as you may have NOTICED, it's been a while since I've last posted. And for good reason. it's been summer time, and not too much has been going on... until now.
As many people are aware, it's an election year, and I have the privilege of working for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer during their gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul coming up next week. So keep in touch; when the RNC kicks off, I'll be posting here sharing what goes on behind the scenes of such a huge undertaking. I'll also have some pictures to throw up too, so keep an eye out.
Convention begins in FOUR DAYS!
As many people are aware, it's an election year, and I have the privilege of working for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer during their gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul coming up next week. So keep in touch; when the RNC kicks off, I'll be posting here sharing what goes on behind the scenes of such a huge undertaking. I'll also have some pictures to throw up too, so keep an eye out.
Convention begins in FOUR DAYS!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Capstone progress
So I have a capstone for the fall now! As it turns out, I will be using both of the skills I mentioned from my last entry in the final version.
So here's how it's going to fall. I'll do a package every other week, and these will be under a deadline. At the beginning of the semester, I'll work under a deadline of two days for these packages. As the semester moves on, I'll work towards reducing the amount of time for each package. Also as the semester goes on, I'll have to use VJ gear for some of these packages. The gear will come in midway through the semester, after I've done a few packages, but before I reduce the deadline. By the end, I'll be using both a reduced deadline AND the VJ gear to produce my packages. Later tonight I'll be putting together a specific schedule for the next semester.
That's all well and good, but what do I get out of it that's tangible? Well, I'll put together a resume tape that already demonstrates work that would be close to the deadlines I'd face in a real job. And to help give me feedback on the process and packages, in addition to the department professors, I have also lined up a professional producer from a local TV station. She's a person that I've worked with before at a past internship, so I know that I can trust her to be perfectly honest with me in terms of how well I've put the package together.
It is what it is! (Hope I don't have to say that seriously anytime soon!)
So here's how it's going to fall. I'll do a package every other week, and these will be under a deadline. At the beginning of the semester, I'll work under a deadline of two days for these packages. As the semester moves on, I'll work towards reducing the amount of time for each package. Also as the semester goes on, I'll have to use VJ gear for some of these packages. The gear will come in midway through the semester, after I've done a few packages, but before I reduce the deadline. By the end, I'll be using both a reduced deadline AND the VJ gear to produce my packages. Later tonight I'll be putting together a specific schedule for the next semester.
That's all well and good, but what do I get out of it that's tangible? Well, I'll put together a resume tape that already demonstrates work that would be close to the deadlines I'd face in a real job. And to help give me feedback on the process and packages, in addition to the department professors, I have also lined up a professional producer from a local TV station. She's a person that I've worked with before at a past internship, so I know that I can trust her to be perfectly honest with me in terms of how well I've put the package together.
It is what it is! (Hope I don't have to say that seriously anytime soon!)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Capstone closing
So it's now almost time for me to turn in my Capstone project for next semester, and as it stands, I'll be digging for approval for my project this week. The department wasn't so much a fan of my proposal in the first place, so I'm kind of making up for lost time, but I have what I think is a better idea and hopefully that will help matters somewhat. I'm actually torn between two elements to focus on, or even the possibility of working in both. I realized that I know I can put together a good package for a TV show, but my usual time frame for them is over a week, not a day. With that in mind, I'd like to try and simulate the deadline pressure that I would feel in a real professional job.
In this case, I'd choose at least one package every other week, and then give myself a timeframe of 24-48 hours to get it complete. While this is still not a true-to-life timeframe, it is one that will at least move me closer to being prepared for a job in the field.
The other possibility is to practice my one-man-band-ing skills. After this semester, I think I'm better than I thought at shooting stories with only myself to be both behind and in front of the camera. More significant than that, it's a style of journalism that is becoming more prevalent in the business these days, and any person studying them would be remiss in not at least becoming familiar with the technology behind this new brand of journalism.
The third option I have, one which I'm leaning to right now, is to combine these aspects into one project, giving the whole undertaking some more depth. For this version, I hope to try and incorporate all of these elements to bring each piece in to my practice. I would keep the every-other-week schedule of deadline projects, but I would also add in the requirement that some of these be completed on my own, as a "VJ," shooting, editing, and writing the story all on my own.
I think this might be the way I go, especially as it incorporates so many important elements into my practice. I'll be deciding tonight, so keep checking here, you'll see more on this tomorrow.
In this case, I'd choose at least one package every other week, and then give myself a timeframe of 24-48 hours to get it complete. While this is still not a true-to-life timeframe, it is one that will at least move me closer to being prepared for a job in the field.
The other possibility is to practice my one-man-band-ing skills. After this semester, I think I'm better than I thought at shooting stories with only myself to be both behind and in front of the camera. More significant than that, it's a style of journalism that is becoming more prevalent in the business these days, and any person studying them would be remiss in not at least becoming familiar with the technology behind this new brand of journalism.
The third option I have, one which I'm leaning to right now, is to combine these aspects into one project, giving the whole undertaking some more depth. For this version, I hope to try and incorporate all of these elements to bring each piece in to my practice. I would keep the every-other-week schedule of deadline projects, but I would also add in the requirement that some of these be completed on my own, as a "VJ," shooting, editing, and writing the story all on my own.
I think this might be the way I go, especially as it incorporates so many important elements into my practice. I'll be deciding tonight, so keep checking here, you'll see more on this tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
It IS Happening!
It's now official! This small town guy is off to St. Paul later this summer to go to the Republican National Convention, working for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer! I just got the final word today, and that's how it'll be! And how about that for a first PAID job in the industry?!
This is really a dream come true in some small way for me. The NewsHour has been the place I go to get news for years now, since I've always thought it to be the most even-handed newscast of any of them. CNN is my second, but that's neither here nor there. I'll be doing all sorts of things there; I really can't yet outline exactly how my time will be spent, but it's going to be great to get my name out there, and the addition of this to my resume I think will be nothing short of invaluable.
I'm so excited for this right now, it's amazing. I'll be hearing more about this over the next few weeks, so I'll be around of that you can be sure.
This is really a dream come true in some small way for me. The NewsHour has been the place I go to get news for years now, since I've always thought it to be the most even-handed newscast of any of them. CNN is my second, but that's neither here nor there. I'll be doing all sorts of things there; I really can't yet outline exactly how my time will be spent, but it's going to be great to get my name out there, and the addition of this to my resume I think will be nothing short of invaluable.
I'm so excited for this right now, it's amazing. I'll be hearing more about this over the next few weeks, so I'll be around of that you can be sure.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
It's Happening!
Wow... what a morning!
It's the middle of Greek Week right now, so life is crazy as it is, but it just got even crazier!
The internship/job that I mentioned in my last post with the NewsHour? Yeah, I'm pretty much sure it's gonna happen! I just got off the phone with one of the senior producers and from what she said, it seems the question is more WHERE to put me, as opposed to whether or not to take me!
Nothing's final yet, but we'll be talking again in the next 24 hours, so don't go far, more is coming!
It's the middle of Greek Week right now, so life is crazy as it is, but it just got even crazier!
The internship/job that I mentioned in my last post with the NewsHour? Yeah, I'm pretty much sure it's gonna happen! I just got off the phone with one of the senior producers and from what she said, it seems the question is more WHERE to put me, as opposed to whether or not to take me!
Nothing's final yet, but we'll be talking again in the next 24 hours, so don't go far, more is coming!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Opportunity's knocking!
Well THIS is an interesting weekend for sure!
I have now THREE leads for my future. Two are for jobs, and one is for an internship which would be about five different kinds of awesome.
First, I may likely be applying for a job soon in Youngstown. It might be out of my reach, but who knows. Once I get my resume tape wrapped up, that'll be in the works.
Second, Weaver recently informed us of an opening for a reporter that he found in Virginia. It's definitely a smaller market, but it's also probably more the size I can expect to start in.
OK, now to the internship, and this is where it gets GOOD. I have a family member who works for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, one of the most balanced news discussion shows on TV. Now, granted, I've had two internships already, but this is a rare chance. She recently passed along an oppotunity for me to intern with the NewsHour during the upcoming Democratic National Convention. Now, it's by no means a sure thing, but I've already started to put the gears in motion on this one. Stay tuned for more on that!
In the meantime, now that Blogger is cooperating with me, here's one of the stories I'm most likely to put up on my resume tape, below. If any media people out there should see this, please feel free to leave a comment with feedback. I've been critiqued by a large-market news director, and a larger-market reporter about some of my work before, so do your worst; I can take it.
I have now THREE leads for my future. Two are for jobs, and one is for an internship which would be about five different kinds of awesome.
First, I may likely be applying for a job soon in Youngstown. It might be out of my reach, but who knows. Once I get my resume tape wrapped up, that'll be in the works.
Second, Weaver recently informed us of an opening for a reporter that he found in Virginia. It's definitely a smaller market, but it's also probably more the size I can expect to start in.
OK, now to the internship, and this is where it gets GOOD. I have a family member who works for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, one of the most balanced news discussion shows on TV. Now, granted, I've had two internships already, but this is a rare chance. She recently passed along an oppotunity for me to intern with the NewsHour during the upcoming Democratic National Convention. Now, it's by no means a sure thing, but I've already started to put the gears in motion on this one. Stay tuned for more on that!
In the meantime, now that Blogger is cooperating with me, here's one of the stories I'm most likely to put up on my resume tape, below. If any media people out there should see this, please feel free to leave a comment with feedback. I've been critiqued by a large-market news director, and a larger-market reporter about some of my work before, so do your worst; I can take it.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
It's starting to come together!
Well, this is fun! I'm finally nailing some packages and I THINK I have two or three worth it on my resume tape. This is good news, since I hope to be applying for a job shortly! It might be a bit out of my reach, but hey, it can't hurt to try. Especially since I have a contact from a past internship involved; that should be helpful!
Anyway, the BC life continues, but with an interesting twist. I seem to be picking up more and more political stories lately. Now, I'm fine with this, but it's kind of weird, seeing as I've only had ONE Poli. Sci. class... EVER. Then again, I am the guy who camped out in his room for every primary through the month of February watching results come in, so maybe that should explain something. I'm kind of wondering if maybe I should look into working with politics (in the news) more. I'm not about to add a minor to get that knowledge, but who knows.
Right now, I'm in the middle of an interesting three weeks news-wise. Last week, my package was on the kickoff/opening of Barack Obama's campaign office in New Castle. This week, I'll be hosting the interview segment and talking to Jim Rhoads, a Westminster professor who worked with the Mock Convention and who is very much in the know when it comes to all levels of politics. And finally, next week is the big primary here in PA, so I'll be out on Election Day doing my deadline assignment, shooting, writing, and editing a story in one day. And yes, I realize that this is what I'll have to do anyway, but it's still a change from the norm for the County Line. Tune in for more on all that LATER this week.
For now I leave you (FINALLY!) with a package of mine. This aired mid-March, so it's not my most current, but it is one of my best ones yet. Enjoy!
EDIT: Blogger likes me again! Package is now available above!
Anyway, the BC life continues, but with an interesting twist. I seem to be picking up more and more political stories lately. Now, I'm fine with this, but it's kind of weird, seeing as I've only had ONE Poli. Sci. class... EVER. Then again, I am the guy who camped out in his room for every primary through the month of February watching results come in, so maybe that should explain something. I'm kind of wondering if maybe I should look into working with politics (in the news) more. I'm not about to add a minor to get that knowledge, but who knows.
Right now, I'm in the middle of an interesting three weeks news-wise. Last week, my package was on the kickoff/opening of Barack Obama's campaign office in New Castle. This week, I'll be hosting the interview segment and talking to Jim Rhoads, a Westminster professor who worked with the Mock Convention and who is very much in the know when it comes to all levels of politics. And finally, next week is the big primary here in PA, so I'll be out on Election Day doing my deadline assignment, shooting, writing, and editing a story in one day. And yes, I realize that this is what I'll have to do anyway, but it's still a change from the norm for the County Line. Tune in for more on all that LATER this week.
For now I leave you (FINALLY!) with a package of mine. This aired mid-March, so it's not my most current, but it is one of my best ones yet. Enjoy!
EDIT: Blogger likes me again! Package is now available above!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The hunt begins!
The year is wrapping up and with that in mind I've finally started to begin searching out jobs. I'm hoping to stay close to the area for my first one, and then I'll move after that, but we'll see how that turns out.
That having been said, there's an opening in Youngstown, right next door, that I've decided to go after. It's a bit of a long shot, but then again, it can't hurt to try right? I'm putting my resume tape together as we speak; hopefully it'll be done by sometime this week, and then I'll have my ducks in a row to get in touch with the news director about the job.
This week I'm also going to be contacting some people from my last internship in Grand Rapids to see if I can get some feedback from them on some of my work since I've been there, but also to talk to them about making a resume tape. Grand Rapids is a rather large market so it should be interesting to find out what people at that level think it take for a good tape.
Plenty's going on now with the year wrapping up, so stay tuned, things can only happen faster!
That having been said, there's an opening in Youngstown, right next door, that I've decided to go after. It's a bit of a long shot, but then again, it can't hurt to try right? I'm putting my resume tape together as we speak; hopefully it'll be done by sometime this week, and then I'll have my ducks in a row to get in touch with the news director about the job.
This week I'm also going to be contacting some people from my last internship in Grand Rapids to see if I can get some feedback from them on some of my work since I've been there, but also to talk to them about making a resume tape. Grand Rapids is a rather large market so it should be interesting to find out what people at that level think it take for a good tape.
Plenty's going on now with the year wrapping up, so stay tuned, things can only happen faster!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Fixing what ails you... or your package.
So the last few weeks have been interesting when it coems to putting together packages and getting things done in adverse situations. Let's jump back to LAST week first. I was preparing a story about the LLP program here at Westminster, and had scheduled interviews to talk about the program with a few different people who are part of it. Well as it happens, all but one had to cancel due to weather or conflicts. So, when I couldn't get enough ready, I ended up switching stories and working on one we had discussed in class. Well that didn't really pan out either, so I ended up going back to my original idea and editing most of my story Wednesday night and the morning of the show. As if that wasn't enough, I had to anchor that night as well, which was another thing to deal with. As it happened, I actually pulled out a good enough story, it just wasn't the best one I've done.
This week was another lesson in making do with what's thrown at you. I had reserved gear for an interview for my next package for the upcoming week's show, and when I went to get it, it turned out to be in use still. The problem was that I had the person I was going to interview WAITING for me. Now I was fortunate, in that he was very patient while I tried to solve the problem. Fortunately, I got out another set of gear, and Pam was awesome and jumped in to shoot for me.
It's been an interesting week, but hopefully it won't get any more so this week. Here's a sneak preview of what I have going. Ever meet someone who's been abroad studying to teach a second language? Well reverse everything; think of someone FROM abroad moving to THIS country (and staying!) studying to teach what to HIM is a second language. Bet you don't know as many people who do that. Watch the County Line this week to learn about someone who does.
This week was another lesson in making do with what's thrown at you. I had reserved gear for an interview for my next package for the upcoming week's show, and when I went to get it, it turned out to be in use still. The problem was that I had the person I was going to interview WAITING for me. Now I was fortunate, in that he was very patient while I tried to solve the problem. Fortunately, I got out another set of gear, and Pam was awesome and jumped in to shoot for me.
It's been an interesting week, but hopefully it won't get any more so this week. Here's a sneak preview of what I have going. Ever meet someone who's been abroad studying to teach a second language? Well reverse everything; think of someone FROM abroad moving to THIS country (and staying!) studying to teach what to HIM is a second language. Bet you don't know as many people who do that. Watch the County Line this week to learn about someone who does.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Weather Woes
This week was definitely another object lesson in how packages can go awry, when NONE of it was your fault. This time, it's the weather that decided to make my life difficult.
Tuesday we had a huge snowstorm, and although we still had classes one of the people I was going to interview who lives off-campus couldn't make it in to campus to have an interview that day, so I couldn't get him in front of a camera. The second person I had contacted also called that day saying that due to the weather and other circumstances, she's be too busy to actually have time for an interview. Argh.
Friday things started to work out though. I got two of the interviews I needed (though I think the audio on one is crap, but that can fortunately be fixed easily.)
So this story's kind of in limbo at the moment. By tomorrow at noon, I'll have a decision on whether or not it'll go forward for this week. I think chances are good that it can though.
Looking forward now, this'll be a fun week. I'll be back behind the anchor desk on Thursday for the third edition of the County Line this semester, anchoring with Amanda C. We're both psyched for it, too, so it should be great. If you want to know if my package turns out in time, watch the show on Thursday!
Tuesday we had a huge snowstorm, and although we still had classes one of the people I was going to interview who lives off-campus couldn't make it in to campus to have an interview that day, so I couldn't get him in front of a camera. The second person I had contacted also called that day saying that due to the weather and other circumstances, she's be too busy to actually have time for an interview. Argh.
Friday things started to work out though. I got two of the interviews I needed (though I think the audio on one is crap, but that can fortunately be fixed easily.)
So this story's kind of in limbo at the moment. By tomorrow at noon, I'll have a decision on whether or not it'll go forward for this week. I think chances are good that it can though.
Looking forward now, this'll be a fun week. I'll be back behind the anchor desk on Thursday for the third edition of the County Line this semester, anchoring with Amanda C. We're both psyched for it, too, so it should be great. If you want to know if my package turns out in time, watch the show on Thursday!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
How it is in the real world
Wow. This has been one crazy week. I had my first package for the County Line due this week, whcih actually turned out pretty darn good. There were some writing issues that I need to watch out for, but those will hopefully be fixed next time around.
THIS week, though, I have to say was special in SOOO many ways. I had pretty much everything in my life decide to happen over the past few days, which made getting things done a matter of "I only have this half-hour slot to write this four-page paper... GO!" Granted, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's about the feeling I've had.
I woke up this morning, the first day things will be relatively peaceful, and was inwardly moaning and groaning and thinking about how nice it will be when I get a "real job" to not have to worry about anything else while doing a story, when it hit me that I still will. I intend to have a family, a life outside of work, friends, all of which take time, and some of which will certainly run into each other and cause some craziness in my existence! Thinking about it that way, I'm now actually kind of glad this week was as crazy as it was. I do however hope that theNEXT week won't be so nuts.
I'm going to try and start posting my packages from The County Line on here for this semester, but I don't have the first one with me, so keep an eye out for that within the next few days.
THIS week, though, I have to say was special in SOOO many ways. I had pretty much everything in my life decide to happen over the past few days, which made getting things done a matter of "I only have this half-hour slot to write this four-page paper... GO!" Granted, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's about the feeling I've had.
I woke up this morning, the first day things will be relatively peaceful, and was inwardly moaning and groaning and thinking about how nice it will be when I get a "real job" to not have to worry about anything else while doing a story, when it hit me that I still will. I intend to have a family, a life outside of work, friends, all of which take time, and some of which will certainly run into each other and cause some craziness in my existence! Thinking about it that way, I'm now actually kind of glad this week was as crazy as it was. I do however hope that theNEXT week won't be so nuts.
I'm going to try and start posting my packages from The County Line on here for this semester, but I don't have the first one with me, so keep an eye out for that within the next few days.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Wrapping it up and starting ALL over
So the last few days at WOOD were absolutely awesome. I got to go out on a VO/SOT my last day there, and this time the opposite thing happened again, but in a better way. The expectation here was that the story would be a non-event and we'd come back with a significant feeling of blah.
Not so, as it was. The event we went to was a speaker at Calvin College. He was talking about a medical procedure he pioneered in order to allow a family to take care of this SEVERELY disabled person. The treatment had a LOT of thought put into it, and was eventually approved.
However, a group of people from disabled person's advocacy organization were outside of the speech protesting his methods, and they were disabled (yet functional) themselves.
And then after that, I went back and had lunch with the news director and the rest of the interns. That was one of the best learning experiences I had there, becuase she shared a lot of wisdom gleaned from her experience with us, some of it I will remember for a good long while. After that, I just said my goodbyes as people left for the day, and I was really surprised with the friendliness of people as I was leaving. That only confirmed my plan that by this time five years from now, I want to be back at WOOD, but this time, being paid. *grin*
And that about wraps the internship up; I'm back at Westminster now, and getting back to the grind of college life. I have no radio time this year, but I'll have a TON of time on the TV station, so it'll be interesting for sure to work in TV more this year. Anyway, thanks again to EVERYONE at WOOD. I'm hoping to keep in touch, and hope to drop in again at some point when I get back to Michigan.
More WC BC adventures coming soon!
Not so, as it was. The event we went to was a speaker at Calvin College. He was talking about a medical procedure he pioneered in order to allow a family to take care of this SEVERELY disabled person. The treatment had a LOT of thought put into it, and was eventually approved.
However, a group of people from disabled person's advocacy organization were outside of the speech protesting his methods, and they were disabled (yet functional) themselves.
And then after that, I went back and had lunch with the news director and the rest of the interns. That was one of the best learning experiences I had there, becuase she shared a lot of wisdom gleaned from her experience with us, some of it I will remember for a good long while. After that, I just said my goodbyes as people left for the day, and I was really surprised with the friendliness of people as I was leaving. That only confirmed my plan that by this time five years from now, I want to be back at WOOD, but this time, being paid. *grin*
And that about wraps the internship up; I'm back at Westminster now, and getting back to the grind of college life. I have no radio time this year, but I'll have a TON of time on the TV station, so it'll be interesting for sure to work in TV more this year. Anyway, thanks again to EVERYONE at WOOD. I'm hoping to keep in touch, and hope to drop in again at some point when I get back to Michigan.
More WC BC adventures coming soon!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
More adventures in election reporting!
Oh, broadcasting. Never a dull moment, and last night proves it.
So, as I said in my last post, I went down south to Kalamazoo last night to track the election numbers as they come in. Well doncha know, that for the first time in the memory of WOOD, Kalamazoo County was actually USING the election tracking system they had set up, and they were able to watch the votes coming in from the station in Grand Rapids ANYWAY. *sigh*
That's the first part of the night; don't go far, it gets better!
So after I got the call to come on back, I hop on 131 (US-131, a fairly major highway through West Michigan) and on my way back to Grand Rapids, I hear a strange thumping and then a BOOM. Oh yeah, I had popped a tire. As if that wasn't enough, my cell phone had died on the way back, so what was left for me to do? Turn on the hazards and hoof it to the nearest exit and find a gas station. I fortunately was only 1/4 of a mile or so away from one, so it wasn't a LONG walk, but someone did actually stop and give me a lift for the larger part of the (albeit short) trip. From there, it gets boring, I got the gas station's phone and called AAA and they got me back on the road again, so I was fine, but I do need to get that new tire.
I've heard it countless times before, but you never know what this business will throw at you, and here's a shining example! On the other hand, I heard today about an intern who was once stuck overnight in Ionia County (a.k.a B.F.E.) so it could have been far worse!
Mock newscast is coming up tonight, more on that later, probably tomorrow!
So, as I said in my last post, I went down south to Kalamazoo last night to track the election numbers as they come in. Well doncha know, that for the first time in the memory of WOOD, Kalamazoo County was actually USING the election tracking system they had set up, and they were able to watch the votes coming in from the station in Grand Rapids ANYWAY. *sigh*
That's the first part of the night; don't go far, it gets better!
So after I got the call to come on back, I hop on 131 (US-131, a fairly major highway through West Michigan) and on my way back to Grand Rapids, I hear a strange thumping and then a BOOM. Oh yeah, I had popped a tire. As if that wasn't enough, my cell phone had died on the way back, so what was left for me to do? Turn on the hazards and hoof it to the nearest exit and find a gas station. I fortunately was only 1/4 of a mile or so away from one, so it wasn't a LONG walk, but someone did actually stop and give me a lift for the larger part of the (albeit short) trip. From there, it gets boring, I got the gas station's phone and called AAA and they got me back on the road again, so I was fine, but I do need to get that new tire.
I've heard it countless times before, but you never know what this business will throw at you, and here's a shining example! On the other hand, I heard today about an intern who was once stuck overnight in Ionia County (a.k.a B.F.E.) so it could have been far worse!
Mock newscast is coming up tonight, more on that later, probably tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
2nd week
OK, so the daily part went out the window for a bit, but that's partly because there's been a good bit of excitement since then. Granted there's been some monotony mixed in as well, but that's not unreasonable either.
So let's go over what I've been doing over the past few days.
First, I got the chance to go out and represent the station at two meetings and put together two VO/SOTs for WOOD. Well, actually only one VO/SOT. The other story was dryer than the Gobi Desert, so it was turned into a VO. BARELY.
I did the writing for them as well, and they both went on largely without being changed by the producers, which was GREAT to see. I also got some firsthand experience at the second one, about how a story does NOT turn in to what you expect it to be.
I FINALLY got a chance to put together a package which I'll be able to bring with me to use in the future for a resumé tape. I used the VO/SOT I went to first (the good one) for the package. While I was out there, Dan Salas, the photog who was out with me shot a stand-up for me, which I used in the package. Now all I have to do is get name CGs in there. I hope to be able to add them in before I go, so they have the station's authentic CGs, but otherwise, I'll add them in myself. Wait, hold that thought, just got that question answered. I'll have the real thing in there tomorrow.
I also finally had the chance to go out on a live shot yesterday. The live truck which usually only holds two people was sent out to meet us after a report and photog and I had already left, so that's how we pulled that off. I got a chance to see a package get put together.
((Dear God, as I'm trying to write this the phones are ringing off the freakin' hook! Granted it IS primary day here in Michigan, but DAMN.))
And that's the biggest news from last week. THIS week promises to be even MORE interesting. I will be doing a mock newscast tomorrow night which promises to be a LOT of fun, and that will also be something I can take with me to use for a resumé. I thought that would be the highlight of the week, but I may have been wrong. I just today found out that I'll be our rep in Kalamazoo counting votes for the primaries tonight!
Anyway, that about brings you all back up to speed. I'll be reporting back in (no pun intended) later on tonight!
So let's go over what I've been doing over the past few days.
First, I got the chance to go out and represent the station at two meetings and put together two VO/SOTs for WOOD. Well, actually only one VO/SOT. The other story was dryer than the Gobi Desert, so it was turned into a VO. BARELY.
I did the writing for them as well, and they both went on largely without being changed by the producers, which was GREAT to see. I also got some firsthand experience at the second one, about how a story does NOT turn in to what you expect it to be.
I FINALLY got a chance to put together a package which I'll be able to bring with me to use in the future for a resumé tape. I used the VO/SOT I went to first (the good one) for the package. While I was out there, Dan Salas, the photog who was out with me shot a stand-up for me, which I used in the package. Now all I have to do is get name CGs in there. I hope to be able to add them in before I go, so they have the station's authentic CGs, but otherwise, I'll add them in myself. Wait, hold that thought, just got that question answered. I'll have the real thing in there tomorrow.
I also finally had the chance to go out on a live shot yesterday. The live truck which usually only holds two people was sent out to meet us after a report and photog and I had already left, so that's how we pulled that off. I got a chance to see a package get put together.
((Dear God, as I'm trying to write this the phones are ringing off the freakin' hook! Granted it IS primary day here in Michigan, but DAMN.))
And that's the biggest news from last week. THIS week promises to be even MORE interesting. I will be doing a mock newscast tomorrow night which promises to be a LOT of fun, and that will also be something I can take with me to use for a resumé. I thought that would be the highlight of the week, but I may have been wrong. I just today found out that I'll be our rep in Kalamazoo counting votes for the primaries tonight!
Anyway, that about brings you all back up to speed. I'll be reporting back in (no pun intended) later on tonight!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
4 and 5
So we're gonna combine these two since they were largely unremarkable. Not BAD, just unremarkable. Saturday I went out with Emily Zangaro on a story about an older lady who drove her friends to appointments, etc. wherever they needed to go. The hook? Her car was stolen and wrecked from the garage it was being repaired in. Not the best story, but it did have some emotion to it. This woman isn't exactly in peak shape herself, and still she's helping out her friends. I came back and then spent the time working in the newsroom for the rest of the night. I also went out again (had a little cabin fever) and went along to a VO, where a local party store-type-place was held up. That was about the stretch of Saturday.
Sunday was the first of my only two days off, but we don't care about that for the purposes of this blog.
Monday I was back, and spent another day that was generally uneventful, but still felt like I did some good work. I spent a lot of time at the assignment desk again, and also watched the production of the 5 PM show, and stood in on the 6 PM in the studio. In other news (no pun intended) one of the other interns for this semester started yesterday as well, so it was very cool getting to meet her, too.
The dry stuff's out of the way now, and here's why the rush: Watch for the next post, the good stuff's coming up!
Sunday was the first of my only two days off, but we don't care about that for the purposes of this blog.
Monday I was back, and spent another day that was generally uneventful, but still felt like I did some good work. I spent a lot of time at the assignment desk again, and also watched the production of the 5 PM show, and stood in on the 6 PM in the studio. In other news (no pun intended) one of the other interns for this semester started yesterday as well, so it was very cool getting to meet her, too.
The dry stuff's out of the way now, and here's why the rush: Watch for the next post, the good stuff's coming up!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Rest of Day 3
So anyway, day 3: where was I? Right...
I again went out with Patrick Center on a decidedly less sexy story, about (ready for this shocker?) Michigration! We went and spoke with three people, and got some really interesting angles on a not-so-interesting story.
1) We talked to a woman who's working on a construction company project here in Grand Rapids, and she told us about her concerns with the job market in Michigan. Her income was going down, and her expenses were going up, and none of it was her doing. She didn't want to leave Michigan but is seriously concerned that she may have to.
2) We talked to a woman who owns a hair salon in Belding (nice 45 minute drive there) who told us about her grandson. He grew up here in Michigan but was forced to move out of state to get a good job. He still has a job there, but said he felt like a traitor for leaving Michigan.
3) Lastly we talked to an economics professor at Grand Valley State University who gave us details on exactly what parts of the state are being affected, and where and why the population loss is occurring throughout the state.
Day 4 happened and caused the interruption in my last post, so I'm gonna pause here and take care of it in my next post.
I again went out with Patrick Center on a decidedly less sexy story, about (ready for this shocker?) Michigration! We went and spoke with three people, and got some really interesting angles on a not-so-interesting story.
1) We talked to a woman who's working on a construction company project here in Grand Rapids, and she told us about her concerns with the job market in Michigan. Her income was going down, and her expenses were going up, and none of it was her doing. She didn't want to leave Michigan but is seriously concerned that she may have to.
2) We talked to a woman who owns a hair salon in Belding (nice 45 minute drive there) who told us about her grandson. He grew up here in Michigan but was forced to move out of state to get a good job. He still has a job there, but said he felt like a traitor for leaving Michigan.
3) Lastly we talked to an economics professor at Grand Valley State University who gave us details on exactly what parts of the state are being affected, and where and why the population loss is occurring throughout the state.
Day 4 happened and caused the interruption in my last post, so I'm gonna pause here and take care of it in my next post.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Day 3: A new word is born
So day 3 at WOOD started off as normal with the morning news meeting, however, today, the one, the only, Susan Samples created a new word: Michigration. The best part? She didn't even mean to. We were doing a story about the large number of people who left Michigan over the past year, and when Susan attempted to say "Michigan emigration," it ended up as Michigration.
And just got a phone call about a story that's been going on... more about day 3 later!
((EDIT: Also, check out this link of another WOOD TV blogger about Michigration.))
And just got a phone call about a story that's been going on... more about day 3 later!
((EDIT: Also, check out this link of another WOOD TV blogger about Michigration.))
Friday, January 4, 2008
Day 2
(continued from last post)
Day 2 ended up being even better than the first day. I went out on a story with Patrick Center about gas and electrical bills and what to do (and what people are doing) when their service is cut off. We went to the house of a woman who had her gas cut off, and she had a 7-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter who was mutliply-disabled with cerebral palsy. It was a sad story, but as cliche as it sounds, it was a great story, both for emotional value and as a testament to human spirit. (I really can't believe I said that, but it's entirely true.) I then came back and watched the process Patrick went through to write the story and put it together with his video. The day wrapped up with me watching the 6 pm news IN the studio, and then wrapped up the time with working the assignment desk.
Day 3 continues as I type, more to come later!
Day 2 ended up being even better than the first day. I went out on a story with Patrick Center about gas and electrical bills and what to do (and what people are doing) when their service is cut off. We went to the house of a woman who had her gas cut off, and she had a 7-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter who was mutliply-disabled with cerebral palsy. It was a sad story, but as cliche as it sounds, it was a great story, both for emotional value and as a testament to human spirit. (I really can't believe I said that, but it's entirely true.) I then came back and watched the process Patrick went through to write the story and put it together with his video. The day wrapped up with me watching the 6 pm news IN the studio, and then wrapped up the time with working the assignment desk.
Day 3 continues as I type, more to come later!
First Two Days
First thing first: When I said later tonight yesterday, I meant today! So this will be my first two days run into one.
First day was interesting. I started off transcribing a rolodex, but afterwards got to work on breaking news; a story about a 10-year-old accidentally shot in the face with a shotgun. Sad story, but it broke as I was wrapping up the Rolodex, so I got to spend some time working it with newsroom staff.
After that, I watched a show from inside the control room and got to see exactly how producers ran the show in a bigger station, which was a new experience. The County Line control room during a show kind of pales in comparison (not like this is a shock, but it IS worth noting.)
After the three shows from 5:00 to 6:30, I went back down to the newsroom and manned the assignment desk for an hour or so, and actually took down a few tips. The stories were never used, but it got me some experience in getting all the info I could for a story ahead of time.
That wrapped up day one for me! Day two is my next post.
First day was interesting. I started off transcribing a rolodex, but afterwards got to work on breaking news; a story about a 10-year-old accidentally shot in the face with a shotgun. Sad story, but it broke as I was wrapping up the Rolodex, so I got to spend some time working it with newsroom staff.
After that, I watched a show from inside the control room and got to see exactly how producers ran the show in a bigger station, which was a new experience. The County Line control room during a show kind of pales in comparison (not like this is a shock, but it IS worth noting.)
After the three shows from 5:00 to 6:30, I went back down to the newsroom and manned the assignment desk for an hour or so, and actually took down a few tips. The stories were never used, but it got me some experience in getting all the info I could for a story ahead of time.
That wrapped up day one for me! Day two is my next post.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The Great Uber-Internship Day by Day!
Hey there everyone!
So it's been a while since I last blogged (if you haven't noticed) so here's the latest. Yesterday I began my crazy17-day long, full-time internship at WOOD TV8 in Grand Rapids. Each day that I'm here, I'll try to post something about what went on, what I'm learning etc. For those of you who want to be broadcasters, this will be the place for you. For those that aren't, you might still be interested.
First day's entry will be up later today!
So it's been a while since I last blogged (if you haven't noticed) so here's the latest. Yesterday I began my crazy17-day long, full-time internship at WOOD TV8 in Grand Rapids. Each day that I'm here, I'll try to post something about what went on, what I'm learning etc. For those of you who want to be broadcasters, this will be the place for you. For those that aren't, you might still be interested.
First day's entry will be up later today!
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