Job Shadows: What You Saw, Part 1

Here's a sampling of some of the various job shadows done by you all (this will be updated as job shadow reports are turned in, so please check back frequently). Take a look and see what you can learn from everyone's visits. There's a lot of good stuff here to help you decide what you want to do with your lives; what you need to be doing to get there; and what to expect when you do get there.

Please give each one of these a quick read, will you?

*****

I job shadowed Dan Ray, a photographer at WLNS. I first sat in on the morning meeting where Assignment Director Cheryl Fritze went over the news items for the day. Others at the meeting contributed ideas for news stories and reporters were assigned to specific jobs. Ray was assigned to go to the set of ESPN First Take at the MSU Union, ESPN GameDay, and the Ingham County Animal Shelter.

An intern reporter joined us at First Take and Ray took a variety of video shots of the show’s set, followed by interviews conducted by the intern reporter.  The reporter was trying to get an interview with campus security so we went several places on campus trying to get in touch with someone. She ultimately had to do without the interview, as MSU Police Sergeant Taylor could not be reached to approve any officers to speak.

We returned to the station with the footage and interviews and swapped the memory cards for new ones and dropped off the reporter.

We continued to the Ingham County Animal Shelter to report on an event they were having for Veterans Day. We spent about 20-30 minutes there in which Ray took video of dogs up for adoption along with other shots. He interviewed a man who was in charge of the shelter asking about the event.

By 3:30 p.m. we were back at the station and Ray had to edit the video on time for the 5:00 p.m. news. He uploaded the shots and briefly showed me the editing software they use. He had the video ready by 4:00 p.m.

One of the biggest things I got out of my job shadow was watching Ray and the reporter do everything in their power trying to get an interview with security. They asked several security officers in the Union who referred them elsewhere. They went to the GameDay premise and spoke with an officer who said he would talk but needed the approval of Sergeant Taylor. After a call and a persistent visit to the police station they discovered Taylor was gone for day but still called three more people in attempt to reach her. They were a good example of the “act like a 20-year-old trying to get into a bar” concept we discussed in class.

I also learned a lot about the daily processes of the WLNS newsroom and the day-to-day routine of a photographer there. I really enjoyed the shadow and it increased my desire for a career in photojournalism. 

*****

I spent the afternoon on Oct. 10 with Jason Colthorp at WILX TV 10 in Lansing. I met him at the studio and he showed me how he was entering teases for his segments in the computer. I walked around the studio and talked with other journalists and producers. While Jason was getting ready for the 5 o’ clock news, another journalist took me around the studio, into the control room and had me sit at the desk where Jason and Lauren Evans do their broadcast. I met Andy Provenzano, the weather broadcaster, and then the news was about to start.

I watched the 5 o’ clock news and it was so cool to sit behind the scenes. During news segments or during commercials I got to ask Lauren and Jason questions about where they went to school and how they got to be interested in this profession.

I learned that Jason and Lauren move the prompter with their foot because there is a pedal under their desk. Jason talked about never using the word continues in a teaser because then you are telling the audience that there is nothing new to say. He also talked about knowing when to add a funny teaser and when to be respectful of the subject. He had a funny teaser about Batman and Ben Affleck but then a serious one on the subject of Ebola. He really stressed thinking about what the most interesting facts of the story are and what the audience would want to know/hear about.

Lauren said that she wished she had kept in contact with the people she had done internships with in college. She said she thinks it is important in college to make connections and keep those connections throughout your life, not only when you need something, but just to get coffee and catch up. Jason said that in college he wished he had done more internships. He said he thinks he would have gotten his starting job at WILX faster. Jason started as a sports reporter, which he thinks his internship with the MSU hockey team helped with.