Job Shadows: What You Saw, Part 6

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 as they come in, will you?

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For my job shadow, I chose to follow Randy Henry, who works as a producer and director for WDIV-TV in the Greater Detroit Area. The WDIV-TV station is where Channel 4 News is filmed on a daily basis. Randy’s primary responsibilities include constructing a rundown of the five a.m. news show, editing newsreels, and creating what is referred to as a Live List for the first show of the day.

Upon my arrival, I was greeted by security at the front desk and then sat patiently as I waited for Randy to come out and get me. About five minutes later, Randy met me in the lobby and we went straight to his desk in the newsroom. Prior to my job shadow, I had toured the WDIV-TV station with Randy at the beginning of the summer so I was rather familiar with each room we were in.

While sitting in the newsroom with Randy and his colleagues I got the opportunity to see him edit and create the five a.m. news show using an ENPS, commonly referred to as Electronic News Production System. I also was able to see Evrod Cassimy give a brief early morning report prior to him going on air with Rhonda Walker.

After completing the scripts for the morning show, Randy and I went to the production control room (PCR) for some last minute preparation for the airing of the first morning show. As a director, Randy is responsible for making sure each anchor is in their proper spaces, watching the timer in order to notify the anchors of when its time for them to report the next story, as well as give the other engineer instructions to move cameras when necessary.

After Randy’s directing shift was over, he and I briefly went into the green room and watched Rhonda and Evrod in action. From the green room we went into two other control rooms and he introduced me to more of his colleagues.

Before leaving the studio, Randy and I went back into the newsroom where I was able to speak with some writers and see their story production in action. I even got the opportunity to ask them any unanswered questions I had about working in such highly productive work field. Needless to say, my job shadow was both enlightening and productive.

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I was able to job shadow Julie Krallman, Assistant News Director for KABC in Los Angeles.

Our day began with a tour of the facility where she showed me the open layout of the reporters desks. She highlighted their proximity to the editing bays, noting that most of the reporters now will do their own editing unless it is very close to the time of airing and needs to be done quickly.

We walked by the conference room where they do their pitch meetings, and she told me about the process of assigning stories to reporters  based on what needs to be covered and the need to spread content throughout the multiple shows that the station produces each day.

From there we met with the manager of KABC’s photographers and news helicopter who coordinates where the multiple news crews are during the day. He told me that their first photographers arrive for work at 3 AM, and we talked about the management skills necessary to cover an area the size of the state of Ohio with a limited employee force.

After that, we went to the video rooms where they were receiving footage for the morning show that was about to air. She told me how multiple people are required to look over the footage to guarantee that nothing graphic or unnecessary is aired. I also got to see the topographical map of their coverage area, and she took the time to explain to me the different methods of transmitting video footage depending on the reporter’s geographic  location and mobility needs.

As we passed by the makeup room and new green screen room, we discussed the breakdown of her typical day, and she offered me advice about how to begin my journalism career.

As we arrived in the broadcast room, she told me how streamlined the process has become over the years as less people are required to operate the newer technologies.

We watched the broadcast go live, and it was very interesting for me to see how many changes happen quickly and how fast-paced the newsroom is behind the scenes even when the anchors seem calm. I learned here how the different captions and graphics are loaded into the system, and I was able to watch the different producers switch between camera shots, b-roll footage, and locations.

After the first segment cut to a commercial break, we walked to the room where the anchors were located. It was very interesting to me how serene this room was compared to the video room we had just left. With only the two anchors at the desk and a single employee operating the remotely-controlled video cameras, the room was almost eerily quiet.

Everyone was very encouraging to me, and they all had different pieces of advice about how they landed their current roles. I got to go behind the desk with the anchors to take a picture, and I had to quickly hobble off the stage on my crutches before the commercial break ended.

While we were walking out, the pet of the week was walking into the studio to have his picture taken before his adoption segment, and I was able to talk with the men running KABC’s social media pages as they prepared the dog for a short photoshoot in the studio.

On our way out of the studio, we stopped in the office of Rob Elmore, the Vice President of KABC. We discussed the future of the linear news broadcast, which is the typical distribution over cable without time-shifted viewing. We discussed  the struggle that most news stations are facing with the increase of social media and the need for trustworthy and reliable news sources to still retain their credibility. We also talked about the benefits and limitations to using drones to supplement footage sources which I found very interesting.

All of the employees at the studio were so kind during my visit, and the whole experience completely reaffirmed my decision to switch my major to journalism. It especially opened my eyes to opportunities with production work which I could see myself loving for the fast-paced style and need for attention to detail. I am even more excited now to start this semester in my new major, and I am glad I had the opportunity to have the experience before leaving Los Angeles. 

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I shadowed Forrest Hershberger, a news editor and senior writer for the South Platte Sentinel, a Logan County, CO newspaper on July 7.

When I first arrived at the office, Forrest explained his plans for the day, that he had an outline of things he wanted to get done and a list of appointments he had to make. He also showed me the Sheriff’s Office, Police Department and State Patrol reports and how to read them.

We attended the Commissioners’ Business Meeting and Work Session. While he did take notes on the decisions made and any important debates on a topic, Forrest said the main reason he attends the meeting every week is to make sure the commissioners are following the rules regarding making decisions.

I helped him look up numbers for potential sources he wanted to contact and helped him interview two people, including a 105-year-old man. The old man had met Buffalo Bill when he was much younger and he used to make moonshine during the Prohibition.

Forrest explained that he usually schedules himself some time to just sit in one of the local coffee shops. Especially for smaller communities, as people become familiar with you, they will approach you to share news with you, which is a great way to find leads.

Forrest started out at the Sterling Journal-Advocate, but found the corporate atmosphere not suitable for the kind of journalism he supported.

“If I had chosen to keep going up the corporate ladder I would have been okay with what I saw, stepped in line. My concern is the bigger the newspaper the more concern over profit margin rather than the news,” he said when I asked him for advice. “You can’t sell your integrity or it was never yours to begin with.”

*****

On August 6th I was fortunate enough to shadow Bruce Deprest, the lead meteorologist for WFSB Channel 3 news in Connecticut. Bruce greeted me in the waiting room and took me on a tour of the studio. It was fascinating seeing the newsroom and meeting a few of the writers for the channel. I also was introduced to some of the people in charge of the social media for the station such as twitter accounts and their online website.

Next, Bruce took me into the room where all the filming takes place. I got to stand in front of the green screen as he showed me how he knows exactly where to point for the weather due to monitors on either side of the screen. Bruce mentioned how even though he uses monitors to guide his pointing, he never uses the teleprompter. He said he prefers to be natural therefore he gets to work hours before he is live and studies the material so he knows exactly what he needs to talk about before going on the air each day.

I was also lucky enough to be in the studio to watch the filming of the TV show “Face the State.” I saw the leading reporter interviewing a local politician about the debates that were starting to take place. In addition, Bruce took me into the control room to see the second half of the filming. It was incredibly interesting to see all the behind the scenes work. In the control room I got to meet the producer of “Face the State. ” He walked me through step by step how the camera angle switches depending on which talent is speaking and how it is important to tell the talent when to wrap up the interview for timing purposes.

Finally, Bruce took me to his office, where he then showed me all the steps he needs to take as a meteorologist every day. He showed me how he reads charts of weather patterns sent to him every morning that satellites pick up. He has to self interpret each chart and predict the changes that will take place over the course of the week. Bruce also showed me how he changes the backdrops of the weather display to match what the weekly weather will look like.  For example putting a sun symbol on the chart if it will be sunny, a cloud for cloudy, etc.

There is so much that goes into creating one broadcast that I had not known prior to following Bruce around the studio. I am excited to continue learning more and put all the advice Bruce had to offer to action. 

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