Tag: anchor

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Fabulous living

Why I Chose My Career

Hey guys, a little bit of a different post for today. 

I use my blog as a fun creative, outlet outside of my work and family life. 

But, my work is a big part of my life. I sometimes spend more time at work than I do at home, which I love, but it shows that itā€™s a big part of whoĀ I am.

Today, Iā€™m sharing a little bit about why I chose the field I am in now. If you know me, you know I am a very organized, structure and routine loving girl, so why would someone like that dive into a job and career that is the complete opposite?!

Getting behind the desk has become a new adventure that I’m loving

One of my favorite things about my job is that every day is different. No two days are ever the same. Some days, I am talking to local businesses, other days itā€™s about Covid-19 vaccines, on a Monday I could be in another town 45 minutes away and on Wednesday, all my interviews could be on Zoom.Ā You never know what you are going to get.

Speaking of Zoom, one of my latest stories was about how much Zoom has changed our lives this past year.

I love that Iā€™m constantly learning every day. If I wasnā€™t in news, I would probably be a teacher. I have always loved school, from the schedule to learning new things and advancing in what Iā€™m learning. I also tend to ask a lot of questions in my life. Clarifying questions were always my favorite in school. If you gave me a group project with all the directions in front of me, I would still ask a few follow-up questions, just to be safe. Those traits are just part of the reason why I am a journalist.Ā 

I love that very day takes me someplace different for a story.

I also love stories. I love to read and write. Getting lost in a different world through a story is one of my favorite things. As much as I love reading stories, I love telling them just as much. Telling peopleā€™s stories, every day, no matter big or small brings me so much joy! You never know how much of an impact a story can have on someone until you tell it. 

I enjoy working and learning from my co-workers every day.

I get asked a lot why I chose this field and profession. I am a fairly quiet girl, I like structure and routine and Iā€™m a homebody, so why would I ever want to be in a field that encourages me to use my voice, have a constant changing schedule with lots of uncertainity? Because, I care about others and their stories and I like answers. But most importantly, I want to make sure peopleā€™s voices and stories are heard. Thatā€™s why I love what I do every day. 

What brings you joy in your career? What makes you smile every day?

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Fabulous living

One Year in News

Hello all! Happy Wednesday!

I hope your week and year is off to a great start! Now, that the holidays have calmed down, I wanted to reflect on my first year as a reporter. I did a recap in the summer about what I have learned 6 months in. You can read all about it here. In the past 6 months, I have learned even more. Every day I continue to grow and learn and get stronger in my skills as a reporter. I try to learn something new, I know not every day will be a slam dunk story, but I always try to take something away from it, whether it is a new editing skill, a better way to write something, or different way to be creative with my storytelling.

It’s always fun getting to share stories that are important to me

I have loved to tell peopleā€™s stories in my own hometown. From big to small stories, whether it was an event going on, like a toy distribution for Christmas, talking to local businesses about struggles of the past year, covering historic events like the first Covid-19 vaccines arriving in Erie, following the election, and everything in between. I have travelled to other states, neighboring counties or even just down the street to talk to people about their lives.

I also have got more opportunities at work too.Ā Ā I have been able to fill in and anchor some of our shows. Itā€™s something I have dream about doing for a long time and the fact I am anchoring them and producing them on my own is a huge accomplishment for me.Ā I have covered for different shifts during the holidays, helped out to make sure things go smoothly and worked more on my craft through the year. I also love getting to work on our digital team and learn more about the art of producing and stacking shows, both skills that are helpful for anchoring.

Working the anchor desk on Christmas

When looking back on these past 12 months, I have learned a lot about the job, but some of my best memories are of conversations with co-workers or laughs when I was preparing for a story, from early more shifts, to late nights, working weekends or holidays when no one is there or when it’s all hands on deck. It has been a year of change and excitement. I have truly learned that itā€™s the people that make any job worthwhile. I am so lucky that I have such great and supportive co-workers and mentors to learn from every day. Especially working long days and hours, it helps to have co-workers that make the days go by fast.

In the middle of a live interview

I have worked long days and shifts, but I covered winter weather, tornado damage, breaking news, things reopening, things shutting down, back to school, new events and opportunities for the community, exciting and happy stories, and ones that break your heart. In the end, I love what I do. I love that I get to find stories and tell them, meet people and get their message out. Itā€™s so special and surreal that I get the chance to give people the news.

Covering the presidential election

It’s also been too fun to have my family and friends watch me and send me pictures of it and supporting me. It’s such a humbling experience that I don’t take for granted.

Getting pictures from friends and family that watch me never gets old.

Overall, I couldnā€™t have asked for a better first year in news, it truly was a monumental time to get, I canā€™t wait to learn more and grow and see where I am a year from now.

Itā€™s been an incredible first year, letā€™s bring on year two!!!

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Fabulous living

Summer Internship

Hi All!

I hope you had a great weekend. I just got back from a packed full summer vacation. It was great to be off the radar for a while, but now itā€™s back to business and school mode is in full effect!

Today I am sharing what Iā€™ve been up to this summer. As you know, I have pretty busy working between my internship and summer job. I couldnā€™t have asked for a better summer internship. I interned at one of my local news stations. As a communication major, there are so many areas to work in. For several years, i have had an interest in journalism and the news. As my graduation gets closer and closer I thought it would be a good idea see if working in the media is something I would want to dedicate my career to.

View from the control room, watching the magic happen

Last January, I spent a day shadowing the news station and loved it. I learned about internship opportunities and by the middle of January I had my summer internship lined up.

Flash forward to May, I was home for less than 48 hours and I was already starting my internship. I worked two days a week from 9:30-5:30. I was able to set my own schedule. I loved going to my internship every day and learned so much.

Practicing my reporting

There is no set ā€œday in the lifeā€ as a reporter. Every day is different and new things are constantly going on.Ā  When you walk in, you get assigned a story and by 5:00 that night when the news airs, the story is done. There is always a deadline to meet. Most reporters told me they want the days to go by slower not faster. Thatā€™s one of the things I liked so much about my internship. Through the two months i was there, i learned about reporting, producing, editing, and anchoring.

Practicing my anchoring

My internship included shadowing different reporters every day, conducting a few interviews, watching that editing of news packages get done, andĀ  my favorite part, writing and editing my own stories. I even got to practiceĀ  anchoring too. I worked with producers putting in commands for the rundown, I got to help write stories with reporters. When it came to editing, a few of the photographers let me help edit the news packages, and then the anchors gave me tips on how on how to anchor best.

Covering a stand off, after doing a story on beach erosion, every day is truly different

This was a hands in experience, I got to help cover several different types of stories, from a stand-off with the Police, a murder, the mayor’s weekly news conferences, a political figureā€™s death, beach erosion, a cancelled concert, and the death of an inmate on work release. These were just a few of my favorite ones. I got to meet so many people from different walks of life and I learned so much about the city I have called home for the last 20 years.

Getting behind the camera

After completing my time at the news station, i am certain that this is the field I want to go in after graduating. It would be even more special if I could come back home and work for the same news station.

Getting in front of the camera too

I couldnā€™t have asked for a better summer or experience. I learned so much and i loved going to work every day to see what itā€™s really like being a news reporter. Hopefully, you can see me on air one day and just not online. Haha!!!
Happy Tuesday!