Hello again!

So here I am at week four. I can’t believe that I have already been here for three weeks. I just realized today that I am almost half way through my internship already and it amazes me! 

Here are some of the things I have learned so far:

1. Newsrooms are crazy and chaotic! Of course I already had an idea of this one before I worked here, but getting to experience the rush of the news day for myself has opened my eyes to just how crazy it really can be. The really scary part? I love it.

2. ALWAYS have a pad and pencil. I think my memo pad became an extra appendage when I was working in the newsroom. I took that thing everywhere with me, and for good reason too. You never want to be out on a story with nothing to write on or with.

3. Every day as a reporter or photographer is different. I absolutely love this part of the job. I can’t stand to do the same thing over and over again. If I had a normal 9 to 5 desk job I do not think I would be very happy. As a reporter, you might have your not-so-exciting days where you go out and cover the rising temperatures, but the next day breaking news happens and you find yourself right in the middle of something groundbreaking.

4. Sometimes the best questions are the most simple. I love the interview aspect of a reporters job, but as I am rather new at all of this it can still be nerve-wraking and I find myself searching frequently for the best questions to ask people. I have founf that sometimes the best way to hold an interview is to simply ask, “What happened here?” The classic who, what, where and whys are the keys to getting great sound bites, more often than not.

5. Coffee sneaks into your life. I used to never drink that black magic…that is until I worked morningside and woke up at 12:30 am to make the 2am shift. LV knows what I’m talking about! haha

6. Have no fear and take risks! Think outside of the classic, black and white, traditional techniques and go for it. You might mess up, but you might also discover something brilliant that will take you to the next level.

7. Promos and commercials don’t just magically run on the air by themselves. There are people who log those babies in a system every day, and I am now one of them. This is one of the not-so-fun parts of promotions, but it has to be done!

8. Those same promos that are logged daily are also written, produced, directed, and edited by the same people who log them. That is one of the fun parts of the promotional team’s job. Last week we went out on a shoot for Tracie Paige, the Face of FOX43. We shot down at the oceanfront in VA Beach and then at Harbor Park.

9. Sometimes a reporter and photographer have to turn a package within an hour. This is amazing to me. One of my first days here the photographer working on the package sent it in litterally 5 minutes before it aired. The whole time I was watching him edit I was freaking out watching each minute on the clock go by. He calmly edited his package in what seemed like a minute, with lightning fast key strokes and then boom! it was done. I was amazed. Back at Virginia Tech, when I edit my packages for the news show, Final Cut Pro takes at least 10 mintutes sometimes, just to render and export the package, and it seemed like he did everything in that time.

10. Seek nothing but the truth and report it in the best, most accurate way possible. As journalists, we must do this. We are the channel through which people get their information, and therefore we must make sure that what we report is true. Always double check the facts, because as important as it is to have a compelling and well written story, it all goes to waste if the facts within it are wrong.

I have learned so much more here and know that I will only continue to learn more. I know that in this industry experience is key to landing a job, and so I am greatful to be able to gain such great knowledge and hands on experience from the station that I grew up watching.

For 10 on your side,

Caroline Montgomery