Newscast #2 - Kayla Starcher - Spring 2021

We had a lot more time to produce newscast two than we did for newscast one. I feel like I was finally able to take a breath and acclimate myself into my role as producer for WVU News. 

I spent more time critiquing the reporters’ packages as they came in. Looking at their work and being able to objectively break it down really helps me develop my technical editing. I also worked with a couple reporters as they worked on their stories, specifically with story curation and editing. 

One of the best parts about working with WVU News is seeing the team come together. From the outside, it may look like everyone has a set role with no deviation: reporters tell stories, the director calls the shots, the producer writes the script. In reality, we’re all stepping into one another’s roles to help out and learn. I’m learning as much from my classmates right now as I have from my teachers in previous semesters. 

So far, the most difficult part of producing is tapping into my creativity. I’m good at presenting facts, but I’m working on making them sound interesting. My feedback from the first show reflects that: technically I’m doing really well, but I need to let loose and be more creative in my writing. 

Writing the script this time around was much easier than the first newscast. I’m getting comfortable with the process and format. Feedback from newscast one guided me into a smoother writing process. 

We started messing around with flow and presentation. One of our reporters at the desk to introduce her story with the anchors. We had a second look-live from Studio B. I also got to write two VOs for the anchors to read. I’m glad I got to do that; it’s been a while since I’ve been able to write a full story on my own. 

I feel like I did really well with boothing this show. Feedback for the anchors came naturally and they also gave me guidance on ways I can improve and make filming easier for them. 

We had a few hiccups, but seeing how we moved through it and pulled out a great final take was really encouraging. I’m proud of how newscast two turned out!