Newscast #3 - Kayla Starcher - Spring 2021

Producing newscast three was a blast! It’s getting harder to pick who makes show and Best of the Rest. All of the reporters are learning more every week. I have loved seeing how they grow and improve with every package they make. We split up writing conferences for this newscast, so I had a lot more time to look at packages and work out the rundown for the show. I felt like I actually had time to breathe between story pitches last Monday and filming the show this Wednesday. The whole process is getting smoother, for me and for everyone else. It’s so cool to see how well we all work together as a team and adapt every step of the way.

Writing the script was much easier, but I made a lot of technical mistakes. I left out some graphics, cues, and general directions. My writing itself was better, but our director had to correct several parts of the script before we could use it. I need to work on paying closer attention to those details. I can’t be too focused on the content of the script that I don’t pay attention to the technical aspects of the newscast. I need to think of it as the newscast itself rather than just a script. Filming the show was a lot of fun. The anchors are becoming much more comfortable and learning every week. They need less and less guidance throughout the newscast. We had to change the intro to our Campus Carry story last minute and they adapted really well. They’re also really great about giving me feedback and encouragement. 

Our assistant producer also boothed one of our takes, so I got to coach him through that. I learn really well by teaching others, as backwards as that seems. It helps to be able to explain the process to someone else and give them pointers. For the next newscast, I want to be more hands-on and help the reporters with their stories. I’ve been talking to a few of them already about pre-scripts and interviews, so I hope to continue that as well. I also want to pay more attention to detail when I’m writing the script so our director doesn’t have to fix it when I’m done.