One of the more difficult parts of this experience so far has been having to reach out to the reporters. I didn’t know anyone else in my class before this, so they were all strangers. Now I am sending them emails and reaching out to them on slack for information on their stories. I was nervous at first because I never want to bother someone, so I have a hard time reaching out and asking questions, but it has to be done. 

I got over this fear fast and I have even been able to go back out into the field and help some of the reporter’s film. I enjoyed being able to do this. I feel like I have a better understanding of their stories, and the work they must do to make the ideas they pitched in class come to life. Later in the day after our first show, I went with one of the reporters to help with an interview. By doing that I already had ideas flowing about anchor lead-ins I could write in the script. 

Scriptwriting has been the hardest part of this experience so far. I never had to write anything like that before and I knew it wasn’t going to be perfect. I had examples that did help, but I was too in my head and worried about how it would turn out. I had about six different tabs open at once with my script, examples, reporter’s scripts, the rundown, and I was just so overwhelmed. Now that I have done it and have talked through it with Professor Dahlia, I feel much more confident about writing the next script for newscast two! 

My favorite part of this experience so far has been being in the studio. I woke up three hours before I had to be there with excitement and nerves. When I got there, I opened the door to the studio and saw the anchors all practicing their lines. I knew this is where I wanted to be, this is what I want to do. I went into the control booth with my fellow tech crew and Professor Dahlia asked if I wanted to go ahead and booth the first take. I looked at her like a deer in the headlights. I was not expecting to do it the first go around. She sat behind me and helped me with the first two takes.

Then on the third, I did it all by myself. I felt comfortable talking to the anchors.Telling them to sit up straight, to fix their hair and tie, telling them when they had to move. We were running overtime and had to take some lines out of the script last minute. I went into the studio to tell the anchors and the prompter person the changes we had made. It felt like a real newsroom because you never know when you will have to make last-minute changes. I think for our first newscast it went well and back in the booth we were able to find a rhythm that worked.

Overall, I have already learned so much from taking WVU News. I know as the weeks continue, I will only improve and will be prepared when the time comes togo out into the workforce.