Week 4

Another good week and here are some highlights:

Monday: I traveled to Anderson with a crew to cover a story about a man who killed his wife. When I first heard the tip, I thought it was just another typical homicide. However, the story was much more complicated than I thought. The man claimed that he was assisting in his wife's suicide. She was dying from cancer and had been given 3-6 weeks to live. We went around the couple's apartment complex and we're able to talk to some close friends of theirs. The neighbors told us how in love this couple was. They said that the man was completely devoted to this woman and he would never lay a hand on her unless she asked him too. Apparently, the couple was evicted from their apartment recently and before leaving they gave most of their possessions away saying that they were never coming back. Obviously, the story is still pretty sketchy, but I learned that I can't jump to conclusions. I am glad that the reporter went into the story with an open mind. He didn't assume that the man was a heartless killer which is why he got some really good sound from family friends who knew the couple well. As a reporter, it is important to put your opinion aside.

I also had the opportunity to do a standup. They encouraged me to try to say something that could be used as a bridge if I did a package. This meant really thinking about a unique part of the story instead of just a brief overview.

Tuesday: Adrienne, the reporter that I went out with last week on the culvert story, pulled me aside in the morning to ask to see my package. We printed out my script and I showed her my editing. She seemed impressed which was encouraging (I have never edited before this summer, but I do feel like I am improving). She went through the whole thing with me and made a few minor suggestions. I was very grateful for her help! I spent the rest of the afternoon following a crew that was covering the new vaccine policy. We went to 3 interviews and gathered a lot of information. The reporter was putting together a short package and so it was interesting to see how she narrowed down all of the complicated information to really make a simple, understandable story. I had the chance to do a standup again. The reporter gave me some ideas of what I might want to say. The information wasn't too interesting to me, but I still had to present it with meaning. This was good practice because to be honest, will be many stories that I don't understand or really care about, but if I'm asked to cover them then I need to act like I am knowledgeable and/or passionate.

Wednesday: I was with a reporter who was covering a carjacking. Apparently, an anonymous witness called 911 and then followed the suspects while giving turn by turn directions over the phone. We went to the scene and then followed the course that the suspects and witness went. Later, I saw that they put sound from the 911 call to the video and it turned out really interesting! I was able to do 2 standups that day! I first did an introduction at the intersection where the high speed chase began and then tagged the story out at the police department which was ironically right at the intersection that the chase ended. I am in the process of putting together my own package.

Thursday: Today I went to Bloomington to dig up some more on the Lauren Spierer case. They called it investigative reporting. This whole story has been interesting to follow. Tomorrow the parents are holding another press conference. Everyone at the station knows that the police will not give them any more information. They are just trying to keep the media involved. It seems like they just string us along so that we will keep showing up and covering the search. It's interesting to me how important the police and parents think media involvement is. To be honest, it is the media to thank for making this case recognized nationally. They are desperately trying to keep us interested so we will keep coming back. I am not sure how long WISH will continue traveling to Bloomington to cover the uninformative press conferences and searches, but it has been interesting to follow.

Week 3

I am still loving my internship and I'm so excited about the experience I'm getting.

Monday I went to Shelbyville to check out areas that flooded. The town got 6-7 inches of rain in 2 hours! We met a really sweet couple. The two were in there 90's and had been married for 67 years! Their farm had flooded pretty bad which made a great backdrop for our live shot in the evening. It was cool to talk with them and see how excited they were to be on tv!

Tuesday I went out with Adrienne who was a one woman show. We were covering a story about a culvert (kind-of like a bridge) that had been washed out by Monday's heavy rains. We found out that the state has no regulations requiring that culverts be inspected. Marion county has over 1000 culverts, so it is scary to think that drivers may be traveling over other culverts that are unsafe. We did some interviews and gathered footage. Adrienne was so easy to talk to. I found myself feeling very comfortable with her. She let me do a standup and really walked me through how to narrow my focus when writing my story. She was having trouble with the tripod and so I got to shoot her which was fun. I learned a lot from her and was grateful for her critique. When I got back to the station I was able to practice anchoring. Reading off the teleprompter was harder than I thought it would be, but it was fun sitting in the studio under the lights and trying it out.

Wednesday I spent the day writing and editing packages. I am getting better, but still know I have a lot of room to improve. Going out yesterday with Adrienne, helped me realize how valuable it is to be able to report, write, shoot, and edit. I want to someday be a valuable asset to an organization. Someday I want to be dependable in many areas!

Week 2!

June 13: I got to travel to Bloomington with a crew to report on the Lauren Spierer case. WISH has been streaming the daily press conferences online. I got to sit in on the press conference and really had a difficult time hiding my emotions once Lauren’s mother began talking. I do wear my heart on my sleeve and show my feelings too easily. As a reporter, I will have to be able to put my feelings aside. I think that will be my biggest challenge in this field. I want to keep my compassionate side so it is important to figure out where to draw the line. Too often, reporters forget that they are dealing with human beings. I never want to get to the point where I am neglecting the pain and hurt that other people are going through even if it means more breakthrough news.

June 14: I followed my first female reporter. We were investigating these decorative ceramic pots that have been causing numerous injuries since they have an open flame. It was another story where we kept facing some dead ends. It was helpful to see how she took the reigns and was able to get a good package pulled together.

June 15: I was at the assignment desk which meant answering/making phone calls. Because I was stuck at the station all day I got to work on my package and it is really coming along! Editing is my weakness, but I know how important it is to be very versatile and able to do everything which is why I am forcing myself to really get more comfortable putting together a package.

June 16: Today I went out with a reporter on two different stories. It is always interesting to see how different everyone is when covering stories. I am learning that many of the reporters have very hard personalities. They cuss, have strong opinions, and don't care about what people think. I think it comes with the profession. They have seen and experienced so much in the field and think that the only way to survive is to separate themselves completely. Acting friendly to someone's face and then talking bad behind their back is fairly normal from what I can tell. People don't care about relationships. I, however, am a very relational person. It has been interesting because I have found that many of the workers really just want to know someone cares. I do care about getting to know them... I love asking questions about their families, how they got where they are, etc. I find that once I start asking questions, they are very eager and willing to share. They put up these walls to protect themselves, but deep down they are just looking for a place to fit in and for someone to genuinely care about them as individuals.

Summer Internship!

So I am officially moved in to my sister and brother-in-law's apartment and have started my summer internship! I am spending the summer at WISH-TV Channel 8 for 10 weeks. I started last week on May 31 so I decided I would highlight on some of my experiences so far:

May 31: This day was pretty slow. I got my official ID and was able to sit in on the noon news. The highlight of this day was probably my tasty lunch :)

June 1: I spent the morning with the producers, watching what they do, etc. Then I finally got to go out with a crew! We went to Martinsville to cover the trial for the school shooting that took place a few months ago. We got there plenty early, so I was able to try a few stand-ups! It was so fun and the photographer was really helpful/encouraging in his critique. We shot live at the 5 and 6 news so I was able to see how stressful that part of the job can be.

June 2: I went out with a crew again to cover a story on gas prices. We did a couple interviews and they let me try a standup. I was still pretty nervous, but am realizing I have to just pretend to be confident and hopefully someday I will be! We went back to the station and the photographer taught me how to use their editing software. I recorded my voice and made my first package!

June 3: I was in the station all day writing VOs for the producers for the evening news.

June 6: I went to the Children's Museum where they have a new exhibit. The exhibit opens for the public on June 11, but it was the revealing for the media. It was cool to walk through the exhibit (I have always loved the Children's Museum!) plus I felt important since I got to see it first :) After lunch, I went to a press conference about a child pornography bust. Apparently, a 23 year old from Bloomington was arrested for being the mastermind behind this huge child pornography conspiracy worldwide. He produced and distributed pornography of children under the age of 4! I found the whole thing very disturbing, but also realized that this is the kind of stuff I may see everyday in this field. The crew talked about how you really have to learn to separate yourself from your work.

June 7: I followed another reporter all day. We went to Gaston, where a police officer had shot his wife. We had to track down the police reports in Muncie. It was helpful to see more of the process of getting a story ready. We went to the sheriff's office, the circuit court, and the prosecutors office all in search of this story.

June 8: I followed a photographer to Bedford. We first went to a GM announcement and were given a tour of the factory. I got to interview a few people there. Next, we looked around for the storm damage from a few weeks ago. We found the area that the tornado touched down at and shot some footage to show how the cleanup process is going. It was incredible to see this entire house moved 30-40 feet off its foundation and another completely destroyed. I was able to do a stand-up and I'm starting to feel better in front of the camera. I know that I have a lot of room for improvements, but I am feeling more confident. I came back and wrote a script for the 6:00 news and then wrote a package to do of my own, incorporating my standup. I voiced it yesterday and will start editing Monday!

So that's been my experience so far! I really do love it and the more I'm here, the more I can see myself in this field. I have enjoyed getting to know the staff. I am surprised how comfortable I have felt asking so many questions, but people really do love sharing their stories. I enjoy hearing how everyone got where they are today! There are some things that concern me in this field... people rarely have your back and it sounds like people often have pretty superficial relationships with coworkers. It is difficult not to become calloused when you see such heartbreak daily. Despite these things, I am excited about the challenge. It may sound pretty cliche', but this is such a huge mission field. The tv industry needs Christians! I feel like I have successfully shown people at the station that I am genuine and I really do care about relationships... in return I have be able to have some awesome conversations! Just yesterday, I spent the hour long drive back with a photographer hearing him talk about hypocritical Christians. It was a conversation that only God could have opened the door for and in the end the photographer said he found my high standards very refreshing. It has been cool to learn so much about this field, but I am seeing that there may be a higher purpose for me this summer and I am very excited to see what God has in store!