Week 8

Where has the summer gone? I cannot believe I have already been at WISH for 2 months!! I still have 2 weeks to go which means lots left to learn, but I have been very happy with my experience up to this point. Yes, living off my intern income ($0) has been difficult, but my time here has been so valuable and definitely worth it!

This week has included much of the same activities... I have written many online stories and VO's for producers while still managing to get out with reporters. Here is a fun/interesting VO I wrote today:

((2SHOT))
(**ERIC**)
Many vacationers put on extra pounds.
ADLIB
(**DEANNA**)
But where you go could mean the difference between a little extra baggage -- and spending the next few weeks on a diet.
(**VO**)
The so called "holiday fat map," ranks vacation spots by the additional pounds visitors return home with.
And the U-S comes in first place.
With our big portions and buffets, the average vacationer leaves with an extra eight pounds.
The Caribbean and its all-inclusive resorts comes in a close second.
France, Italy and Greece also made the top five.

Two things have really stuck out to me this week:

Yesterday I went to Eli Lilly with a reporter named Deanna. Deanna anchors the noon and 5:00 newscast so I haven't really had many interactions with her. However, I hear so many great things about her writing, so I was eager to observe her. Apparently, Lilly was coming out with 3 new generic drugs, but they are also doing some downsizing. We interviewed a Public Relations representative and I was able to see first hand how difficult it is to talk with those people!! It was his job to make his company look good and so he really tiptoed around the fact that so many people would be fired. Deanna talked with me about the interview later and how hard it is to get some of the facts when dealing with PR. She purposely put a mic on the guy we were interviewing and herself so that viewers could hear the questions she was asking. That way, they could see for themselves how the man was not clearly answering some of the difficult questions.

Today: I went to the scene of a motorcycle crash. On the ride there, the photographer warned me that I may see some pretty gory stuff. Luckily, the driver of the motorcycle was already gone by the time we arrived, but I did see them take the driver of the car off on a stretcher. I also saw the twisted motorcycle and beaten up car. Driving back to the station, the photographer (who has worked in this field for over 20 years) shared some of the difficult things he has seen. I guess I never really thought about how someday I will probably witness some of those same things. I may have to see a homicide victim who has been stuffed into a trashcan, or the body of an abused child washed up on the shore of a lake, or the reactions of family members who just learned they lost a loved one. I do tend to wear my heart on my sleve and in situations like that I wouldn't react well. I get nauseous when I see a drop of blood and I cry if I see someone else crying. It's difficult because I don't ever want to become "used" to those kinds of scenes, but at the same time, I don't want to fall apart every time I do see them. There is definitely a fine line between not becoming calloused and not becoming too involved. Because I am a Christian, my line may be a little different. It's been good to see firsthand the kinds of challenges that I will face in this field. It has been valuable to see how different people handle different situations. I know that many of my boundaries will be established once I'm in the field, but it is very good to think about now. Who knows, maybe the fact that I'm very compassionate will get me beat up in this field? I guess I have to believe that if this is the profession for me, then God will equip me with what I need to succeed.