Blog

These past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with ups and downs that have in the end helped me grow. At the beginning of the semester, I started with one goal: to be on camera and really dive into broadcast reporting. However, by the second show, I quickly realized that it wasn't the right fit for me. It was an eye-opening moment, and it made me reflect on what I truly enjoy and value in this field. I have come to appreciate the love I have for writing but also the role of a videographer in a newsroom. I have learned that being behind the camera is just as important as being in front of it and that reporters depend on the videographer's skills to bring their stories to life. 

These past few weeks have been one of my busiest and most rewarding experiences as a videographer. I had the opportunity to assist multiple reporters with their packages and each presented unique challenges and learning experiences. I encountered various obstacles that tested my adaptability and problem-solving skills. While many things went well, there are always areas for improvement that I will carry with me for the rest of the semester.

Our anchor rehearsal on Monday is the first time that all of the on-air talent gets to go over the show script together. Even with the group having very little practice time ahead of our meetings, they typically go smoother than it went this week. For some reason, the crew was just needing some extra coaching this week to prepare for show three. We rehearsed the script three times during the Monday meeting, but there was a lot more work that needed to be done before Wednesday. 

Boothing is a word I did not know existed until a year ago, but it is now a concept that is important to me. Boothing is the work that a producer does to coach up the actors while they are on set through their IFB. It is about making sure the show comes together via the on-air talent. I have been told that I am a natural when it comes to boothing, but this show was my first real challenge. 

Being a videographer and being part of the WVU news show with social media is bringing me a lot of firsts this semester. Having a very strong background with photography, I did not expect to have such a challenge with the camera and learn more than I did. Reporting with social media, especially for a news show, is also very different. In a way, you are promoting the show but also educating about the stories from the reporters you are working with. 

We’re back at it with news this week and I have been super excited to get back going and helping people with their packages. I really like coming in and being able to guide people in the right direction from all the experiences that I have had over the past year and being able to pass down what I can to all the new people taking news this semester.

As a previous videographer for Mountaineer Playbook, I learned that it's more than just showing up with a camera and hitting record. Every story is different and brings on a new set of challenges and learning experiences. This past week was packed with shoots covering everything from city council meetings to warehouse operations, political interviews, and yoga sessions. Each shoot pushed me to improve my technical skills and problem-solving. 

For our first show of the semester, everything went simultaneously better than expected and worse than expected. I took Mountaineer Playbook last semester, so I have a pretty good idea of what the expectations for a Television newscast are, but WVU News immediately felt so much more intense. 

After a successful fourth show, we have started working on our final show. We started the two weeks with a pitching meeting where everyone gave their ideas about what they covered for this show.

This week I felt that we made significant improvements as both a class and as a co-producing team. The content for this week's show is so diverse and covered such a strong and wide range of topics that we were able to stack the show in a manner reflective of an industry newscast.