Our last edition of WVU News is a special edition magazine show. We pitched our ideas and voted on the theme as a class. Immediately, I wanted to do a story focusing on the first 100 days of Trump’s administration to see how federal changes affected West Virginians. I am glad that my idea was the winner because I felt it was an opportunity for the class to connect with the community even more than they already had. Over the past few weeks, I could see everyone put so much effort into telling these stories, and it was amazing to get to see that growth from the reporters.
The only reason this show wasn’t an hour long was because we fill a 30-minute time slot on television. Knowing we had a time constraint meant some of my classmates weren’t going to make show and that made each decision harder for me. Because they were all good, the quality was not really a factor. For some packages, it was the rundown that made the decision. I am experienced in managing the rundown of the show, but usually we have already decided what packages were good enough to be in the show. Since this was a magazine show, it was more important that each story flowed together to fit an overarching theme. I think I did just that. Having the story about business closures due to tariffs and layoffs flowed well into the story about high grocery prices affecting families. I also believe having the DEI funding cuts story followed by the protests and then black history added so much context to each individual way the community is reacting to the federal changes.
This week, my assistant producer joined me in writing the show. It was great working alongside Meredith again because she too has taught me some things in the process. She has such an eye for small details that even I miss. She pointed out that Terrell’s leg position under the desk in a side shot looked unnatural and that Patrick was missing some foundation on the top of his nose. Fixing small things like that does really make a difference, and it is something I have learned I need to look out for even more.
Meredith is not the only classmate I have learned lessons from. This was my tenth show with Jackie, Patrick, Terrell, James and a few other classmates behind the scenes. Working alongside them has helped me grow so much as a producer and a person. I am naturally someone who finds herself in a leadership position, but I also experience social anxiety. Throughout my past two semesters producing, I have learned if I need to make a correction to make the show better, then I will. That may include yelling across the control room to quickly make a shot change or guiding a meeting in the studio before taping to set a precedent on how I expect the show to go. Having support from my classmates during those vulnerable times helped me gain more confidence and the ability to manage the show with trust in my team.
As a junior, I am really excited for the future of each of my classmates as they enter the broadcast industry, but I would be lying if I didn’t say I was jealous. But I’m looking forward to taking WVU’s next news broadcasting class West Virginia Today in the fall to gain even more experience producing before I graduate next year.