For the second newscast, I did a story on the WVU women’s basketball teams annual Pink Game in honor of breast cancer awareness. The Mountaineers took on Texas Tech. All fans received free admission into the game courtesy of WVU Medicine. The coliseum was filled with fans, coaches, and players wearing pink. The WVU Cancer Institute sold the official WVU athletics “pink” shirt for donations of $10 or more. Chuck-a-ducks were also sold to raise money for the Betty Puskar Breast Care Center. WVU Medicine raised $2,800 from both promotions.
This was my second time shooting a WVU basketball game, the first being a men’s game. I shot a lot of b-roll during the game itself, but I’m still working on getting steadier shots. The court wasn’t as crowded as the men’s game so this allowed me to shoot from different spots on the court. I had the opportunity to talk to Mountaineer fans in attendance and hear what they had to say about breast cancer awareness.
When I started editing my story, I realized the story was missing a lot of key aspects. It’s hard to create a story without an official person. I missed out on a crucial aspect of my story, a player interview. As a sports reporter, it’s my job to get those interviews for my story. Regardless what other reporters are asking in the press conference, I needed to ask them about the Pink Game and how it impacted them. Heading into my next story, I know I need to get the soundbites that make the story.am shifting away from basketball for my next story and covering tennis. The tennis team is off to its best start of a season since 1986 with a record of 7-0. I think this game will help me build more confidence with interviewing athletes as well as help me with steadier shots. I really want to focus on getting different angles of shooting- close, medium, and wide shots.
My first show went well. I went in a little nervous but once I sat down and read for the first time on the teleprompter, my nerves went away. I can’t thank my entire news group for all the support going into filming. I appreciated all the help with getting ready too! I learned with reading my script, I need to practice sounding more conversational. I think I’m too worried about not emphasizing my words correctly. I know for the next show I need to be more relaxed, because I know I can improve.