A good friend

Its hard to find good friends but when you do it warms your heart and makes you feel safe... Just today a good friend, who has been in the news business for almost 2 decades told me to update my blog. And I thought, "yes, I do need to update it more." Then I starting thinking about this friend of mine. I met him when I was working in Bakersfield just though people in broadcast and what started as just quick facebook hello's turned into something I could have never imagined. He has truly been a solid, incredible friend that is there for me no matter what. I think if you go into T.V. news you need to know that there are SO MANY people who will act like they care but when you turn around they are stabbing you in the back. But, there ARE those few who are genuinely incredible people. And when you meet those people they will show their true colors by never stabbing you in the back. Be VERY Leary about letting colleague in but also be SO grateful when you find the few that are true. Thanks "Newsie" Friends! I Love you!

Im back!

I think it's safe to say I am NOT a great "blooger". I know "bloggers" are supposed to be creating new content all the time, but I am producing, writing, anchoring and being a news director everyday so having the time to write a blog on a daily basis is a bit much. But, I figure this may be some good therapy for me and I'm sure it's amusing to many...
I have been here in this small market on the coast for over 8 months now, and boy have I seen a lot. First, the biggest shocker for me is how much people really don't care about the product here. If it gets on air, its considered good... I can't tell you how many times I have said, "you thought that was good?"... There have been circumstances where I have been embarrased. I have learned through life that you can do a lot with very little, as long as you have the passion and the drive. But here's the problem when having that passion and drive... The people that have been "just doing the job" and not caring for 25 years think you are a pushy bitch. When really, you are just a 30 year old woman who has worked in 4 markets and know how to make things happen. But, in the long run, when your news gets better and better and the community responds with great feedback, its easy just to sit back and smile.

Election Night

If you are wanting to get into this business but don't know if you should, observe on an election night. It is the craziest most insane night there is. Some call it the "Superbowl of news" and I think that is pretty accurate. For me, election night has never been so hard as it has been this time around... This is a small market so literally as the news director I write, edit, produce, shoot and anchor as well as doing everything else a news director is supposed to do. So, we decided we would go live all night. I sat at the anchor desk for 6 hours straight and I produced as I went writing things on a white board and showing it to the director. Sometimes, it feels like no one really cares about the product but me. And that night in particular so many people did nothing but complained... My thought? If you don't want to be here and don't care, get a job somewhere else because there are thousands that would jump at the shot to work in news. And its even more frustrating when you are sitting up there going live with a lack of sleep and have worked so hard just to get everything ready for one night... then everyone around you is complaining that they have worked an extra 3 hours that day. boo freaken hoo!!! This obviously isn't the right line of work for you.
Anyways, thats just a little peak into the life of a T.V. newsie...

Being a woman in this business

They all say it...Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Oprah, and so many more who have made it... Being a woman in this business is VERY hard! Especially when you are in management. So, lets get one thing straight, I am in this career because I love journalism, I love news and I love giving back to the community. But, a lot of men have problems with a young woman who knows her stuff. I know this happens everywhere but it seems to get worse and worse. Punching walls, calling a female (especially your supervisor) names like "Bitch", "Nazi" and telling her to "shut up" is just plane wrong... But for some reason, in T.V. HR departments and following laws are thrown out the window. Whats really ironic about this is we are the ones that cover these stories and blow them up when it happens to anyone else, but not when it happens within news rooms and stations. You kind of have to make a stand and then drop it or, there goes your job (they will call it a lay-off BTW.) I am learning how to keep my mouth shut and just put on a "happy face" and that is what I am going to have to do to stay in this business. God, its frustrating, but I guess its life in the T.V. news world. And its life being a female in this business... Help Oprah! Help!!! lol

Everything DOES happen for a reason...

Well folks, its been a while. But I promise you it's worth the wait... Tons to report... 1st and most importantly, I am engaged! This happened back in April. 2nd I am no longer a reporter, I am a News Director and Anchor for the NBC station in Eureka, CA. Let me tell you how I got this job...
It was late one night and I was flipping through jobs on TV jobs.com... I thought to myself, "I could totally do what my old news director did and I could do it better! So, I switched over to the N.D. jobs and BOOM, there was an opening, in Northern California, close to my hometown, there was one problem... It closed the next day. So, around 11pm I applied (was up til after midnight) I walked out to the living room, told my fiance that I applied for a news director job just for "shits and giggles"... 9 hours later I recieved a call from the General Manager and the day after that I was flying into one of the most beautiful places in the country for an interview. Around 5pm, a contract was put in front of me and 2 days after that I signed it!!! We packed up, moved here, got an incredible house and my fiance landed a GREAT teaching job.
So, here I am, here we are. I am helping young reporters get to where they want to be. I am teaching them about news content and how important it is to always be a journalist no matter what. I am managing the news room, anchoring shows, drinking a lot of coffee and loving it. And when I'm not at the station, we are on the beach with our dog, sitting outside on our deck reading, or enjoying time at the Harbor... This is truely "the life!"
Thank you for all your support and thank you for believing in me!!!

My Reporter Reel Montage

If you have ever wondered what we send to news directors to get jobs, this video is part of it and it shows me in "action". Click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A471z3L3pQA

It Starts all over.

Well, Its been one week since I've been laid off. I just sent out my first resumes late last night and used this new electronic way of doing it. I don't know if I like it. Its quick and easy but I am not convined news directors are really into this way, guess we will have to wait and see.
I am getting bored not working and am starting to find things out that make me wonder about my lay off, I think I was just the easiest to let go of. But I keep telling myself that everything happens for a reason and to keep my chin up. I also have to believe that what goes around comes around. I have erased a lot of people from my facebook page that are trying to make me insecure about all of this, while acting like they are my friends and trying to help. And I have been ignoring those phone calls and texts. Its funny how I am the one this happened to, yet some people that I worked with are holding on so tightly to it and trying to get me worked up. I have moved on so everyone else should have no problem in doing so. But, I guess thats just the nature of human beings.
What can I take from their actions? Well, for one, I will be minding my own business a lot more and two, I have to stay at peace and filter out the negative in my life, even though it can be hard when it seems like you have those negative people throwing daggers from all angles.
I will be strong and I will suceed. And I hope that by getting through this I can influence others to start living their life the same way and proove to not only myself but others that it works.