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.

That's life...

Well today, March 9th, 2010, I was laid off from the station I have been working at. To be honest, I saw this coming. We had a photographer loose a camera that is worth half my annual salary, our sales department came in WAY under and I am the only full time reporter that has not worked there for over 20 years.
Although I am not happy with this, the management who had to do it was amazing.
What amazes me is that I took it, with a smile on my face and was gracious to them. I guess we all DO grow up and I can't be more happy about that.
In the past two weeks I have been in the hospital with a pertruding disk in my back, my dog died, my "better halfs" grandmother died, and I lost my job. I thought things came in 3's? This is 4!!!
But heres, what I have realized...Life IS too short to dwell on the negative. I have finally found peace within myself. I've been searching for so long and finally, at the age of 29 it all the sudden came to me.
I think if you project positive thinking onto yourself, positivity and peace will be what you get. So until soemthing else proves my theory to be wrong, that is the way I am going to live.
Now...off to find myself a job!!! (its just the nature of the biz I love so much!)

Been a long time...

Well what can I say, "I'm sorry". Things have been crazy in the life of a T.V. reporter lately.

First off sales are down ($$$) so I have to work that much harder to prove that I deserve to not get the boot, of course we all do.
Then I got the worst cold ever and because of the nerves of never knowing if you will have a job, I worked with 101 temp for over a week... Then I ended up slipping a disk in my back and when I go to Urgent Care they called for an ambulance and took me to the E.R. (but I have to say, I was on great drugs there, and I finally felt like I was getting a break). Stayed in the hospital for a day and then returned to work.

We have just had a death in the family (4 days after the hospital trip), which leads me into today, where I am still working at 10pm because I have to take a day off on Friday for the funeral.

I tell you what, after writing all that down, I don't know how I am doing it?
I wrote something on my facebook earlier today, I guess you could say I am telling myself things just to get by at this point... Here's what I wrote:

"When it rains it pours but you know what? You just have to throw up an umbrella and keep on marching... And you MUST believe that the sun will shine again and that EVERYTHING happens for a reason."

It's what I have been thinking for the past few weeks, but it can be very hard to continue thinking this way. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE what I do, but it can be trying, and as they always say, "The news never stops."

Even if your life is spinning out of control, as an on air reporter you must, at all times make sure your viewers don't see that. Is that hard? Hell yeah. But here's how I see it; Its my job to give a service to our viewers everyday. Its my job to let the community know what's going on. People rely on us, whether they want to admit it or not, to present them with the news. And people expect that when they turn on their T.V. while they are making dinner, we will be there.

I guess you could say that sounds like a lot of pressure, and it is, but if I am able to be that "rock" or that one thing that even one person counts on everyday, then I know that my life is serving a purpose.

On that note, good night and sweet dreams!

Thats my job

Well I am so pleased that 6 people are actually interested in my life as a reporter. KT was my first and I will always be grateful for that, thank you.

So, do you know what a "feature" is? Its a story that is not considered hard news usually. A lot of times they are fun to do and they are about everything and anything. You could do a "Feature" story on a bush.

"This bush has seen a lot... As it sits on the corner, thousands of cars pass by and think nothing of it...(sounds of cars driving) You may not think this bush is useful or that it even matters, but think again..." Then you can go on and on...

Anyways, the past 2 days I have done features and I have to say its a breath of fresh air. Yesterday I wrote a feature about the bakersfield dancing Pizza man. Its a story I have been pitching for 7 months and finally I was given the go.
Today, I did a story about Wii being out of stock everywhere. I have to be honest, I didn't like this story and didn't really think it was a story but I was assigned it and made it into a masterpiece, cause thats my job.

As I go, I am learning that its not always about what you report, its about how you tell it. For those of you who know me, you know that I am in this business to report the news and make a difference. Sometimes I think if I don't investigate and report hard news I am not making an impact but what I have realized from two days of features is, I still am. My story last night has generated so much talk around town...facebook pages are blowing up and people have contacted me saying "thank you" while smiling. So the impact I am having may be a little different then when I am reporting a death but its just as important... My stories have made so many people smile... that just may be the most important thing one human being can do for another.

And I love that its my job...

Another day, another dollar (really just a dollar)

Last night I was in a Yoga class and as always I was towards the back of the room. Two woman in the front were talking about how bad media is and they were "watching the local news tonight and..." Anyhoo they were basically saying that we blow everything out of proportion and we all don't know what we are doing.
I just sat, waiting for the class to start listening to this. I've heard this kind of chat before and I think every time someone talks, its easier for me to just laugh it off. So, I just sat and listened realizing these woman obviously watched another station because they had no clue who I was, or they just didn't see me.
But I know I can learn from people like them. #1- I can learn that maybe they are just the type of woman that think they can do everything better. #2- Or maybe they are just very insecure. #3- or maybe, just maybe we (journalists as a whole) DO tend to lean towards the stereotype of what they were discussing and maybe I should keep this in mind every time I go out on a story. But wait...I already do. Its just another day in the life of a T.V. Reporter.

Following a story

So, today I'm in court following a female deputy who is accused of having sex with a convicted murderer in the jail.
When I follow these stories I know they are "Juicy" but I also can't help but put myself in the suspects shoes... How embarrassed she must be and then to have us following her with cameras all over her? How can she deal and not flip out on us? So many do but I wonder, how was she able to keep her cool?
I come back to the station and say, "I kind of feel sorry for her" and then I quickly remind myself that she had choices when she broke the law and people have the right to know what was happening on their tax payers dimes. I hope that these stories make people think before they want to go and do something stupid, I hope they realize that we will be there, maybe it will make them ponder the crime they are about to commit and not do it.
After we air ANY story that gets people talking, phone calls come in. I have been chewed out over the phone SO MANY times I can't even count anymore. Does it hurt? Yes. Do I put on a strong face and just take it? Yes. But I can't lie and say it doesn't hurt. I'm a human being just like everyone else so when people call and chew me out I take it personally but I guess its just part of my job.
I think one of my next posts may be about the "crazy, mean callers"... hmmm, I may have to tell you about some...
Just a day in the life of a T.V. Reporter...

What this business is "really" about!

Hello Anyone that may be reading this blog. (probably no one but I like to dream.)

I have wanted to write one of these for a couple years now. A T.V. reporters life is a crazy one and the people that watch us see something totally different then what really goes on. So I thought this would be a good way to let people "Inside" a bit.

I have been reporting for about 5 years now... starting off a my college in Southern California then making my rounds in a small market, producing in a bigger market then doing cable in a big market.

Through the years I have learned so much about what this business is about. As many of you probably know, there are so many in this business that are in it for what I call "the wrong reasons"... to be on T.V. Its been a struggle to compete against those people but somehow I am slipping through. I am not tiny, I weigh over 125lbs (shocking in this biz) and I do not shop every other day. I continue in this line of work because I believe in journalism and, as corny as it may sound I believe that knowledge is power and I have an outlet to inform people of whats going on.

So, here's a question I am always asked, or accused of... Something like this, "You people report what you want!, its all propaganda." Here's the answer... Yes, we report what we want and everyday numerous meetings take place to discuss what we will cover. Those meetings are filled with people from all walks of life and more often then not, there are disagreements, red faces and people walk out pissed off because we are covering something they don't think should be covered. The main questions you have to ask yourself is "Is it news worthy?" And will people be affected or interested in the story.
Is it propaganda? No... One thing everyone needs to remember is there are laws and regulations that prevent us from doing certain things.

Throughout this blog there may be days that I talk about what is going on here at the station and there may be days where I rant or rave about my life. I guess the point of this is not only for me to have an outlet to get things off my brain but for others to see another side of broadcast journalism.

I hope someone out there will find this interesting.