From the newsroom to the Hampton Roads Show set
The way we produce television has had a big impact on my time at WAVY TV 10. During that time, I’ve shadowed reporters for both news and sports. Being on the floor with these working journalists has given me a new perspective on broadcast journalism. As floor director for the Hampton Roads Show, I also worked on live television for the first time and learned how it’s all done.
Shadowing Reporters: Lessons in Journalism
Observing reporters in the field and shadowing them in the news department, I discovered that broadcast journalism is about speed and tension. The most important lesson I learned was to be flexible; reporters need to be able to shift directions to incorporate new information and pivot the story. I knew it was important to keep calm under fire and that your body and mind must always be prepared for any circumstance.
Secondly, I learned what it meant to be thorough in one’s research by learning how serious newsrooms seek to validate information. Several reporters at WAVY kept busy by double-checking reports and data before it ever reached the air. This furthered my understanding of journalistic integrity, and the weight reporters should ascribe to their responsibility of supplying the community with news.
Meanwhile, in the sports department, talking to reporters while they shadowed a game taught me about story arc, how writers went beyond scores and stats to profile human interest, and the psychological impacts of athletes, relationships and performances. I would never give up on sports as long as I still had breath.
The Role of a Floor Director: Navigating Live Television
Being the floor director for the Hampton Roads Show also added a very different kind of learning experience to the internship. This required sharp attention to detail, strong communication skills, and the ability to think quickly on one’s feet. As floor director, I operated the ‘teleprompter’ (autocue) for the hosts while setting up the cue lights for the cameras and crews in the control room. This required teamwork, good communication, and concise commands to keep the show moving.
One of the hardest things about the job was time management. Live TV is perfect for perfectionists (if not humanists), but it’s all about the clock, and a big part of my job was ensuring the show stayed on time. That meant I had to get more creative as a narrator, thinking on my feet and making split-second decisions about how to trim and shape things on air.
Furthermore, working alongside the hosts of the Hampton Roads Show showed me what it takes to engage with an audience at any given second. Another valuable lesson was maintaining energy on a set, even through technical problems. These might seem like insignificant considerations to those less involved in the process, but to anyone who works in broadcast journalism, they are always at the forefront of their minds.
Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead
During my internship, I overcame many obstacles, from learning how to operate live TV equipment to dealing with the strict demands of a live broadcast. However, each obstacle was a chance to improve my problem-solving skills. I learned that it’s always better to think of different approaches to tackle a problem and how to make them work.
There are certain things I would do differently if I went through it all again. I would have been more proactive in asking or seeking feedback from my supervisors so that I could have improved my work even further. I would have been more active. Also, I had the opportunity to connect with professionals in the field. In my field or my studies, it’s always good to network with professionals because then you can get lots of information, and these could be the people you could depend on later in your career. I think those two things are major.
I will go out into the world full of thanks for learning about my future and the many ways to obtain that future. I will forever cherish Wavy 10 as the place where I learned of my love for broadcast journalism and gained the experience of knowing that I am exactly where. I am extremely grateful for Kenisha Stringfield, who was the best supervisor I could ask for. She was extremely helpful and gave great advice that I will hold on to for the rest of my life.