From the course: How to Become a Purpose-Driven Journalist

Broadcast news: An orchestra

From the course: How to Become a Purpose-Driven Journalist

Start my 1-month free trial Buy for my team

Broadcast news: An orchestra

“

- I started off as a print journalist, which I think is a great way to start anyone's career. And I did it on Capitol Hill because most members of Congress would usually talk to you, and they actually know a lot of information. (laughs) But there are lots of different ways to be a journalist, and there's lots of different ways to sort of answer your calling in terms of journalism. You can be a reporter who really enjoys being out in the field. You can be a print reporter. You can work as part of the crew doing audio, doing wardrobe, doing hair and makeup. You can be an associate producer, a producer, an editor. What a fascinating job to be an editor. They're so good at what they do, hours and hours looking through tape to put together what you see on the air every day. It's really the most incredible orchestra that happens in broadcast news, the most skilled people, I think, truly, in the world, working 24 hours a day to put on a two-hour broadcast. It's incredible if you really think about it. It's hard to do television. It really is, to get that when it comes up right at seven o'clock to make sure the tape rolls. We have lots of mornings where we're worried about that. But that's the orchestra working in concert where everyone is doing their job. And everyone is not only doing their job, they're usually sometimes picking up the slack for somebody for whatever reason is having a little trouble that day. And so that incredible collaboration is why I think people love journalism, but really love broadcast journalism, is they're ultimately collaborators, ultimately people who root for one another. They care about the product, but I think they're ultimately gregarious, empathetic, caring people who care about making sure that the product gets on the air. And so any way you want to do it in broadcast journalism, there's so many great ways to contribute to that in an exciting way to be at the center of the most fascinating place in the world.

Contents