Assessment of My Skills

When searching for news stories, I'm good at utilizing different tools to find story ideas that viewers will care about. I use FaceBook, emails, news competitors, and my connections with the community to bring fresh ideas to the table. I also think it's important to discover several angles to tell a story, especially with annual issues/events, to give viewers something they haven't heard before. 

As an MMJ, I learned it's crucial to know how to write for broadcast but then be able to switch my mindset to share that story online. Every story I created for the air had to have a web story that connected, so I have plenty of experience with this. It's also important to write a VOSOT version of my package without copying and pasting the elements but instead making it slightly different to keep the viewers engaged. 

​A lot of the stories I created as an MMJ were shot and edited by myself; however, I was lucky enough to work with a photographer a majority of the time on the nightside shift. Working with a photojournalist and through personal experience, I learned the importance of natural sound, depth, sequence shooting, and getting wide, medium, and close shots to tell the story. 

Live shots are one of the best ways to show the viewer what's happening in real time. I have done a handful of live shots that included showing the viewers the scene, interacting with a subject or prop, and being outside a courthouse after spending all day listening to a trial. I've noticed my stories come off more conversational while performing live in the field because I'm not reading off a teleprompter. 

I work with technology every day, whether it be a camera, editing and rundown software, social media, and microphones...to name a few. However, I think the key is being efficient, so knowing keyboard shortcuts and how to adjust settings to my liking saves time in the long run. I have experience with Edius, ENPS, Adobe Premiere, iNews, and Arc, but I'm also good at learning new technology. 

The biggest thing I love about being a news reporter is interacting with people from many different walks of life on a day-to-day basis. As I mentioned, forming connections is a great way to learn about new story ideas, but also having a good relationship with people in law enforcement and politics helps with fast and reliable sources.