Take a Risk
I dip my pen in the blackest ink, because I'm not afraid of falling into my inkpot.
Ralph W. Emerson
Part of working in the world of journalism is putting yourself out there, whether it's on-camera or behind the scenes before, during or after the newscast. This isn't a profession for the faint of heart.
Everything we do is scrutinized.
I really love what I do. So much, in fact, that I put a little of myself into every newscast I produce. The way the stories flow from one anchor to another... the way the information is presented. That's all me. I may not be on-camera, but I'm there in every story that hits the air.
Sometimes my ideas don't work out. Sometimes viewers complain about what they see or hear.
With every newscast I put together, I'm putting myself out there for so many people to see.
Can you say the same for yourself?
2 comments
I was on both sides of the camera during my career. Like you I derived great satisfaction from producing because in some ways it is a means of artistic expression. The producer assembles all the raw materials. chooses which elements stay in the cast and which are dropped, how much weight to give each story (a quick read or full blown team coverage). Most importantly the producer, within reasonable guidelines dictated by the news director, has the privilege of ranking the day's news stories in order of importance. The story that the producer ultimately chooses to lead with and the amount of air time given to that story affects a lot of people. The story that the producer elevates to the lead position can reflect his or her own tastes and biases. It's a subjective call and an awesome responsibility.
ReplyDeleteLike you I also derived pleasure from infusing my newscasts with as much of my own personal style and humor as possible. I think most viewers knew they were watching one of my newscasts well before the closing credits rolled.
I can!.. but then agaian we have very similar jobs.. I just produce a newscast at a different time.
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