Dressing to work in a newsroom can be tricky, and it's something that isn't taught in J-school (or at least it wasn't when I was there). The expectations of how a news person should look and dress have evolved over the years and vary from station-to-station. Gone are the days when women were expected to wear pants/skirt suits. In this day and age, it's perfectly acceptable in some situations to wear jeans! I work in...
What I'm Watching: The Librarians (SPOILERS)
January 27, 2016 / BY Ashton
I just finished the second season of The Librarians on TNT this past weekend. Yes, I know I'm a month behind! I rarely watch shows on the nights they come on, you know, for life reasons. OK, it's mostly because I'd rather sleep. Anyway - in two short seasons, this has become one of my favorite shows! The Librarians is a spinoff of The Librarian films, also developed by TNT. You don't need to have...
There are a lot of things you can be in life, but what better things to be than bold, brave and you? Happy Monday! ...
Baby's First Christmas & Update
January 23, 2016 / BY Ashton
You know you're a mom when January is almost over before you write a post about the baby's first Christmas... It was a whirlwind, to say the least. We had four different Christmases, including our own. At almost 9 months old, Alexis wasn't all that into everything. She liked the bows and balling up the wrapping paper. Her favorite toys, if I had to guess, would be shape blocks, a spinning activity center, giraffe ball...
On January 1st, this blog officially embraced the direction my life is taking now that I'm a mom (You can read more about that HERE). The most noticeable difference is right at the top of this page - part of refocusing meant rebranding things around here, hence changing my blog name from Journalistic Musings to Mommy, The Journalist. Additionally, the type of content I'll be posting will be a little more varied and feature a...
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(Not So) Basic Journalism Skills: Social Media Do's & Don't's
January 19, 2016 / BY Ashton
When I graduated high school, the only website I was a member of was Xanga, an online journal. When I went to college, I joined the newly created Facebook and then Myspace. I started blogging my senior year of college, joined Pinterest only a few years ago, have had my Twitter account for less than three years and joined Instagram less than two years ago. Social media has changed so much over the last 10...
On this Motivation Monday, I thought I would share some of my favorite inspirational quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These quotes will hopefully spread a little inspiration and motivation to anyone out there who needs it this week. I have a few friends out there that are struggling, each facing a different set of problems. I don't know that any of them will see these words but I do hope they know I'm...
Sh*t Crazy Newsroom Callers Say
January 16, 2016 / BY Ashton
It's been a hot minute since I did one of these posts. That's because our new web master really likes to answer the phone! And he's so good at it, too. But even so, crazy calls still make it through to other people. One day this past week I was in my news director's office when I heard what sounded like my desk phone ringing. So I transferred it to his phone. Big mistake. Turns...
The world lost a legend today. Alan Rickman died in London at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. To say Alan Rickman was one of my favorite actors would be an understatement. To say Alan Rickman was one of the most talented actors in the universe would be an even bigger understatement. Most people my age see Alan Rickman and immediately picture Professor Severus Snape. With good reason. When I read the...
Monday Motivation
January 11, 2016 / BY Ashton
Happy Monday, everyone! It's going to be a bit of a different day for me with the College Football National Championship game tonight. Instead of doing a 5:00 show, we'll be taping a show previewing the game between Alabama and Clemson. This afternoon we'll also be meeting about our plan for the upcoming February ratings period. And what about that $1 billion Powerball Jackpot? Good luck to everyone out there who's bought or planning to...
Behind the Scenes of My First Telethon
January 08, 2016 / BY Ashton
On Thursday, WTVY hosted a telethon with the East Alabama Chapter of the American Red Cross to raise money for victims of the Christmas 2015 floods. While we didn't set a specific goal, our end total blew everyone away. Between 12:00 and 6:30 p.m., people of the Wiregrass donated more than $32,000 - everyone from a 6-year-old little girl bringing in her piggy bank to local businesses pledging thousands. Days like yesterday are what make...
Wiregrass Flood Relief Telethon
January 07, 2016 / BY Ashton
City of Elba - Christmas 2015 On Christmas Day 2015, the Wiregrass was inundated with rainfall. The three major rivers in our viewing area - the Pea, Choctawhatchee and Chattahoochee - all topped their banks. More than 100 homes were flooded, most belonging to families -- and this was just in our corner of the state. All across the state of Alabama, as well as Georgia and northwest Florida, rivers reached and passed flood level....
Alexis and the Terrible Teething Tale
January 05, 2016 / BY Ashton
6 month photo session courtesy of Cherokee Spivey Photography Many babies don't have any problem with teething. My poor baby is not one of them. For Alexis, teething means my normally happy baby is transformed into a drooling, snotty, cranky child. From swollen gums to loss of appetite and even a teething cold (that I'm pretty sure she's passed on to me), if it's a symptom of teething she's got it. This is our second...
It's the first Monday of 2016. By now, many of you have made resolutions so let's start off the first work week of the year with a little motivation to help you on your way. May 2016 bring about the change you're looking for. It's the first Monday of 2016. By now, many of you have made resolutions so let's start off the first work week of the year with a little motivation to help...
2016 Goals
January 01, 2016 / BY Ashton
2016 is finally here. As you guys could probably tell in my last post, the last few months have been tough for me, so I'm looking forward to turning things around this year. I'm not one to make resolutions. By definition, a resolution is a solution to a problem. I don't see myself as a problem so why resolve to fix me? Instead, I like to set goals for myself. In fact, I set goals...