On Camera
Not everyone is meant to be on camera. I know this from personal experience. When I first started out, I wanted to be a reporter. I loved asking people questions and telling their stories. I wrote for my high school and college publications … and even got a job as a reporter/anchor at my university’s public radio station. It was exhilarating, hearing my words live on the air. But it wasn’t TV!
After getting my undergrad degree in broadcasting, I decided I needed more TV experience so I went to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. As part of their TV journalism program, you live in Washington, D.C. for 3 months and get real world experience reporting for TV stations around the country. “Live shot” practice was also included.
A “live shot” is news jargon for when a reporter is live on location, where news is happening (or happened hours ago). An anchor in studio will toss to them out on the street where they’ll either explain what’s happening or toss to a taped piece. The realization that I didn’t have what it takes to be a TV reporter came during those practice sessions. We would be given a news story and have to come up with a script that we’d report live in front of our classmates. I would start off strong but inevitably die somewhere in the middle, losing my train of thought … every time! My dream of being the next Barbara Walters quickly faded but thankfully, Medill also taught us how to produce a newscast and that’s where my abilities shined. Plus, I’d never have to worry about my hair and makeup!