Tag: WLNS

I have officially completed my third week of my internship at HOMTV.

Yesterday we had an alumni training workshop where former alumni members Alexandra Illitch and Local 4 WDIV‘s John Pompeo gave us tips and advice about the news industry.

I learned a lot from both of them and I left the workshop feeling even more eager and motivated to do well not just at this internship, but at any other future news job. I am so passionate about this industry and I can’t wait to see where my future takes me.

Ali told us about how the news industry isn’t a 9 to 5 job and if that’s the type of job we’re looking for then this isn’t the industry for us. She also talked about the many misconceptions people have about the news industry and what jobs in the field entail. People think it’s all glam, being on TV and what not, but it’s much more than that.

I’ll admit, when I first graduated and even every now and then, I think how wonderful it would be to have a Monday-Friday 9 to 5 job. My best friends have that kind of schedule and I always imagine how nice that would be. But, as I’ve learned, I am very much passionate about the news industry and accepted that that is a sacrifice I have to make to have a job in the field. It will never be 9 to 5, and as Ali explained, some days reporters work up to 12 hours. And as she mentioned, and I knew–the news never sleeps.

While she said it’s a lot of work, she also said how truly great it is to be a reporter. Her passion showed when she talked to us and it made me hopeful that one day I can be in her shoes talking to rookie and junior interns expressing my passion for the field.

Not only did Ali share her passion, tips and advice to us interns, John Pompeo did as well. He’s been in the industry for over thirty years and he said he’s still doing it because he LOVES it. It was inspiring to see someone still so passionate about the industry this many years later.

He showed us his work he did and through it I learned so much. The way different he shoots stories made me excited to incorporate those ways into how I share my stories. I found the way he finds his stories to be unique, and how he doesn’t necessarily have to be the one telling the story through a voice track, but to have a main “character” in the story and having him or her tell it.

Something I also found interesting that he said was that

“Everyone is a story teller.”
– John Pompeo

While I came into this internship with previous newsroom experience, others did not, and I thought how this really hit the nail on the head for not just me but especially for the others. I never gave that idea much thought before but, with the right tips and creativity and thought process, I realized how right he was.

Like I mentioned above, I can’t wait to take the tips both he and Ali shared with us and apply it to my future stories both at HOMTV and other future jobs. During the workshop I was already thinking of possible different stories I could cover this semester and what angle I would take with each one using these different tips.

Why I also enjoyed him saying this is because I believe everyone has a story to share.

That’s a huge reason I want to be a journalist, a reporter, is because I want to be able to give a voice to people–especially those who might not otherwise have one. Also, a tad off topic, but the name of my blog–“Coffee and Curiosity” is titled that because a) I love coffee (who doesn’t?) and b) because I am a curious person. I am always eager to learn more about people. Which, ironically, although I love learning about people, I will be the first admit that I am extremely shy outside of my reporter self when it comes to getting to know people. But anyway…

I love learning about people’s experiences. I believe everyone has a unique story to share and as a reporter, I long to discover what it is. And as it is now officially Monday, I start off a new week, working on my first assignments for HOMTV and while brainstorming what angle I want to take for my stories, I’ll be keeping in mind the tips Ali and John gave us. 🙂

Until next time…

XO,

Ana