When I signed up for J403 this semester, I knew I was in for a lot of work, a lot of learning opportunities, and a lot of time talking to other people. I went into this class aware of its demanding nature. And yet, I was still overwhelmed my first day.
There are three main skills I took away from this semester. One – communication is the key, and the secret, to a great newscast. I feel like ‘communication’ is always brought up – to the point that it is almost a cliché – but it is really emphasized for a reason. Over-communicating with everyone on your production team is the best thing you can do during your day-of-air. Explain things…tenfold if you feel like you need to. Ask everyone if they need clarification when you ask them to do something. Clarity and transparency are essential.
Two – always keep a notepad by your side! This entire semester I have kept a notebook with me and it has never failed me. I write down everything in it: the schedule of MJs (multimedia journalists) and their assignments, things I need to add to the rundown, potential sources, interviews, and graphic requests.
Three – a positive and compassionate attitude. In my experience, it’s important to make everyone on the team feel comfortable and confident about what they are doing. Try to make MJs feel proud of the work they do, and really emphasize that they make huge contributions to the newscast – because they do! As is true for most of us – when you feel like your work is significant, you enjoy doing it! Letting everyone know that they are doing a great job and encouraging everyone always makes the day a lot better.
Before going into J403, I was not prepared for the writing aspect of this class. Of course, I had taken J307 and have had experience writing for television, but I was not prepared to write for television under deadline pressure.
I think going into this class, students should refresh their broadcast writing skills. On your first day of air you don’t have very much wiggle room to draft or practice anything – you are diving right into it. Broadcast writing is a lot harder than you might think – especially while under pressure!
Overall, I am so happy that I was able to take this class this semester. Even while virtual, I learned invaluable lessons about my skill set and about leadership. Producing is no joke, and it will get much harder before it gets easier, but it is absolutely worth the dedication and time.