Who knew I'd be going to Senior prom again?

Well, I survived my first shift at KOMU Tuesday, and even managed a few laughs in the process.

During my first VO patrol, I was asked to cover the "Seniors for Seniors Prom" at Hickman High school. Albeit, this is not the kind of story I generally like to cover, but I had a blast doing it. Each year, Hickman students host a prom for senior citizens of Boone County, specifically those involved in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). It was definitely not a hard-hitting news story, but getting to see these senior citizens "get down" with high school students was priceless. It turned out to be a great story visually, and I got a few smiles from fellow reporters. 

I did learn a lot at my first shift. I am hoping I will become more comfortable with the camera with time, and also become a faster editor. But overall, everything went smoothly! Check out my Seniors for Seniors story and video at KOMU.com

In other news, the Chicago Tribune laid of 50 editorial writers. I found a blog by one of the writers who was laid off, Lou Carlozo. He had been covering the recession for the tribune, and his headline of his latest post reads "I am the news today, oh boy: A recession writer gets laid off." It is interesting to think how so many journalists are becoming the news. More and more we hear of layoffs, closures and struggles of those in the industry. This post gives a particularly good insight of someone who is actually in the midst of it all. 

Indeed it is a scary thought, to have the possibility of actually being a part of these headlines some day. 

Oh the times, they are a changin'

This past Tuesday I competed my final shadow shift for KOMU. Now all I have to do is complete my edit test and I'll be ready to begin reporting! My final shadow shift was spent working with the Tuesday 10 p.m. producer, Beth Ford. I realized after this shift, that I have absolutely no desire to be a producer! Although I did enjoy assisting Beth, sitting in the newsroom does not satisfy my craving to go out and chase a story. I find that I feel an extreme sense of accomplishment after shooting video, conducting interviews then putting it all together. 

As I was enjoying this lovely Friday morning, sitting on my couch watching the Today Show, I found particular interest in one particular story. The story of senior interns focused on former big-wigs in the publishing industry, who are now unpaid interns. These people were making triple-digit salaries, and practically had it made, but lost their jobs in light of the declining industry and troubling economy. 

This story took an interesting angle on what people who are out of jobs are now doing to get ahead and up to speed with the times. It touched a little light on how the younger generation has much more experience with various facets of technology, and that is one thing these particular internships focus on. I would love to see more stories like this. We hear too often about newspapers collapsing, anchors being laid off, and countless others. But what happens after these journalists lose their jobs?

Could you imagine being a 50-year-old intern? In the words of one of my favorite singers and songwriters, Bob Dylan, "Oh the times, they are a-changin'."

Banter on Blogs

I'm back from spring break and feeling rather refreshed. Although I was sick with the flu for most of it, I did spend some time at my local newspaper, The Monroe County Appeal. I wrote a few stories and visited Paris as part of my Community Newspaper class. It was definitely an interesting experience, and it opened my eyes to a new medium of journalism. Let's just say I think I'll be very happy sticking with broadcast. Check out the website to view my stories on senior meals and a local winery. 

Now that I am on the downhill slope of the semester, I am also starting to get exponentially busier. Greek Week preparation is in full swing (literally...I'm planning a charity golf tournament!) So B2 shifts will not be coming until after that is over. BUT, in the meantime I will be continuing my work in the class and in Jefferson City at the State Capitol. 

Speaking of, I came across an older blog post of a fellow capitol reporter, Steve Walsh. Steve has always been a great help to me while I was beginning my political reporting endeavors so I keep up with his work. His posts talks about the importance of asking clear questions, and understanding (often sneaky) language that you often get in responses from press secretaries and spokespersons. However, what I found most interesting were the comments after the blog post.

There was a lot of dialogue between Steve and a reader about the content of his post. Many news outlets using the web for stories and blogs also have room for forums and commentary and this is a prime example of how it really connects readers and viewers with the reporter. I think it's a great thing, because it give us an opportunity to further clear up any muddy information. At the same time, I wonder if this can ever get out of control. Is there someone monitoring what comments can actually show up? Do reporters have to get approval from their editor or news director before they can post responses? In a techno age such as this, I feel we may all face a Negative Nancy from time to time. But I think we can all learn to stay professional and roll with the punches, much like Steve demonstrated in this dialog.