Broadcast Journalism
Broadcast was my introduction to journalism. I learned so much my first year and built so many relationships with different people. I fell in love with being on-air and exploring the many things our students and the people in our community had to share with the world. This was my first step into the world of media, and I will always cherish everything I was taught.
The Start of it All
Broadcast was my first love. I loved videography, I loved creating fun video segments, and I loved being on-air.
I still remember the first email I got from my soon-to-be adviser, asking whether I wanted to be on the film crew or on the news team. I spent that evening deep-diving on Youtube looking at the
content both produced, trying to decide which one I would spend the next year in. I was in theatre in sixth grade, so I thought that it would be fun being in film and creating mini-movies. Ultimately, however, I chose broadcast, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for that decision.
There was so much to learn from everyone the first year I joined. From videography to the way I write, everything that I learned that year created the base foundation for how I would grow and adapt as a journalist later on.
Nothing will compare to the rush I felt every weekend leading up to a show day. The constant checking if packages are uploaded, the last minute edits to the script, and the inevitable incident of our teleprompter glitching during run-throughs. Despite the chaos during run-throughs, when it came time for the show to start, we always collected ourselves and put our best foot forward.
Looking at my stories from the first two years to what I have produced since then, I can see how I’ve grown, but I can also see what has stayed the same. I used to have to plan out every question I wanted to ask before an interview. Now I can spend half an hour going off track on separate questions because I learned to really listen and ask follow-ups. But I still go about choosing my quotes and setting up my stories the way I was taught the first time I entered the newsroom. Every story I have told carries pieces of the people who taught me how.
FEATURE: First Line of Defense
This was initially supposed to be one of the first sports packages I had ever done, or sports adjacent at least. However, when interviewing the sports med teacher, I learned she was a part of a life-saving event. I knew then I had to pivot my story and focus on her instead while finding a way to tie it back to the students and the school. It was also the first package I had done for the new school.
NEWS: Taking to the Skies
This package was simple in theory, but difficult in reality. I still couldn’t drive, so I had to send our Executive Producer at the time to get my interview and all of the Fire Department shots for me. I would have gone with him, but my parents were, at the time, uncomfortable with me riding with other people. Since I couldn't go with him, I made sure I had all of the questions prepared for him to ask. I think this one was a nice story because of how it tied the community to the school really well. It connected a current event to competitions the school was participating in so it was relevant to the students.
Interview with Gian Paul Gonzalez
This is something I am pretty proud of. Speaker Gian Paul Gonzalez had come to our school to talk about his “All In” philosophy. He also had a separate leadership session with students who were in Hope Squad, Student Council, and the Principal’s Leadership Council. I was a part of the students in this session ,and that is when I decided that we should dive deeper into where he got this idea and what it means to him. It was a super last-minute and not planned interview, but I am glad I was able to take advantage of the opportunity. We featured a shorter four-five minute segment on our show that week as well.
ILPC On-Air Talent Reel
This was my on-air talent reel that I submitted for ILPC 2024. I got first in 5A, but unfortunately didn’t win Tops in Texas. I was still super proud of it considering I had only truly had a year of live anchoring experience at the time.
Throwback to Freshman Year
This is a story that I am extremely proud of. It may not be my best story, but it was the first story I had done completely by myself. We had been working on our skills and technique throughout the first semester. As our mid-year project, our adviser had assigned us to complete a story by ourselves. I remember one of the seniors told me how he was really proud of how my package turned out. Though this never aired, I am still happy with how it turned out, especially the beginning nats pop.
This is another example of my Commitment to Diversity. It was a news-feature on a local organization of Hindus that were trying to give back to their community. Usually big organizations that complete donations are featured. I wanted to focus on our local heroes.
I think this was a really strong news story. I got the opportunity for a sneak peek at what would become my school for the next three years. It was also the first package I had to contact higher administration, people that weren't directly on campus, or I wasn't familiar with.
The only part that I think could have been a lot better is the stand-up. The idea was to have the school visible in the background, but there were better ways to go about that than what was actually filmed. I would have moved closer because I am too far away from the camera, and it looks like it was filmed on a phone. I also stumble a bit on the last few sentences, and that is easily something that could have and should have been re-filmed.
