For my Media Participation Project, I had the great pleasure of shadowing Greta Kreuz, reporter and anchor for locally based ABC-7/WJLA-TV news in Washington, D.C. She has many accolades to her name, including Emmy, Associated Press, and Edward R. Murrow awards, and has covered countless stories and interviewed many notable people including Jimmy Carter, Elizabeth Edwards, Desmond Tutu and Princess Diana.
Initially when I spoke to Greta, the plan was for me to come down to the studio located in the heart of Arlington, VA, where she would then give me a tour of the studio, have me sit in on a news conference meeting, and finally have me accompany her to a shoot that was to be aired during the imminent fall "sweeps" period. This was the initial plan but like the fortuitous nature of the job itself--you never know when you could discover a story worth reporting--I never really could've known what the day had in store for me. And trust me, I didn't.
When I arrived, Greta showed me around the newsroom. It was just as wonderfully chaotic as I imagined it would be. She introduced me to her colleagues and her boss and took me to the studio where I got to see how the whole broadcasting operation works--the lights, cameras, sound-editing, everything. Then I accompanied her to her daily news conference meeting, during which all of the reporters sit at a round table joined by the station director and producers to discuss the stories of the day. Some reporters will pitch a story they feel is worth featuring, sometimes sparking a cordial debate among other reporters. It was really cool how to see how the whole process unfolds. One of the potential features they discussed was the tearing down of the run-down houses located on Knox and Guilford Roads in College Park-- the "Knox Boxes," as Maryland students and College Park locals coin them--and the massive construction project of the residential and retail complex set to replace them starting in fall of next year. Because I'm a student at Maryland, they wanted me to accompany the reporter covering that story with her to College Park because I could provide them with insight about the area and the thoughts of the students regarding this project. That was just the first change of plans in my day.
At this point, it was my understanding that I was no longer joining Greta to her shoot but was now joining one of her colleagues on a journey back to College Park to help with the Knox Box story. Greta made time for me to conduct a interview before she and I parted ways to different shoots. During the interview, I couldn't help but keep thinking about a local-turned-national news story that was brought up in the conference meeting a short time before. Just that week, The Baltimore Sun broke a story with a photograph placing Maryland Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Doug Gansler at a "Senior week" party where under-aged drinking was allegedly present. I was in that photo. I was there. And finally I told her so.
Immediately, what was a casual interview between us two turned into complete fanfare. People were pulling me in a million different directions. It was absolutely crazy and unlike anything I had ever experienced before. So again my day took another unexpected turn. I was no longer going to College Park. Instead, I stayed back at the studio and was interviewed extensively about the June party. The statements of mine and my friend who was also present at the party, made it on the top of the 6 o'clock news hour that evening, our names kept anonymous. So I went to shadow a journalist for the day and somehow ended up on the news. Not bad for a visit!
All in all, my experience incredibly memorable and it further validated for me what I already knew--I want to pursue this as a career. I want to be one of those reporters sitting around that round table every morning. I want to be a broadcast journalist.
During my interview with her, I asked Greta what was the best piece of advice she could give to an aspiring journalist like myself. It is her advice that was the most meaningful part of my whole experience. Her response will resound in my mind for years to come. "Become a journalist for the right reasons," she said, "and the right reason is because you want to do a Public service. Because you want to be the watch-dog, the eyes and ears, for the people who can't do it themselves. It's not about the money. It's not about the glamour or feeling important. It's about being a public servant--being accurate, and giving the public the truth."
No comments:
Post a Comment