Job Responsibilities
I enterprise news stories in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale metro area;
respond to breaking news, as well as anchor news programs
periodically. I report to work at 2:30 pm to source, shoot,
write and edit stories by our 10pm and 11pm newscasts. My stories
are nearly always presented live, often on the scene of whatever
the story is.
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Job Requirements
I attended Northwestren University's Medill School of Journalism
for both the bachelors and masters programs. The class quality
was exceptional; a lot of practical work in the field, a great
deal of technological as well as philosophical study of the
field. We also did internships during these programs, including
a semester spent reporting daily print stories from the juvenile
court in Chicago, and a semester in Washington, D.C. working for
the Medill News Service, reporting national broadcast stories for
small tv and radio stations accross the country. Both were
during the graduate program. The undergraduate program was also
very intensive. But the graduate program allows you to also
focus on one area of journalism, a sort of "specialization." I
chose the legal system. It was tough,and enormous amount of time,
reading, and coursework, but i found it to be extrememly
fascinating, and most rewarding.
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Uppers
The feeling of delving into a subject that matters to people, and finding new
information that is important. It is rewarding to know your community, be
trusted
by your community, and to deliver stories to that community that really affect
it.
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Downers
The time constraints on my personal life. I work at night;
strange hours.. Also, in television there is really no such thing
as a "holiday"... the news is always on! I would also like more
opportunity to work on longer-form pieces-- but in this industry
that time is hard to come by, most of the time.
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Lifestyle
The industry is changing, for the cheaper-- stations in big
markets now will hire someone with very little experience. That
is great for the newcomer; HOWEVER, don't expect to make enough
money to live well in the city you're covering! Also, workloads
are becoming greater while staffs shrink. You need to be a good
multi-tasker-- the faster you can learn, the quicker you can
think on your feet, and the more technically skilled you are, the
better. If you are willing to work hard and be serious and smart-
- not smarmy, you will stand out and be valuable to your station
and community. Move somewhere you will feel comfortable and will
feel a part of things; don't be afriad to take a risk, though,
and move to a good station in a place where you maybe wouldn't
think of right away.
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Compensation
Usually the starting pay is terrible...I started at 18K. for
almost 10 years I worked and was able to pay the bills and that
was about it. I did mangae to buy a house, then a condo, quite an
accomplishment on a journalist's salary-- you have to invest
where you can. But this year i hit a milestone-- i became a
valuable asset to my company as there was interest from other
sources, boosting my salary up to six figures for the first
time. IT HELPS! For the first time in my career, I feel somwhat
financially ok. Yes, I can buy that piece of furniture! Wow. not
quite used to it yet!
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Advice to Jobseekers
The industry is changing, for the cheaper-- stations in big
markets now will hire someone with very little experience. That
is great for the newcomer; HOWEVER, don't expect to make enough
money to live well in the city you're covering! Also, worlkloads
are becoming greater while staffs shrink. You need to be a good
multi-tasker-- the faster you can learn, the quicker you can
think on your feet, and the more technically skilled you are, the
better. If you are willing to work hard and be serious and smart-
- not smarmy, you will stand out and be valuable to your station
and community. Move somewhere you will feel comfortable and will
feel a part of things; don't be afriad to take a risk, though,
and move to a good station in a place where you maybe wouldn't
think of right away.
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