A Trip of Firsts

By Emily Jarvis

The trip to New York was a trip of firsts for me. The first time I went to a network television studio, the first time I met with a well-known anchor and the first time attempting to navigate the streets of New York without my parents.

Visiting NBC, ABC and CBS was a wonderful experience. Everyone we met along the way was incredibly informative and sincere. CBS in particular was especially helpful. I must say that AU has a wonderful relationship with alumni, because at CBS the VP took a couple hours out his very busy schedule to show us around and answer all of our questions.

The educational highlight of the day though was when we were allowed to sit in on an editorial meeting. It was especially helpful to compare how our production of a newscast compares to that of a network newscast. The debate about newsworthiness goes on at every level of news production.  But to see how the senior producers discussed and fought for their stories to make it to air was especially eye opening. To see stories coming in from reporters around the world was incredible. Their ability to get video and reports from every conflict almost instantaneously was amazing.

Before this trip I never really considered any other job in journalism besides on air talent/reporting. But now seeing the behind the screen activities has made me consider producing or directing. I am kind of a control freak and seeing how the producer runs the ship has made me want to take a more active role in putting together a newscast.

The true highlight of the day though for me was visiting the Today show set. I have been a true fan of the Today show since I was little. I am a third generation Today show fan, my mother has a cardboard cutout of Matt Lauer in her office, and my grandmother records the show every morning.  Therefore to be sitting in Matt Lauer’s chair was a once in a lifetime experience.

We also got to see Lester Holt read the cut-in newscast for the Today show.  His delivery was incredible, his voice alone was very impressive but the way he delivered the newscast was very impressive. The way he acted controlled while still seeming conversational was especially good for me to see. I need to work on my on air presence and he is a master. He was even nice enough to talk with us for about 15 minutes after, and he said something that really stuck with me; he said, “a journalist is never on vacation.” What he meant was even when a journalist is off the air he or she needs to be aware of what is going on in the world, and also keep a record of what has already happened so if something changes you can talk about it intelligently.

I learned so much not only from Lester Holt but from everyone I met. I think the experience was not only educational but helpful for my future career as well.

Interning for a Cure

By Alessandra Torres

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is fighting to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, also known as Juvenile diabetes, is a disease that is commonly diagnosed in children and young adults. To manage the amount of glucose in the blood, those with Type 1 must give themselves multiple injections of insulin daily or have a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. But insulin is not a cure.

As someone with Type 1 diabetes, interning for JDRF has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience. Working for any non-profit can make you feel like you’re working for a worthy cause – like what you are doing will make a difference. But when you can relate on a personal level to the cause that the non-profit is championing it’s very different. The work that you are doing will directly affect you.

Each year JDRF has an annual gala. And this year I served as the gala intern. I helped manage the event, create mailings and promotional tools, writing press releases, as well as handling some of the administrative components behind the event.

The highlight, however, is not the work I have done, but rather in the amount people are willing to give to find a cure. All of the money raised at the gala, through the live and silent auctions, as well as through their Fund-A-Cure donations, goes directly to diabetic research. Research that will change the lives of many, including myself.

JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.

For the first time ever a cure for this chronic disease is in sight. The work that I did for JDRF was just as much for me as it was for the organization. The work that I did was for and about people. It was all a part of taking one step closer to finding a cure.

News in New York City

By Casey Jenkins

District Wire went to New York City on Monday to visit  NBC, FOX and CBS. The trip went well and it sparked excitement in me about studying broadcast journalism here at American University.

The day began at NBC with an extremely detailed and exclusive tour. We saw the set of the Today Show, sat in the anchors’ chairs, and met Lester Holt and Hoda Kotb. Everyone seemed as eager to teach us and share their experiences with us as we were to be there. We had the same experience at Fox and CBS. Seeing the sets that I see on television every day was exciting for me and made me want to work hard so that I can be on those sets someday.
The newsrooms were a pleasant, and educational, surprise. I do not mean the equipment and hundreds of TVs, but the people. At NBC, the producers and director joked around and seemed to genuinely enjoy what they do. They laughed with the anchors and brought the people behind faces to life for me. Al Roker took a joke seriously and repeated it live on television. The newsroom burst into laughter. It was nice to see that mistakes are made everywhere, even at the Today Show. At FOX I noticed the same atmosphere. The crew worked hard, but the work paid off when the show came together so they were happy about it.
On the other hand, I was in awe how smoothly everything ran. Lester Holt walked in, read the news, then continued as though he didn’t just address millions of viewers. The anchor at FOX quickly signed off and it seemed completely natural, but the producers worried that she wouldn’t in time. All commercials were on time and came back in smoothly.
The most beneficial part of the day was sitting in on the run down meeting at CBS. The format was very similar to the meetings that our class has on Monday mornings and that made me realize how much I am learning in the journalism program at American University. I was happy with how much I knew about current events and what they were talking about. On the computer screens in front of all the executives was the same ENPS program that we use to create our rundowns. I wanted to jump in and help make the CBS Evening News! When I got home last night, I watched the news and they opened with the same lead that they seemed to be deciding on in the meeting.
The day was a good one because it showed me how the top news organizations in the country run. I received a lot of useful advice from the best in the business that I will take to heart when I start my career. I am excited about television news and grateful that we went on this trip.

Not Just An Intern Anymore

By Justin Fensterman

For the last two years I have interned at various television and Radio stations.  While each internship was different and educational in its own way, up until a month and a half ago I felt that there was a huge difference in being a paid employee and being an intern at a station.  I currently intern at FOX 5-WTTG for their Sports department located in Washington D.C.  For the first month, I logged games, ran errands, proofread scripts and answered phones; normal intern work.   One Thursday night though, everything changed. I walked into the sports department and was told that I was going out to cover a story.  After hearing this information, two feelings were going through my mind and body.  One of them was excitement because this story was my opportunity to show not only FOX but to also show myself that I can handle being out in the field reporting on my own.  The other feeling was nervousness as I had never covered a story alone for a station.
The assignment I was given was to go to George Washington University and “cover” the basketball team’s opening practice.  This event is also known as “Midnight Madness”.  The event consisted of a Pep rally in which students and fans showed up to the arena and cheered on their athletes as they were introduced to the crowd.  The event culminated with GW’s head coach addressing the crowd on what to expect from the team this season followed by an actual practice.  My job was to get one on one interview’s with two of the players and the head coach and to get shots of the arena, the crowd, practice and the mascot.  Those were all of the instructions I got.  I was not alone for this assignment though as FOX provided me with my own photographer to get shots of the crowd, the mascot and the players playing and of course to record my interviews.
When I arrived at the Smith’s Center in the heart of D.C., I immediately tracked down the athletic director because I figured if someone would be able to help me locate players and the coach it would be him.  When I met him I introduced myself as “Justin Fensterman, FOX 5.” After I introduced myself the nerves disappeared and my confidence level soared.  I introduced myself to the players and the coach the same way I introduced myself to the athletic director and it felt great.  Throughout the night, nobody asked me if I was an intern as they assumed I was an actual FOX reporter.  For the first time since I’ve started interning I felt like I was part of a station’s team.  I felt that I was more than just an intern; I was a reporter even if it was for one night only.  I was calling the shots, by telling the photographer what video we needed to get.  I felt that I was seen as the professional and on the ride back to the station, the only thoughts that went through my mind were that I can survive out in the field and I will.  It brought my determination to an all-time high and I felt for the next few days that I was batting a thousand.
Would anyone know that it was me who interviewed the players and got the key sound-bites?  No.  But that is not the point of the experience.  I was not going to be on-air that night as the only thing the viewers of the show would see would be the players the coach, and the various shots of the crowd.  You could see my hand in the shot with the microphone during the interviews, but that’s just about it.  One day though, people will see my face on air as I feel that my motivation will never fail me.  For one short night though, I was not seen as just an intern as I was seen as a sports reporter and it was the greatest feeling in the world.

Behind the Scenes in New York

By Huw Roberts

Early on a brisk Monday morning, 7 of the 9 members of District Wire met up in New York met up and toured 3 of the major market stations.  We began our day at NBC, which was a pretty surreal studio, personally.  Upon entering the doors of the Rockefeller center we were greeted not by a Page or a tour guide.  Instead it was Javier Morgado, a Supervising Producer of the Today Show.  I knew from this point it was not going to be any ordinary tour, which came true.
Almost all of the today show anchors and reporters were not in studio they were out in different regions of the world doing a special on going green. This meant that the studios were actually quite calm and open.   The first part if the tour we went into a control room where they were live on air with Al Roker, who was doing the weather from Australia.  The producer, who was in the control room, was in his ear telling him different things to say and giving him time cues.  It was completely different that I expected, they were joking with one another and everyone in the room seemed very relaxed.
Next we went around the set of the Today Show, which was a lot more cramped than I expected.  All the different sets were in a room that is no bigger than 100 feet of so.  In this set we actually got to meet and watch Lester Holt go live on the air.  He seemed really relaxed and collected even though he was going on to the air to thousand of people across the nation.  His delivery was flawless and really impressive.
We bounced around the NBC studios for a little bit longer then we went across the street and down a block to the FOX news headquarters.  This studio had a much different feel to it, more business and competitiveness than NBC.  What was great about FOX was we were able to sit directly behind a few of the producers during one of their shows.  I learned a lot about producing a major newscast from that, like working with anchors and guests as well as hitting the commercials on time with a special computerized system. After we watched the show for about 20-30 minutes we took a tour of the sets of where the presidential specials were shot.
CBS was the next stop on the trip and probably the most interesting for me.  We met up with Joel Goldberg, the Senior Vice President of Station Operations, yet again not a normal tour guide.  From there he took us around all the different sets, like the Evening News with Katie Couric and the set of CBS Sports, where college basketball, football and the NFL are anchored from. It was incredible seeing such an elaborate set.  Everything was cutting edge, from the monitors in their desk where the anchors could pull up any game with a simple switch of a button, to all the monitors behind the cameras which had each game going on as well as the score of each.  After we were shown around these studios Kim Goodwin, a Senior Producer, took us around the control room and all of the news desks.  She also let us sit in on a meeting where the news team was putting together tonight’s show. What was really interesting was they were using ENPS the same system we use to put our shows together.
Although many of the studios had some of the same principals, they were all different. It was an amazing experience overall.

Dateline:  New York

By Steve Dorsey

After five hours of driving, we finally made it to New York City.  Our first stop for the day was the “Today” show.  We arrived around 8 a.m.to meet up with our guide–a senior producer for the “Today” show.  Thetheme for this week’s shows for “Today” is “Ends of the Earth.”  It’s a sweeps segment designed to showcase the world and the environment.  Al, Anne, Meredith, and Matt were all reporting live via remotes from all across the globe.  It’s amazing to think about how complicated and involved something like that must be–yet everything seemed to be going smoothly.  After watching the show from the control room for a few minutes, our guide, Javier, took us to the sets for the show.  The studios were small, but the crews made sure to use every inch of space and be as efficient as possible.  There were met NBC

News anchor Lester Holt, who spoke to us, and gave us some pointers and tips for succeeding in this career.   After chatting with him, we toured the rest of the NBC News division, including the sets and newsrooms for MSNBC, NBC News, and the green rooms and make-up areas for “Today.”  We also ran into an actress getting her make-up while touring.  We ended the tour, after getting a great behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at a major national network, and it was an eye- opening experience.
After NBC, we walked over to Fox News Channel.  The very first thing we did was watch a showed being produced live in one of their control rooms.  Editorial decisions were made very quickly, and it was inspiring to watch.  One of the supervising producers also took us around the network to see the Fox Business Channel and their newsroom, as well as the newly built sets and control room for their 2008 presidential election coverage, which was incredible.  Clint, the producer, also took our group to the FNC newsroom and showed us how and who decides what goes into the newscasts, in terms of editorial content.  After about an hour and a half at FNC, we said goodbye and went on to our next destination, CBS, after quickly getting lunch.
The CBS building, like it’s tradition, has a lot of rich history behind it.  While there, we met with the Vice President of News Operations for WCBS-TV.  He was extremely helpful in giving us advice and explaining the operations of both the local television station, and the network as a whole.  He even told us that the sets for Saturday Night Live are created at CBS, because of their unique set-creating abilities.  He also showed us the CBS Sports set, and the “CBS Evening News” newsroom and set.  While touring the “CBS Evening News” we sat in during a call with the Washington bureau, where they decided what would be in the news.  It was a great trip, and I learned more in six hours, that I could have ever imagined.

On the Set

By Dan Aspan

On Monday, November 17, 2008 the District Wire News team toured a number of major news networks in New York City. We started out at the Today Show at NBC Studios. Our guide Javier showed us everything from the newsrooms to Matt Lauer’s office. We were able to watch a portion of the live broadcast from the control room. It truly was a surreal experience to witness how this program is broadcast. Watching the techies, listening to the director, and observing the producer were all fascinating experiences for me. I was very excited to be watching the show and learning about how production works for a major television news show. NBC was a fantastic tour and we also ran into guest Cheryl Hines from the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. We got to see the green room where guests and visiting bands relax before going on set. We also saw the set for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, as well as the MSNBC newsroom and set that was located in the same building. After NBC we made the short walk to Fox News Channel. It was an amazing opportunity in which we saw about twenty minutes of a live newscast. Again, it was fascinating to watch the show be manufactured on the spot. It was different from the Today Show because it involved more changes and altering of the rundown—stories were added and dropped within seconds of going to air. Fox gave me a great insight into how a cable television show is produced. Finally, we made our way to CBS news. We met with the Senior Vice President of Network Operations and a Senior Producer. The most amazing experience of the day took place at CBS news. We were able to stand in on a rundown meeting, with producers and writers discussing which stories were the most salient for the day—it was for the 6:30 PM newscast with Katie Couric. A representative from the D.C. branch of CBS was on conference call to offer his opinions on the meeting. This was such a rewarding experience for me because it gave me a huge insight into how news is actually analyzed and brought to the viewer. In the news business, this is the most important area of concern, in my opinion. Without good news, a station will not get its ratings and more importantly, it will not be accomplishing its primary objective of being a credible and reliable source for news. The trip to New York was one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic career. It taught me a great deal about what the expectations are and how the jobs are handled in major news markets. Each network was different, but the general concepts were the same, and the lessons we learned from each were very helpful. It was a fantastic experience to have as a college student.