For over twelve years, I worked in the television news business as a videographer/editor. I have seen many different events, I have met wonderful people and I have gone to some amazing places. After twelve years, I realized I wanted another challenge in my life so I moved into production. Quickly, I found that avenue was not for me.
While I have been going back to school to get my Masters, I have decided to go back to television news and work part time. I find this new opportunity interesting because it is exactly what we have been studying: converged journalism. When I get to a scene, I need to take a couple pictures with my phone and send them back to the station ASAP so they can have coverage on the web. Also, I may have the opportunity to write some of the stories I work on while “voicing” them behind the camera. They call this new way of working: multimedia journlist, or mojo. When I get to the scene, I need to get as much information as possible, take a picture and send it back, get soundbites, shoot and edit the video, prepare the live shot, write the story and voice it on air all in a matter of minutes, not hours.
This way of working is much different than when I started twelve years ago. Initially, the most “out of the box” aspect I would do is interview the subjects myself. Now, that’s the least I can do.
As we have learned, television stations expect much more out of their journalists than ever. And, it crosses over multiple platforms of distribution. It’s not enough to send the story over the airwaves. Now, they send it through the binary code of the Internet so the audience can have it sooner and faster. I am excited to see where this new opportunity takes me. Who knows? Hopefully, I’ll be diverse enough to open another opportunity. Time will tell.