COM 3101 Fall 2013 final blog report

COM 3101 Fall 2013 career paper/analysis

    

     When I first entered the broadcast journalism field here at Florida Southern, I entered with the goal of learning some of the basic principles behind on-camera journalism. However I entered with uninformed and pre-conceived notions. I believed that to reach a certain point there was only way to do so. However upon further introspection, I have recognized what my goal should really be.

     Growing up, people always told me I should be a writer when I grew up. I was skeptical because as an adolescent, I had those typical dreams of being an athlete, actor, etc… When I declared my major, I originally did so because I believed that there was no other major I could fit into. Unfortunately, upon the analysis of my experiences within this major, I have seen how my lack of technical prowess and familiarity will hurt my chances within the broadcast field. But there is one area in which I believe I have a chance to succeed.

     Whenever there is a writing assignment involved within my broadcast journalism courses, I seem to enjoy it a lot more than the practice or application of various equipment and programs on the technical side of journalism. I want to eventually become a sports writer who centralizes in basketball (but can offer general input within NFL topics). After several years within the industry, I hope to make a transition into television as television personality who works as an NBA analyst.

     From my research, I have determined some key skills that are necessary in order to not only succeed but thrive as a successful sports writer. First of all, a sports writer should actually have industry knowledge. He/she should have an understanding of the sport or topic that needs to be written. For example if a writer is confused about the rules of the NFL and posts an article about how NFL officiating has affected the game, a reader might feel a little lost since the connections the writer has made about the rules might be ill founded. This also requires that sports writers keep up with current trends and regulations in order to further their own understanding of the topic. The second, and most important skill, is researching. Although it might seem boring, a writer must know how to avoid speculation and gossip. A sports writer must diligently seek out the real facts with thorough research while avoiding lazy sensationalism. The next skill, although underrated, is the ability to connect with a particular audience. Like having a favorite TV show, many have a particular sports writer who they pay attention to. A sports writer must know their audience and keep them interested in order to ensure continual success. Another highly notable skill is the need for a creative mind. Like in the news industry, stories between journalists are often similar. It is the job of the sports journalist to view a story from different angles while being wary of incorporating opinions that have no factual base. Readers enjoy originality and a writer who sees the story within the story. And the last skill that should not only apply to writing but real world experiences is a basic command of the English language. Although articles are typically written between a sixth to eighth grade comprehension level to ensure that information is spread clearly amongst the masses, rules still matter. Even when facing deadlines, sports journalists must know follow grammar guidelines, proper word usage (knowing word limits, etc…), and take the time to remember their basics.
   
     Since money seems to matter to a lot of people as a source of importance, when looking at a career in sports writing one must consider the salary. Like many other careers, the city and size of the organization are important factors. Generally with a lower level of experience while working in a smaller market, the salary can range from $30,000 to $50,000. When moving up into a larger market with a credible background on your resume, some sports writers make between $70,000 and $90,000. However I also wrote that I wanted to eventually make my way up into a sports analyst position. With minimal experience, the salary can be as low as $22,500 a year, but in the average market the pay ranges from $35,000 to $40,000. On highly rated shows, the average analyst makes around $100,000 and on the big name national shows the salary ranges from $200,000 to an amount in the low millions. Two notable examples of the level I hope to reach are ESPN analysts Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser, both former columnists for "The Washington Post." As co-hosts of the ESPN show "Pardon the Interruption," Wilbon and Kornheiser each earned an estimated $1.5 million per year. Another two examples are ESPN analysts Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. They both serve as commentators for ESPN’s show “ESPN First Take”. Bayless has worked for many newspaper organizations over his 30 plus years of journalism experience while Smith has worked as a writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, hosted numerous radio shows, and made a transition to a television personality.

     I would say that the ESPN First Take is one of the major reasons I decided to go upon the path I have chosen. It combines humorous dialogue with educative debate and creates a highly watchable show. I know I have a long way to go before I even reach that point. I have to prove myself as a sports writer, develop myself by paying my dues, and be patient. But I believe that this is the path that is most optimal for the interests and passions that I hold while being rewarding as well.

We're halfway there

For the week of December 2 – December 6, I wrote the script and worked the camera for newly formed show Mocs Take. I took the initiative before the show and wrote a script in order to save time and make the show work as efficiently as possible. Once a few minor changes were completed, the group believed it was ready to shoot the show. However, there was a slight problem. A couple of the microphones were not working due to other faulty equipment. After about 10 to 15 minutes of teamwork, the group was able to solve the problem and start the show. One of the cameras was already set on a three shot so I worked the other camera and viewed shot composition as I panned from one talent to the other. What I learned from this experience was that, as always, preparation is essential and that I should continue to lend my efforts towards the writing side of the show.
 
1.5 hours for script +  2 hours for Mocs Take = 3.5 hours

Difference between one and 1

For the week of November 25 – November 30, I worked as a part of the News Show. Even though I arrived early, it seemed that there were more people than ever. I did the same things as last week (recording deck), however the content which fit into the hour earned was more significant. Just like last week I sat at the controls of the recording deck and pressed the corresponding controls (record when recording, etc…). Except this time I paid more attention to the audio levels. For the first newscaster, her audio levels were consistent with variations only existing when accentuating words (end of sentence or beginning of sentence). For the anchor, although it might have been because the audio was turned up to loud, her audio levels were not consistent with her regular speaking voice (unlike the first anchor). For the final anchor, everything else was fine and there were no glaring problems. If I had to say I learned something, it would be that the talent needs to keep their audio levels consistent in order to ensure not only a smooth recording, but also to make the product as high quality as possible.

1 hour

Simple enough, right?

For the week of November 18- 24, the hours I accumulated were during the shooting of News Show. With most of the jobs assigned already, I was assigned to work on the recording deck. It was a relatively simple task which only involved pressing the record and stop controls while monitoring the audio levels to see if they became inconsistent. This was a day where there was no possibility for mistakes.
 
1 hour

Relegation and Delegation

For the week of November 11 – 15, I submitted a sports reader, was a part of the News Show, and worked on the new show Mocs Take. The sports reader for women’s soccer was a fairly routine matter so there weren’t any problems. For the News Show, there wasn’t really anything to have a problem about. The entertainment portion of the show took up most of the time (I ran teleprompter). Professor Allen had arrived in the studio early and brought an extra camera with him in order to take up the leftover responsibilities and aid in the technical processes. The panel talked about one subject, taking up the time of the News Show and forcing them to shoot their portion later in the day. And then there was Mocs Take (not really an original name). Even though the basic idea of how the show would go was in their heads, they hadn’t actually put them into physical reality (in other words, they weren’t prepared). The scripts were incomplete and the responsibilities were undetermined. The show isn’t a bad idea, but it could be a little more organized.


1 hour reader + 1 hour News Show + 2.5 hours Mocs Take show = 4.5 hours

The pressure is on

For the week of October 28 – November 4, I shot the women’s volleyball game, submitted a reader on men’s soccer, and lent some of time to the News Show. For the volleyball game, since there were no highlights from the day before, all the pressure was on me for the highlights of the week. However, I am starting to get use to the handling of HD camera (especially since there is no need for tapes and I am not messing around with a focus ring). I also like how there is a systematic routine that is usually occurring (I shoot the games and others edit it, just like an assembly line). For the sports reader, there were no problems since the information was easy to understand and the game finished on time. The news show was the only time when there were problems. In terms of the non-technical concepts, I felt I had an understanding. Except for one, the talent (various anchors) had many mistakes in their delivery (fluctuations in voice level, reading too fast, etc…). This could have been attributed to the fact that they had to stand up and remain composed, or it could have been their lack of experience. However, when it came to the technical processes, I became lost. There were so many light switches and devices that memorizing them became a task. I also was relatively unfamiliar with some of the jargon that was being tossed around (the word “zebra” was being used a lot and I heard it was in relation to flesh tone). All in all, I need a whole lot more experience if I am going to know my way around.

2 hours volleyball game + 1 hour sports reader + 1 hour for News Show = 4 hours

Break's over, get back to work

For the week of October 22 – October 28, I shot the women’s volleyball game (weekend) and provided a national reader as well as a sports reader. As I said I would, I shot the volleyball game with a HD camera. It was my first time shooting a volleyball game with a HD camera. Unlike the other camera I had previously used, this HD camera had a smaller viewfinder so I was forced to use zoom and pan a lot more. Since the batteries were nearly dead and there was enough material that had been shot by others that weekend, I decided to end early. For the sports reader, we weren’t actually required to submit one but since the sports show usually utilizes readers, I quickly wrote a reader on the men’s and women’s cross country teams. And finally, for the national reader, I submitted a reader straight off the Associated Press application. I tried to find one that was somewhat relevant to the demographic that the News Show might be trying to reach. But regardless, I believe that viewing different news articles can only prove beneficial to my illumination towards the news side of broadcast.

1.5 hours volleyball game + 1 hour sports reader + 1 hour national reader = 3.5 hours

No time for breaks

For the week of October 13 – October 19, I shot some of the men’s and women’s soccer games. Even though it was still a relatively routine task, since I had to shoot both games it was a little more arduous. As usual, the mosquitos and various insects were a nuisance but other than that there weren’t any major problems. I am also beginning to get used to the sunlight whenever it comes down in the middle of the field and blocks some of the video in the viewfinder. Unfortunately after all my hard work, it seems I was using a HDV tape with a DV camera. So even though I shot the highlights, it turned out that they were unusable. In the end it was a learning experience and I will remember to use a HD camera to shoot sports from now on. 

3.5 hours

Heading into a break and kicking it off with a few more hours

For the week of October 7- 11, I submitted a reader on the men’s women’s tennis teams for the sports show and shot highlights from the women’s soccer game. As usual, I had to wait until late at night for the complete updating from the tournament where the tennis games were being held. Although tedious, I was able to get the proper information without leaving anything important out. Shooting the women’s soccer game was a disguised as an easy assignment but had its challenges. The positives about this assignment was that I got to shoot with a camera that didn’t require a tape, so there were no messages that might disrupt me from my task. Unfortunately, I was little rusty. I often had a few too many inopportune pans and tilts while neglecting to zoom in and out at the proper times. I was also distracted by the various gnats and mosquitos that attacked me during my work. What I learned is that, as usual, I need to be better prepared (bring mosquito repellant) and put the camera in the optimal position that will include the least amount of unnecessary camera movement.

 1 hour reader + 2.5 hours shooting = 3.5 hours

Play ball

As I said in my previous blog, I am starting out slowly. For the week of September 22- 28, I submitted a reader on women’s golf for the sports show and shot highlights from the women’s volleyball game. For the reader the only problem that I encountered was that I had to wait until the end of the two day women’s golf tournament in order to completely retrieve the necessary information. The footage I shot from the women’s volleyball game was a different matter. When I first put the tape in the camera, everything was working fine. However, when I began to shoot during the game, the screen said “Heads Dirty; Use Cleaning Cassette.” I tried a few things and after recording for 10 and a half minutes straight (whenever I paused the dirty head signal appeared), I thought the problem was fixed. After all I was able to record without any interruption. Unfortunately, when I went to go edit the highlights there were black “stripes” across the images. So at the end, I was unable to get the highlights I needed. What I learned is that, as usual, I need to be better prepared and have more usable tapes at hand. Either that or learn how to clean the heads of the tapes.

1 hour reader + 2 hours shooting = 3 hours

1st blog of the new semester

And so I have returned. After a seemingly short summer break, I am back to working for “hours”. For the week of September 8 to September 14 I submitted 3 readers to the News Show. Although I was told to look for and read stories on The Ledger, I was unable to because some sort of trial period ran out. To solve this problem, I went to other sites (ABC Action News affiliate for Polk County and Bay News 9 for example) to get ideas for readers. For now, I am thinking that for this semester I should start out slowly before getting back to shooting more.


 3 hours