Day in the life of a TV news reporter

A day in the life: Wake up 7:30am–> trying to go to the gym in the morning but it’s hard, lol once it gets warm I think I’ll be able to do it.

• Get ready for work, shower, makeup, make lunch, make breakfast leave the house by 9:15am.

I love the 15 minutes I have right when I get into work. I check my email, read the daily news emails I get and chit chat with co-workers and prepare myself for the day.

• Sometimes I know which story I will have before I get into work but most of the time I do not know until after our morning meeting.

9:45am Morning meeting:

• Managers and reporters meet in the conference room to talk about which stories to cover for the day. Reporters send in their pitches before hand and our Assignment editor Adam organizes everything and managers decide what we cover and who covers it.

10am-2pm:

• I get my story and now it’s time to do some research, make some phone calls or head out.
• Some stories the interviews are already set up and I just like to do some research before hand so I know what I’m talking about and then I head out at the scheduled time of the interview.
• Some stories I have to set everything up myself. So I will make as many phone calls as I can and set up interviews. Sometimes people are available, sometimes they are not. I like to set up at least 2 interviews so I have two different voices in the story.
• I am a one woman band. I do it all. So I will go and interview people and then have to film the “b-roll”– that’s the video that goes over the interview or soemtimes it’s generic video that is already in the system.
• Post on Twitter, Instagram depending on the story.
• Film “stand up” (I am either wrapping up the story or am in the middle of the package). I am so bad at these because I am bad at knowing how I am going to write the story or what my focus will be. I am geting better but it’s still tricky!

2pm-6pm:

• Ideally, I like to be back at the station around 2-2:30pm so I have plenty of time to write, edit and get my story ready if my package is running in the 5pm.
• First: head to my producers and ask what show my story I am in, either the 5, 5:30, or 6:00pm. We talk about the story and what my focus is to help them right the introduction and teases for the story. I LOVE when I get HOLD shoots, meaning they will run a different day so I have until 6:15pm to get everything done and do not have the pressure of the deadline hovering over me.
• Then you inport all the media you shot into the system. Open final cut (editing software), open ENPS (our writing and show organizing software) and I go to town. I listen and pick out the best sound bites or quotes and then right the script.
• I track the package (the 1:30 peice of the whole story) and then I put it all together. I add my voiced track, add in the quotes, and then throw the video over all the tracks.
• Working under deadline is so invigorating, scary, motivating with lots of anxiety. You gotta meet deadline or your story doesn’t run and you mess up the show and your producer hates you.
• After the story is compelte I either get ready to “tag” (end the package few lines) where I am in the newsroom, at the BAM (Big ass monitor), or LIVE in the field. I do not go LIVE that much but it is really fun.
• Fianlly, I write the webstory for that story. I sometimes then make another digital video to be posted on our social platforms or I just post the story link to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I’m done at 6:15pm! I usually stay later because I take a while to finish everything.

• Time for the gym! I switch up every day between, legs, abs, and arms. I try to go 3-4 times a week. Emphasis on TRY, it all depends on the week and how motivated I am. But I like the routine.

7-11:30pm

• I get home and make dinner. I rarley eat out on the week days, to save money and to eat healthy. I like to meal prep on Sundays and then eat what I made all week. Mostly chicken, veggies and rice: super basic.
• After I cook or microwave dinner I sit on the couch and watch TV. The couch is my favorite spot. I’m not one of those people who watches Netflix on their bed, I love cable and my couch.
• Sometimes I do errands after work, hangout with friends, and on Thursday I play spikeball!
• Def need to have more activites after work so maybe I’ll join a few more clubs.
• My favorite shows: The Bachelor/Bachelorette (not super pumped about Hannah B but whatever), Any baking challenge on Food Network, The Office, Say Yes to the Dress, and American Idol.
• I’ve realized I need more entertainment than TV, I literally scroll through insta while im looking at You Tube videos while watching TV. It’s so bad but I’m just a media feen.
• Also this is my time to read and watch all the news of the day and do whatever I want for this vlog.
• I watch the 11pm news every night and you should too! It’s a show that’s a great recap of the entire day.

Then I try to go to bed at 11:30pm and get ready to do it all again the next day!