5:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M., & 10:00 P.M. Anchor, Producer & Reporter from Monday's to Friday's.
Anchoring & Producing
This was my first on-air job. I produced and anchored the 5:00 P.M., 6:00 P.M., and 10:00 P.M. newscasts Monday to Friday nights, while reporting on days that needed extra content. This opportunity allowed me to dive head-first into on-air presence. As an anchor, I wrote and proofread all my scripts before every newscast. I double-checked graphics for spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and overall flow. I rolled the teleprompter, learned how to react to video malfunctions, and picked up reads from co-anchors and reporters live in the field. I also learned to fill time, adlib and getting used to changes throughout the newscasts. As a producer, I learned to fill the time we had with flexibility, allowing the wiggle room to adjust for breaking news at any time. I also learned how to write teases, assigned stories to reporters with strong focuses, in addition to monitoring police scanners and social media pages for breaking news.
Reporting
As a reporter and multi-media journalist, I went live as much as possible to hone my on-air presence skills. I learned to shoot, write, edit, and present a story in the field by myself. I shot teases for our website and social media pages. I gathered information for story ideas through local functions, online groups with active community members, and connections with public information officers and officials. I pitched relevant stories our target audience would relate to. I was also active in the community. I hosted the "Jefferson Awards," an award dedicated to outstanding community service, as well as "The Voice of Casper," a local singing contest.
