Words of Wisdom from One Producer to Another

Being a producer is not something easy. This semester has taught me about discipline, teamwork and organization. Although producing is not something I want to go into as a career, taking this course helped me be more news oriented and even a better reporter. Knowing how things work behind the scenes of a newscast really helps. ATVN has taught me a lot this semester and taught me that as a producer you have to roll with the punches, be ready for breaking news and be solution oriented.

The advice I would give to my J403 successors is to have fun with producing, and take advantage of being USC's first source for news. At times it will seem hard and stressful, but take pride in your newscasts and remember it's your show.

Organization, teamwork and being solution oriented are the three things I would stress the most. Being organized helps when you are directing MJs, reporters and graphic artists. Being organized helps you get more done during the day, and trust me time flies in the newsroom. Teamwork is also important because you have to make sure you are on the same page with everyone, and constantly communicating with them.

Lastly, try your best to be solution oriented. When you're a producer just remember "Murphy's Law," and the fact that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and trust me things will go wrong. The important thing to remember is to stay calm and have a plan b. Whenever an interview falls through or a video isn't edited right there is always time to fix it.

So to my future producers I wish you the best of luck next semester, especially in the wake of the 2012 elections. Just know that there is no such thing as over communication, and although it may not seem like it the early mornings and late nights are all worth it.

The last piece of advice I will give is that when writing a story the correct terminology is "drivers" not "motorists."