Making air is making art

I walked into the ATVN newsroom nearly two months ago, having been away for the start of the term and having never before worked in television news production. I had been told television news was a team-oriented operation. I understood there would be an emphasis on communication and leadership. I gathered my multi-tasking skills would be tested. The adage suggested: make air, not art. But making television news, I've come to learn, is very much an art. 

I walked into our professor and news director's office a couple weeks after my return with a list of midterm goals. That list contained learning to speak television fluently, becoming an AVID expert, becoming an inews expert. It went on. Working at ATVN tests all your abilities and capabilities. It tests the breadth of your knowledge as a reporter. It tests your leadership as a producer. It tests your proficiency with new technologies. There is no down time. Throughout the day, you are challenged. As a result, you grow, continuously. In return, you evolve, constantly. 

Earlier today, my teammates and I produced our second to last television newscast of the semester. For me, next week's show will be the last of my academic career at USC. Our newscast on Monday was not flawless, but at last, our system was seamless. Moreover, our day and the work was super-enjoyable. Amidst breaking news and cacophony of OTS', ANCG's and chroma keys, we found a way to sow the newcast together easily. Amidst the chaos, we even found the humor. Turns out, tomorrow is in fact Earth Day – not Earth Month or Earth Week.   

We are set to produce our final show next week. I'm not quite ready for my time at ATVN to come to a close. Working here, I have been challenged and as a result I have developed skills I hadn't had just a few weeks ago. Working at ATVN has made me a better journalist, all around. I made air. And in the process, I would say, we even made art.