My Last Day of J402 Reporting

I think that my last reporting day was probably my best day yet.

I don't know if my package was my best, although I think it turned out well, but this day was by far my best reporting experience so far. For one, it was an incredibly important event. Daryl Gates was an extremely influential figure in L.A. history, and his funeral was by far the biggest event I have covered.

Additionally, this day really showed me what I was capable of. I almost wanted to put a big CG on the package that all of the footage, except from inside the funeral which I had no choice but to get from the pool, I shot myself. This was no easy task, as I had to work hard to squeeze in with all the "big boys" and get the shots of the public memorial and the procession that I needed. The most amazing part was they really didn't treat me like some lame kid with a school project, but as a real reporter.

One of the cameramen from another station came up and apologized later for bumping into me, and one of the reporters from a local station actually followed my lead at one point as I looked for people to interview. A lot of them also commended me on the shots I got and the fact that I was getting good interviews and footage of the funeral all by myself. It was pretty cool.

I have loved reporting at ATVN this semester. Even though it can get frustrating at times, I cannot stress how much I love it. There really is nothing like having a front seat view of history, and I took so much away from the people and places I got to see on my days at ATVN. I'm looking forward to doing this next year and hopefully, for the rest of my life.