Cutlines and Tweeting and Writing, Oh My!
Despite all of the wonderful things I've heard about the Web/Graphics position, I was still a bit nervous on Monday morning before my shift started. This was my first week as the Web/Graphics teammate, and I knew both parts of the job would challenge me.
In my almost four years at ATVN, I didn't have any experience with the web. Of course, I took the workshop each year and was familiar with how things worked, but now I actually had to do it. It didn't take me long to get into the swing of things, but I really had to juggle tweeting, posting to our Facebook and writing for the website. While this was a challenge, I loved being able to see how ATVN's Facebook, Twitter and website all interacted with one another, and I can't wait to post to our website and Twitter even more the next time I'm the Web/Graphics teammate.
Coming up with a great cutline for a graphic can be a challenge at times, but that's what I loved most about the graphics side. You have room to be creative and witty, but oftentimes it's just as good to be straightforward and to the point. It's fun to see what the graphics team comes up with and then see those same graphics in the newscast.
At the end of the day, I realized that the Web/Graphics position is not so different from the others. It's very similar to the lead producer and video teammate positions in that you have to know how to juggle all of your tasks and stay on top of things. While the tasks themselves may be different, knowing how to balance everything in each position is key.
I enjoyed being the Web/Graphics teammate a lot more than I had anticipated. I'm so used to editing and writing for our newscast that I forgot how much I enjoy doing everything else. I love being able to play so many different roles as a producer. Not only do I enjoy it all, but I know that having experience in all areas of the newsroom and studio will make me even stronger. I want to be able to know how to do everything and do it well, and I know I'm getting that experience at ATVN.
