Class of
2001
Bio: John Franchi is thrilled to be the newest member of the South Valley’s leading sports team. After being away from California for a number of years, this Golden State native couldn’t be any happier to return home.
John’s career began as a sports anchor for the CBS affiliate in Grand Junction, Colorado. After a brief stint in the Rocky Mountains, it was on to KSNF in Joplin, Missouri. When a huge ice storm blew through the Midwest in January 2007, John knew it was time to come back to California. The opportunity to work at Eyewitness News was one he could not resist.
Throughout his career, John has covered many memorable sporting events including Kansas City Chiefs football, USC’s football win at Arkansas, and many high school state championship sporting events in Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. Here in Bakersfield, John lists covering CSUB’s basketball win over Fresno State as his favorite moment.
A graduate of USC’s Annenberg School of Communication, John is a die hard fan of Trojan athletics. As a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, you can find John spending his Sunday afternoons watching the 49ers, and his summer days cheering on the Giants.
John hopes to bring Bakersfield the most in-depth coverage of all the area High School teams, as well as the Condors, Blaze, Jam, and Brigade.
ATVN positions and duties: Sports anchor, sports/news reporter
How did ATVN prepare you for your current job?
ATVN was a great experience. Working in a fully operational newsroom, where you can learn from your mistakes and learn from the best professionals in the business, puts USC graduates a cut above the rest. ATVN refines your shooting, editing and writing, the three most important skills to have in any small market.
What is your advice to aspiring journalists?
Work as much as you can. Only with practice and trial and error will you improve. In a small market job, concentrate on your writing and editing. Be patient, especially if you are applying for a sports job. You may send out 100 tapes and receive little interest, but it only takes one to get a job. Never give up on your dream career. If you want it bad enough and never stop working to get it, you will achieve your goal.
What are the top three skills college journalism students should be working on in order to be prepared for their first broadcasting job?
1. Writing - Good writing is always recognized and separates the good journalists from the great ones. 2. Enterprising - If it’s a slow news day, go out and dig up a story. The stories you dig for are the ones that end up on your resume tape. 3. Editing - Crisp editing keeps the viewer interested in your story.
What is the most important thing a college journalist should know when he or she is trying to negotiate his or her first job?
From a sports standpoint, there isn’t much room for negotiation. There are so few sports jobs out there and such great competition for those positions, that we don’t really have any room to ask for more money. Just be thankful when you get the job that you have your foot in the door and that you’re getting experience at a professional, network affiliate. The salary won’t be great at first, but you have to make that sacrifice.
What prepared you most for your current job?
Working at ATVN and learning from people who have succeeded in the business.
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