Prepare Yourselves, Future J403 Students!
Future J403 producers: Beware, you are all in for a crazy ride!
Before taking this class, I had no prior producing experience. I had very little knowledge about production; I did not even know what a producer's tasks and responsibilities were. I wish I had known at the start of the semester that the lead producer basically owns the show. When others tell you that it is "your" show, it really is your show. You make all the decisions. You get to decide how you want your newscast to flow, which stories and elements you want to include, and which journalists you want to send to the various locations. While this huge responsibility is extremely rewarding, it took me a while to realize that the reins are mostly in my hands and that I need to be more aggressive about what I want the show to look like.
I also wish I had known that just because you stay in the newsroom all day does not mean your job is any easier than that of the broadcast journalists out in the field. In my opinion, the producing job is more challenging than that of on-air journalists. The reason behind this is that producers need to have an all-inclusive grasp on stories in the rundown and hone certain skill sets that are naturally challenging to master, such as time management and the ability to multi-task.
If I can lend any advice to future J403 students, I would recommend that they keep themselves updated with the news on a daily basis. To be honest, there were some weeks when I would start looking at the news only the night before. However, I found that this took a toll on my news judgment. Not being a regular news junkie will affect the way you choose stories, arrange the stories in the rundown and are able to determine which elements are necessary for the story. Furthermore, watching a professional newscast, such as ABC7, is critical to being a successful producer at ATVN. By seeing how other stations format their show, you will be able to gain a better sense of how the whole news production process works.
After producing for an entire semester, I have learned that there is no need to stress. Just enjoy the pressure and the anxiety. The first few weeks of producing, I was too busy stressing and being nervous to realize that I actually enjoyed what I was doing. In the end, everything will get done and work out. There is always a way, and knowing that you have an entire team to help you out is always encouraging.
So, enjoy the ride! J403 will give you a chance to grow, shape yourself as a future producer and gain invaluable hands-on experience that will prepare you for your future newsroom job!
