Lessons learned during my internship in TV news

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Photo by Aldo Acosta, Channel 26 Univision

University of Texas at El Paso students preparing to complete their bachelor’s degree in any communications major, such as Digital Media Production and Multimedia Journalism, must look for a media organization to conduct an internship if they wish to succeed in the demanding profession.

An internship is fundamental for future journalists entering the job market, employers say. Students pursuing a major in journalism need a place to practice the craft of the profession and local news media outlets in the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez region offer great opportunities for UTEP students to complete their internship training.

I had the good fortune of being selected for an internship at Entravision Univision 26, one of the highest -rated stations in the region. News Director Uriel Posada gave me the opportunity to enhance my communication skills during the fall 2016 semester. Here I learned two important lessons in reporting the TV news: being fast and accurate.

I was assigned to work on the production team under the supervision of producers Jago Molinet and Phillip Sierra.

As a new intern, I was trained how to operate the studio cameras, produce graphics, run the character generator, checked traffic reports, and kept track of breaking police and fire department news. I had the chance to learn from a variety of news staff, from reporters, anchors, editors, and directors.

During my first week, I mastered the studio cameras during live broadcasts, learning how to focus the camera, zoom in and out and do tracking.

Univision 26 has three studio cameras, which I managed under the supervision of Technical Director signs Genaro Cruz. I learned how to place the camera on the floor to produce needed shots depending on the run downs I received from Cruz.

I assisted the weather anchors, helping them count down to their weather reports. I learned the meaning of a cue, a wrap, a stretch and standby. During live news shows, I was able to produce graphics for sports and news stories. I also learned how to manage sound levels during a live broadcast.

Finally, I also helped out on the assignment desk, where I answered phone calls and checked accident and traffic reports, monitored police scanners and the Texas Department of Transportation web site for breaking news. I also made calls to the Police and Fire Departments to find out about any traffic, fire or crime incidents. My internship days were Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. At the completion of my internship I received a personal evaluation from the news director and also obtained class credit for completing the internship as a news production assistant.

Based on my experience at Univision 26, I suggest that other future journalists follow in my footsteps by gaining real world broadcast journalism experience in a news room where they will learn the skills they need from a top-notch professional news staff.

 

 

 

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