Broadcast Journalism
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”
-Maya Angelou, Author and Activist
Something to think about…
There is nothing I would rather have in my hand than a microphone.
My passion for telling stories on camera has led me to not only jump at every opportunity to do so but to create my own. Bridgeland doesn’t have a broadcast journalism class. There’s no studio, no high-level broadcast equipment and essentially nowhere really to turn when looking for guidance in broadcast journalism specifically.
It’s just me, my camera, my microphone and my tripod against the world.
All the work I have done leading up to this point has been 100 percent self-taught. I try to get to know people in the business at events I cover so I can ask for feedback on my skills, and that has been a game-changer for me. I have spent hours on end breaking down film of myself on camera to see how I can improve, and my growth in the past two years is something that I am extremely proud of.
Paving a path on my own to reach my broadcasting goals has been one of the hardest and most humbling things I have ever done and continue to do. However, I wouldn’t change a single thing about my ongoing journey. On camera, I am authentically myself, and I think that it translates into my work.
Standups From the Sidelines…Event Coverage
A big reason why I became an intern for VYPE Media in the spring of 2021 was to get my foot in the door in the professional world of sideline reporting. I started out practicing standups at postseason baseball and softball games during my sophomore year, as it was the two sports I felt the most comfortable talking about on camera. After watching YouTube videos of every sideline reporter I could think of like Holly Rowe and Julia Morales, I practiced with a hairbrush in the mirror that summer in hopes to be ready to start posting my work for VYPE come the 2021 football season. I finally built up the confidence in myself to buy my own microphone in August, and I threw myself into the fire in Bridgeland’s first non-district game. Doing two standups a game on top of a postgame interview is not for the faint of heart, but I knew the more practice I got, the more I would be able to get a good grasp on juggling it. When my senior year rolled around, I was doing three football games a week consistently because I wanted to get in the most reps and experience possible. I can proudly say that grind is what has helped me grow my on-camera presence exponentially, and I feel I am at a completely different level of broadcasting maturity than I was in August of my senior year and especially from the point I started in my junior year.
Featured are highlight reels of mine I created for each of the standups I do every single game.
Pregame Standup
Halftime Standup
Postgame Interview
Behind The Scenes
How I prepare for a game full of standups
1.) Create a Google Doc for the game starting with my prior knowledge of both teams
2.) Locate both teams on MaxPreps to find rosters and statistics
3.) Do additional research on key players and watch their film to add my own analysis
4.) Take note of social media accounts of players to know to make it easier to tag them during the game
Under Review With Haylie Stum…
Anchoring Experience
After my football reporting season wrapped up in December of my junior year, I was left with one question, how would I continue to grow my game on the microphone? I talked with one of my mentors, and he pitched the idea of starting my own show. I immediately loved the idea and started planning the logistics of what it would take to get the show off the ground. I spent a month designing a logo, figuring out where I would film, what it would look like and what the layout of the show would be. I finalized all those decisions, announced the start of my show on Twitter and started asking around about who a good first interview would be to get Under Review off on the right foot. I was blessed to get in touch with the executive editor of mlb.com, Alyson Footer and finalize a Zoom interview for the show, which was a moment that made me feel like Under Review was truly possible. I researched and wrote up all the content, segments and interview questions for the show and got to filming a night later. I then spent roughly a week editing due to time constraints from softball and school. I finally posted my first episode, and I would continue that same routine for the episodes to come.
Under Review With Haylie Stum has truly been one of the best tools for me in terms of broadcasting. It has taught me to improve my storytelling skills, how to be captivating over long periods of time and how to think like a producer. The show also helped me gain experience in creating content, as I edited and created the graphics for the show. I plan on continuing the show this year and for years to come, and I am hoping to expand the range of my content beyond sports.
Featured are the Under Review episodes from 2022. Each episode ranges from 25 to 30 minutes in length. To view a full episode, click on one of the options below.
Behind The Scenes
How I prepare for an episode of Under Review
1.) Create a Google Doc for the episode starting with my prior knowledge of each planned segment
2.) Do in-depth research for each segment and devise interview questions
3.) Take note of remarks or points I want to bring up and where I want to do so for each segment
Growth In Effective Video Production
Transitioning from my sophomore to my junior year, I started to get into videography, editing and packaging. My first hands-on experience with that was assuming control of The Bridge Recap (where I changed the name to The Bridge Breakdown), which was a Sports Center-like show that recapped all the weekly sports happenings at Bridgeland for the school’s athletic booster club. Taking on a project like The Bridge Breakdown at the beginning of my junior year with no prior experience helped me learn so much about how to create cohesive and engaging videos by recording voiceovers, hosting and more. Looking back on the work I did for the show now, I have grown in my hosting abilities through producing my own show and also in my understanding of how to effectively use video elements.
Below is an episode from The Bridge Breakdown and a game recap I produced in the fall recapping Bridgeland’s homecoming game. Comparing them side-by-side, I feel I have a better grasp on how to properly tell a story through video.
Women’s History Month Story…
Video Packaging
One of my main goals as a journalist is to amplify and encourage female voices. Amidst Women’s History Month, I wanted to find a way to highlight the strides women have made in history and why they are critical to celebrate in today’s time. Bridgeland bolsters strong female leadership across its campus. So, I decided to create a video package featuring why administrators and students find it important to commemorate women’s accomplishments during Women’s History Month. Furthermore, I spotlighted how they feel Bridgeland is dedicated to empowering women in the community. In order to garner more attention to the story, I created a separate video for my social media accounts with a more creative approach to the editing style and storytelling. Applying my prior knowledge of editing and videography, I taught myself how to conduct and construct a news-feature video package on my own.
Featured is the video package as well as the social media promotion video I posted on my Twitter and Instagram accounts. To see the story published, click here to view “The future is female”.
Video Package
Social Media Video
The More You Know
What I’ve learned from broadcast journalism
Learning on-camera skills make a difference in storytelling ability such as voice control, facial expressions and mannerisms
Script writing and talking off-the-cuff
How to direct, produce and create video content