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
Thanks to my experience in high school and persistence, the ETBU athletic communications department trusted me to kickstart a sideline reporter role at the university. Due to limited resources, the department didn’t have a way to include me in the live broadcast. I pitched the idea of using the team’s X account to upload my standups and interviews, and they went for it. Now getting to work on a collegiate media staff, I was able to do more hits a game as my coworkers handled the videography I once did before. The additional reps pushed me as an on-air reporter, and the connections I made inside the fieldhouse because of the job taught me a lot about the inner workings of a collegiate program.
When I could, I would also pick up a Texas high school football game to cover on my own to post on my social media. Retaining sometimes six teams’ worth of knowledge a week was tough, but I believe the extra work will help prepare me for the industry.
Featured are highlight reels of mine that I created over my two years of sidelining at ETBU. From 2023 to now, I believe my comfort and poise on-camera have grown tremendously.
Full ‘24 Sideline
Weeks 1-6 ‘24 Sideline
‘23 Sideline
Behind The Scenes
How I prepare for a collegiate football game
1.) Create a Google Doc for the game starting with my prior knowledge of both teams
2.) Locate both teams online to find rosters and statistics
3.) Do additional research on key players and watch their film to add my analysis
4.) Sit down with coaches on staff to gain intel and storylines
Texas Tiger Podcast…Navigating Interviews
My freshman year at ETBU, I worked with the SID to try and launch a video podcast featuring Tiger athletes and coaches. We jumped through many hoops, as we tried to coordinate using the school’s podcast studio and coordinating a steady crew. Coming up short of launching it in 2023, we shifted our focus to a simpler approach. I went to the ETBU football fieldhouse every Tuesday to sit down with the head coach in preparation for my sideline reporting duties that week. I would then sit down with another coach there and produce an easily digestible podcast, one that our fans could give a quick listen to weekly to gain insight into the program. From doing this, I gained a ton of knowledge on how to navigate different dynamics of a coach-reporter relationship and the ability to establish comfort on record.
Featured are the 2024 Texas Tiger episodes. Each episode ranges from 12 to 20 minutes in length. To listen to a full episode, click on one of the options below.
Behind The Scenes
How I prepare for a podcast episode
1.) Create a Google Doc for the episode starting with my initial questions for the coach
2.) Do in-depth research on the coach and devise more tailored interview questions
3.) Take note of remarks or points I want to bring up and where I want to do so in the episode
A Place to Call Home…Video Packaging
Part of my RBI Austin Internship was the ‘Summer Project’, an assignment to produce any piece of content to promote the main goals of the organization. I interacted with the Benjamin family almost daily, as I worked alongside Andy and Millicent while also covering their children who played in the league. Learning about their journey of resiliency and faith, I chose to tell their story. I took the angle of highlighting what happens when an entire family invests in the league, an initiative RBI Austin was currently trying to push. With just a camera and tripod, I created a video to complement the written story. This project challenged me to tell a story strategically, and although it could be improved if done now, I am proud of how I communicated the narrative.
Featured is the video package I posted on the RBI Austin X, Facebook and Instagram accounts. To see the story published, click here to view “A place to call home”.
Video Package
Behind The Scenes
How I would improve this video now
1.) Use better composition and lighting techniques
2.) Shoot more B-roll and steady the camera when doing so
3.) Add music and RBI Austin logo for branding
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