Broadcast.
During my sophomore year, our adviser transferred to a different school, and the broadcast department fell into disarray. The turnover, lack of funding, and a lack of promotion hit the program hard. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, almost no one had signed up for the next year's broadcast classes.
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Not wanting to see any part of our journalism department die, I made a last minute schedule change going into my senior year. Having no experience in video production, I added broadcast journalism to my course load.
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With a tiny team and limited resources, we made it work.
Not only did we produce an announcements-style broadcast every week, we also managed to squeeze in a few special episodes like our pre-game show, All Access. This year has shown me that facilities and funding are nice, but determination and a willingness to learn from our mistakes make the core of a broadcast program.
Anchoring.
Without the manpower, tools, or experience to create full packages for much of the year, my partner, Brookelynn, and I decided to focus our efforts on becoming approachable and trustworthy faces for the student body.
I've reflected on two episodes below, but click here to watch the entire season.
Things I am proud of:
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I enunciated well.
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I looked relaxed and confident.
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The theater department emailed us thanking our team for mentioning their program! Yay!
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Things I would do differently:
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I would slow down my speech tempo.
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I would improve the lighting.
BHS NOW - Jan. 27th, 2023
(0:08 - 0:56)
The thing I love most about this episode is my confidence feels genuine and clear to my audience. I was not twisting the microphone cable off camera out of nervousness, or shifting my feet, or forgetting to smile; I was simply having a conversation with the camera.
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Something that makes this episode special is that our school's theater department sent it out in an email blast to the entire fine arts department. Seeing how excited they were for the promotion made my heart happy.
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Even though I can see the imperfections in our humble beginnings, it is a testament to how far I have come as an anchor in less than a year.
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BHS NOW - Dec. 9th, 2022
(0:08 - 1:02)
This episode was the first of the 2022-2023 season of BHS NOW to be posted on our school's Facebook account.
I am proud of how I presented myself confidently and professionally here. The production process has developed my confidence and aught me how to let the little things go.
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This episode also marked the debut of our first professional microphone set up! Check out the cool flag our adviser made us.
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Things I am proud of:
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I spoke at a comfortable tempo.
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I kept my tone smooth and conversation-like.
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Things I would do differently:
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I would zoom in on my face or get closer to the camera to eliminate dead space and maximize viewer experience.
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I would smooth transitions between each topic to avoid sounding rushed.
Other projects.
In the whirlwind of yearbook deadlines, a weekly broadcast production schedule, and senior year chaos, I was able to squeeze in some special editions of BHS NOW.
Things I am proud of:
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I completed the entire production process, from start to finish, on my own.
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I taught myself how to make transition animations, cut film, and gather statistics during the production process.
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I was able to include senior players' perspectives.
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I got a shout out from CBS Sports Associate Producer Derrell J. Bouknight!
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Things I would do differently:
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I would change the location to improve lighting.
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I would add a transitional graphic between players to keep everything from getting muddled.
All Access #2 - Braswell vs. Little Elm
This is my favorite example of my broadcast journalism purely because it proved to myself that my inexperience will only hold me back as much as I let it. This video was my baby: I wrote the script, filmed, edited, and created all of the graphics. This was a labor of love from start to finish.
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After requesting and receiving film from the journalism adviser at Little Elm High School, I got to work creating, cutting, and compiling the elements of the show. With the help of my adviser, Mr. Carr, I was even able to add a special introduction animation.
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As I tried to align my execution to my vision, I pulled from conversations I had with CBS Sports Associate Producer Derrell J. Bouknight during the Freedom Forum's 2022 Journalism and Free Spirit Conference. I tagged him in a tweet promoting my video and received a very encouraging response.
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Interview with the Executive Director of DPSF
My district partners with the Denton Public School Foundation to provide scholarship opportunities based on financial need and merit. As I began working on my own DPSF scholarship application, I realized just how many of my classmates were unaware of this opportunity.
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My adviser and I reached out to Jacqueline Jackson, the executive director of DPSF, to ask if she would be willing to make the half hour drive to our campus and speak on the details and importance of filling out this application.
This interview was my first time interviewing someone outside of my school on camera.
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I used a transcript of this interview to write this article, too!
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Things I am proud of:
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I kept our interview conversational yet professional.
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I thought of relevant questions on the fly.
Things I would do differently:
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I make the focus more on the director.
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I would get B-Roll and make this a package.
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I would interview beneficiaries of the foundation to get a student perspective.
The gist
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Journalists should be able to learn quickly and pick things up on the fly.
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It's not the equipment, but the people.