Job Shadows: What You Saw, Part 2

Here's a sampling of some of the various job shadows done by you all (this will be updated as job shadow reports are turned in, so please check back frequently). Take a look and see what you can learn from everyone's visits. There's a lot of good stuff here to help you decide what you want to do with your lives; what you need to be doing to get there; and what to expect when you do get there.

Please give each one of these a quick read as they come in, will you?

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For this report, I shadowed Ann Pierret, a reporter for WILX Lansing. Ann graduated from Fordham University, in New York City, with a degree in Communications and Media.

Shortly after graduation, Ann was hired at WILX, where she has been working as a reporter for over a year.

When I first arrived at the WILX station, which is located not far from downtown Lansing, Ann was finishing up her work on a package she had put together earlier in the day. When she came to get me from the front of the building, she immediately introduced me to the stations news director, Kevin. “Run!” he said, when I told him I was a student at Michigan State University studying journalism. That first encounter definitely scared me and made me a little weary of my plans to go into the journalism field.

After this, I sat in the newsroom and watched Ann put the finishing touches on her package and upload it to various media sites. While she was doing this, I had the opportunity to speak with a few other reporters who were wrapping up their work for the day. When Ann finished, we sat and talked for a while about her education, how long she had been in the business and what a “typical” day might look like for a reporter.

After answering my many questions, Ann began to tour me around. We started in the newsroom, which was pretty empty at the time. Only a few reporters were still in the office after a long day of newsgathering. Ann continued to introduce me to several people, including producers, anchors and other reporters. She then took me to the conference room, where she told me the reporters and producers meet every morning to discuss and get approval for potential stories. Next, Ann showed me the stock footage room, where any previous footage used by the station has been logged and stocked according to date and category.

After leaving this room, Ann took me down the hall to the studio. Many other stations I have visited have two or three studios, so I was surprised WILX only had one. I was also surprised at how much equipment and props they managed to fit into that one small studio, but somehow they make it all work. Ann told me a little bit about each different set and when it was most commonly used. I was really excited when she suggested I get a photo of myself sitting at the news desk.

Finally, Ann took me to the control room, where she told me about what the producers do to put the newscast together and make sure it airs promptly.

After we finished touring, we went back to the newsroom, where I was able to ask her a few more questions about her job, her most memorable stories and her likes and dislikes of being a reporter. Ann told me that social media has exponentially changed the way we report news and that she is constantly using Facebook and Twitter to find sources and keep herself updated. She also told me that working as a reporter can be extremely challenging and frustrating, but to constantly remind yourself why you got into journalism when that happens. Towards the end of our time, Ann and her coworker Joy both offered me some great advice on ways to update my professional portfolio, reel and resume.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time touring WILX and learned a lot about the news industry. I feel like I now have a better understanding of the time and effort that reporters, anchors and producers put into making a newscast successful. Ann was a great person to shadow because she is a young reporter and can easily relate to many of my concerns about working at a news station. I hope to keep in contact with her and look forward to watching her segments in the future.

Ann Pierret, 517-243-3052, Ann.pierret@wilx.com