Shirley Sarmiento
These couple scenarios are just examples of the relationships that I’ve developed during my first week there. Since I’ve been at EWN it has allowed me to meet and work with everyone from the reporters, anchors, photographers, writers, editors, managers, producers and even the technician people! Not only I learned from others, but at the assignment desk I learned how to differentiate stories that are irrelevant and relevant that could be a possible breaking news story. Sometimes the news room can get overwhelming. But I’ve learned how to deal with various callers with different personalities and to still manage to compile a potential news story to pitch to the assignment editors.
Overall, my experience at Eyewitness News has been a fun filled educational experience. It has allowed me to explore other options that are incorporated within this business other than being in front of the camera. As days turned into weeks and then into months, I have come to the realization that this is a business filled with hard work, dedication, and time consumption. During my time here I've made great connections with others within this department. This internship has not only helped me acknowledge areas in which I need to make improvements on, but to also open up other potential opportunities as I continue my path in becoming a news reporter for entertainment news some day.
The purpose of this portfolio is to show case my progress in which I've accomplished at this point in my life. I've put a lot of contribution and dedication into this internship in which I valued each day that I was present at Eyewitness News.
However, before interning at Eyewitness News, I had a specific vision of what my internship would be like working there. For instance, I was expecting to be given daily tasks on a consistent schedule by the assistant editors. I was also expecting my first day to be a introduction session between my supervisor and I to explain what is going on and what roles certain people do within this department. Although my supervisor didn’t give me the introduction I was looking for, one of the assignment editors gave me an internship pamphlet. The pamphlet included a whole overview about EWNs and the head names of each position. After I looked over it, she elaborated more and explained into detail of what everyone’s duties there was as well as what my duties were.
Just being there less than thirty minutes, I quickly learned that this internship wasn’t anything I was expecting. I automatically found myself working in the fast pace environment with the EWNs team. I also came to realize that in order to make this internship productive, I had to not only fulfill my duties at the assignment desk, but to also do independent work in order to gain the experience that I was seeking for.
During my first day at my internship, I was also already in the studio watching news anchors Ken Rasato and Michelle Charlesworth and meteorologist Bill Evans. It was an awesome experience to meet and see them in action. As weeks progressed, I found myself meeting more people other than the assignment editors at the main desk. By befriending other people, I expanded my networking in which help me gain more knowledge about this business as well as gaining the experience I was looking for.
For instance, I met producer Alexandra Reed for El Tiempo .Since the first week I’ve met her she had asked me to help work with her and news reporter Joe Torres with special guests that came into the building. Eventually my assistance has developed into a weekly basis in which every Tuesday morning I would help them out in the studio. I also became friends with Mr.Torres and he helped me do multiple “reads” on set after taping the show. Becoming friends with him was such an advantage because he was an intern like me when he began his career as a reporter.
Also on my first week I was told that I wouldn’t be able to get out on the field until later into my internship. However, the second week I was there I managed to get out on the field with reporter Carolina Leid for a story on Loreal Products. Again, it was another great and exciting experience to see a well known reporter out on the field live! She also gave me great advice about developing stand ups and packaging it before I leave the internship.