Today I went back to my studious self. I started by asking my supervisor, who for the most part doesn't know what I do during my day, for a tour of the creative/sales/advertising departments. I told her that I'd been shadowing everyone around the station, she was impressed. I was relieved that she was impressed since she hasn't seemed happy with me since I cut down to only one day per week.
After getting the tour I shadowed Alex, he is the in-house advertising guy. He was really excited about what he does, statistics of who is watching, putting together in-house ads, comparing our station to others. After about 30 seconds of listening to that I was really bored. It's all numbers, complicated ones.
I also watched on with the teleprompter-lady. That wasn't very exciting either. Finally one of the producers asked me to write two pieces for tomorrow's show. Usually when we write stories we just re-write whatever the Associated Press has given us but one of the stories was local and required me to make calls and do actual research. It took a lot longer but it was interesting, I felt like an actual reporter rather than the plagiarist I usually feel like.
I spoke with the executive producer about contracts. I didn't know that people hired by stations in the US are required to sign one or two year contracts, specifically anchors, producers and reporters. He explained that once you leave a station it is often written in the contract that you may not work for a competing station in the area; he said this was so you did not take viewers with you to another station. He gave me advice on getting a job saying that I should try to get a part time job at a station while in school. I think this is a great idea, he said the positions available are almost always production, running cameras, etc. but I think this would be great to explore even though I know it is not what I want to do for my entire life. Unfortunately this semester will be too full of writing classes, editing and being an RA to do this, but maybe in the Fall. He also said internships were good and to do Something during them, such as write. He said to have something to show for it. I think I do already. I am going to talk to some higher-ups next week about going on the road with a reporter, it is against Hearst-Argyll rules.
Today was a good day, I felt like a participant again and it was noticed.
During my down time I worked on my paper for this internship; I find it unfair that it has to be 10 pages whether you take it for three credits or for one.
9hrs
