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Creating the next generation of journalists

Aaron Taylor is the television production coordinator at TROY TrojanVision News. For 18 years, he has taught young reporters how to become successful broadcast journalists. He helps students produce 15 newscasts a week and teaches them how to create in-depth news stories.

As TrojanVision’s television production coordinator, you welcome in young journalists and help prepare them for the professional world. What is it like to play a part in making student’s aspirations a reality?

It’s amazing. Yes, we do produce newscasts every day, but the purpose of that is to give the training to students to go out and succeed. I measure my success based of the success of the students that are under me. Every time one of my students gets a job working somewhere, or I tune in and I see one of my kids on television, or I’m checking out they moved to a bigger and better market; that makes me happy.

What is it like watching an unexperienced reporter flourish over college into a professional journalist? 

Justin Walker – I’ll just come right out and say it. I thought that he was a mute the first year or so I was here. I never heard him talk. He never said anything. He finally started volunteering for stuff, and then eventually one day I forced him to do weather. It opened him up. He went from a guy that I didn’t know had the capability of speech to being a reporter for the station my first job was at. I tune in every night and see stories from him. 

What is a common misconception people believe about broadcast journalism? 

They [students] come here to be famous. They come here to be on TV. They come here to be a pretty face in front of the camera, and that’s not what journalism is. You have to be a good writer. You have to have a good nose for news. You got to be able to put together stories. You have to be intelligent. The biggest misconception about this business is that writing is not important. We tell stories. It comes down to words. 

What is your biggest piece of advice for aspiring reporters?

Get experience. You’ve got to get as much experience as you can. If you can work for your student newspaper, work for your student television station, do that. Ultimately, if you want to work in journalism, you have to have experience under your belt. If you have experience, you increase your salability. 

You can watch Aaron each week on TROY TrojanVision News’ “Trojan Talk,” as well as the work his students have produced. He also hosts Troy University’s “The Week That Was.”

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