Views from the News

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 ...

Being a journalist carries a lot of weight. It is my responsibility to communicate important information to the public so people can create be well informed opinions, and then turn around and elect officials to represent them. This applies at the national and local level. Locally, journalists must cover state and city elections. Without this coverage, citizens in smaller areas would likely know nothing about each candidate. For students who aspire to become professional reporters, acquiring the skills necessary to cover these elections is a vital part of becoming a reliable journalist.   For student journalists, this means we must cover the executive officer elections for the school’s governing body, the student government association; as this “local news” is what our college community needs to decide who to support.   Here at Troy University, Troy TrojanVision News has been covering the election process for weeks. We were there at the first SGA exec int...

Being a journalist carries a lot of weight. It is my responsibility to communicate important information to the public so people can create be well informed opinions, and then turn around and elect officials to represent them. This applies at the national and local level. Locally, journalists must cover state and city elections. Without this coverage, citizens in smaller areas would likely know nothing about each candidate. For students who aspire to become professional reporters, acquiring the skills necessary to cover these elections is a vital part of becoming a reliable journalist.   For student journalists, this means we must cover the executive officer elections for the school’s governing body, the student government association; as this “local news” is what our college community needs to decide who to support.   Here at Troy University, Troy TrojanVision News has been covering the election process for weeks. We were there at the first SGA exec i...

Creating and maintaining a professional social media presence is important for a journalist. Social media allows viewers to connect with you beyond the limitations of traditional media. Here are some easy ways you can make sure your social media pops with professionalism.  Professional profile photo Your social media followers want to see you, as this mimics a face to face interaction. As a journalist, your face is important, as it is part of your brand. Because you can expect business professionals and viewers to view you profile photo, it is important to make sure it displays the best representation of you. Make sure your profile photo is a well-lit and clear image. A headshot, from your shoulders up may be a good option. Avoid selfies and funny faces. A simple smile is all you need.  Brief and informative bio The bio section of you profile is your first chance to describe yourself to newcomers. You may list the schools you have attended, the degrees you h...

When I stumble upon someone, and tell them that I am a broadcast journalist, people tend to focus on the whole “being on camera” aspect of the job.  From what I have witnessed, people are quick to say they would like to be on television without knowing what exactly goes into it. Yes, expensive cameras and high-tech editing software make a newscast more flashy and visually appealing, but it is the *words* being said that are at the root of broadcast journalism.  People should focus less on the “broadcast” element of broadcast journalism, and more on the “journalism” part. Journalism is the number one aspect that goes into creating a newscast, otherwise the news would be an over-produced reality show of some sort.  Simply put, the words matter most.  Broadcast journalists operate just like print journalists, expect with more equipment. We go out, interview experts on a topic, gather the public’s opinion, ask informed questions, fact-check material a...

You’re a journalist. You’re out in the field, not at the news station, without a camera. You also don’t have a tripod, or any other fancy bells and whistles typically used to record a news story. What do you do? Well, you don’t have to quit your TV news job to become a print journalist, you can actually create your story with something you already have; a smartphone.  When I think of cellphones, I envision those chunky, flip phones; you know, the ones you could slam shut after a heated phone call. Those devices are obsolete compared to today’s smartphones. Photos tended to be blurry, missing those fine details.  Smartphones can record great video. Apple devices can record in high-definition or even 4k , meaning that today’s smart phones are up to the standard of many broadcast television news stations. So, why not use them? Last week, I was in a pinch. I had one hour to grab an interview and some broll for a news package I needed to create, as well as get a ...

As I sit here at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, it baffles my mind that someone could undervalue the time and energy it takes to be a student journalist. I don’t think most people understand what it’s like, so I’m here to share my experience.  Student journalists are real journalists. Us student journalists have a lot on our plate sometimes. We juggle writing articles, editing news packages, conducting interviews, researching data and much more, while also being college students in 15 plus credit hours with personal lives.  I’m not complaining. I love it, and I have to in order to do it.  Alongside my studies, I am plugged in on campus. I have multiple meetings each week, some that I lead. When I’m not in a meeting, in class or eating, I’m probably reporting.  News takes no lunch breaks, so I sometimes skip mine to grab a quick interview with a university official or student. Just like the real journalistic world, news happens 24/7. In order to cov...