Stuff Journalists Like — #17 Breaking News
My first experience with breaking news came during the fall semester of my sophomore year. I was in my COM Newswriting and Reporting class when all of a sudden we heard sirens coming from right outside the building. We all ran to the window and saw police cars up on the sidewalk and people running down Comm Ave. None of us knew what was happening, but my professor immediately dropped the lesson plan to give us a chance to cover a real life breaking news situation.
Some of the photojournalists in the class had their cameras with them, and went to shoot stills of the action. When they came back, we learned that there had been a bank robbery and the police had chased down and caught the suspect—so we combined the stills and wrote a report on the story.
That day was only my first time covering breaking news—since then, I’ve had a hand in a few other instances as well. This past fall, news of Joe Paterno’s resignation came during my Newsroom class on the day I happened to be the live reporter. Myself and another student in the class took to the streets at about 8:30 a.m., and had a package shot and edited by 12 p.m. It was an exciting story to cover, and you can check out the final product here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb0_LF4j88U.
Then this semester, a project that I was working on fell through, and I found myself starting from scratch at 11 a.m. for a 3 o’clock show. This was the same day as the second day of the Supreme Court “Obamacare” hearings, so I packed up some equipment at Field Production Services and headed down to the State House to get reaction and film a quick report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiuZk9N3gww.
Although it’s tough to turn a package on a deadline, those two pieces are some of my best work. As a journalist, I was forced to tighten up my reporting; as a broadcaster, the adrenaline that comes with a looming deadline ups my on-camera performance: it’s do or die at that point, and not turning in a package isn’t an option. My COM education has placed me in real-life situations, and I know I’m prepared to cover a breaking news situation when I finally arrive at my first job.
Hey guys! Unfortunately, it’s my last blog for you guys for the semester. First off – Congrats on your admittance to the College of Communication! We hope to see all newly accepted students at our Open House dates on April 14th and 21st!
Congratulations to all you accepted into the Class of 2016 here at BU! At this point in your senior year you may be bombarded with a lot of work. College decisions, prom preparations, senior events, AP exams, and even final exams coming around the corner may have you begging for summer.
Congratulations COM class of 2016! I can’t wait to meet you all at the Open Houses coming up in the next couple weeks. Open House is not only a great time for you to learn more about all the exciting classes, programs, clubs, and activities at BU and COM, but its also the perfect time for you to fall in love with this city that has stolen my heart. I know many of you will only be in town for a couple days so here’s a short list of some of my favorite places in Boston that I recommend you visit during your short stay:
So it looks like the weather won't be getting warm any time soon, but I figured I'd talk a little bit about what I'm looking forward to as we enter the last month of school. Coming up next week is a Boston holiday when the Boston Marathon comes through the streets of Boston. You guys may recognize it from an episode of last seasons COMlife. But this isn't your regular old marathon. There are runners from all over the world and the entire city of Boston (including the schools) close down to celebrate the big event.
First and foremost, CONGRATS on your acceptance to BU COM! Time to attend Open House, submit your final decision and rock your new BU gear in school. Next up is finishing senior year on a high note and attending summer orientation. Believe me when I tell you that once you go to orientation you’ll never want to leave Boston for the rest of the summer. By the time the weekend is over you’ll be planning lunch dates with your new friends for September. While at orientation you will get a small taste of Boston’s vibrant culture. Just wait until you get here in the fall when you can fully explore (and eat and shop your way through) the different neighborhoods.
Being a COM student gives you so many opportunities that you wouldn’t have at other colleges. Our school is always hosting informative and entertaining specials events, panels, seminars or film screenings on campus, bringing in alums and other business professionals to educate their students! On March 30th, I had the opportunity to attend the “New Media: What Comes After the Basics” panel, a FREE event open to all BU students and alums. It was a truly fantastic experience, despite the fact that the event started at 8:00 in the morning!
Hi all! Spring is in the air, and you know what that means: time for PAX East. What is PAX you ask? Well, for those of you who don’t know, Penny Arcade Expo, or PAX, is a three-day gaming convention created by the writers of the Web Comic Penny Arcade. The convention, originally launched in 2004, was created as a celebration of everything gamer culture-related. From Halo to Ski-Ball, PAX had a niche for every type of gamer.
One of the biggest factors I considered when looking for the perfect school was location. Early on in my search, I was convinced that I wanted a secluded campus with lots of lawns, brick, and vines. However, that quickly changed once I arrived on Boston University’s campus. For me, BU was the perfect combination: it had that collegiate, campus feeling while being in the middle of a big, exciting city. Once I walked down Comm Ave for the first time, I decided that with my eyes set on a degree in Communication, I couldn’t pass up all the amazing opportunities being in a big city would offer me.
If someone were to tell me that beginning freshmen year of college I would have the option of working the camera, switchboard, and interviewing worldly acclaimed journalists and icons I would have said they were crazy…. BUT THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED. Boston University’s television channel, BUTV10, has various student-run shows- ranging from sports to soaps -that welcomes Terrier involvement beginning freshmen year. BUTV10 allows for students to gain hands-on-experience and fosters a community of varied thoughts and opinions.