WIVB-TV News 4
Summer 2016
Over this past summer, I interned at News 4 WIVB in Buffalo, NY. Interning at WIVB was a learning experience. As well as an opportunity that I was so fortunate to get and that I would do all over again. I interviewed with a supervisor and I was introduced to all the staff in the newsroom on that same day. At WIVB there was never a dull moment. The environment was great, everyone was nice. Whenever I was walking around and someone seen me they spoke. I guess I expected for some of the reporters to be like minor celebrities and not speak or say hello when they see me. Though that wasn’t the case. I loved how I was always acknowledged, it made me feel as if I was a part of the team.
Beginning at WIVB interns are given a schedule via email of the days you are assigned. I was scheduled for Mondays and Tuesday’s from 7a.m.-12p.m. On the first day, I was given an ID badge for access into the building. As well as username and passwords so I can access all the software. My desk was placed right in front of the newsroom camera. Anyone that tuned in to the morning news will see the back of my head. My dad always watches the 11o’clock news and he would text me every time he seen me.
Each day I had daily task and observations. Each day I observed the morning meetings as they would decide what stories would get to air that day. Each reporter would present what stories they were working on. Then each member would provide suggestions on how they should go about that story. I also each day I made sure to I organized flyers for events. That way anchors can mention them on air if they have time. Often times the supervisor will come to me with task to research or contact people, in efforts get more information on a story. I’ve called city hall, the mayor’s office, council, schools, and police station’s.
My favorite task of all was making list each week of the events going on in Buffalo. I would find events online and make a list for the whole week. My supervisor would proofread it and post it on the WIVB website every week. I’ve made list of events from Food truck Tuesday’s, Canalside concerts, free Yoga sessions canalside, marathons, plays, Fourth of July fireworks, city pools openings and closings, and much more. Making these list, helped me to make my summer even more enjoyable. As I’d make these list, I’d plan the events I’d go to in my free time. Thanks to these list, I would go to Food Truck Tuesday’s Canalside every week after interning.
One day in the newsroom I met a producer who works in the control room. On days that he was there he would give me a task. To summarize stories on this spreadsheet to help organize the morning show. Then he would take me into the control room and show me how my summaries help him. He also allowed me to observe how he produces live shows. Demonstrating what each key does and what button or light indicates what. As well as demonstrating how to properly direct the reporters and give them feedback. From that day on, every morning from 8:00a.m. to 8:30 a.m., I would come to the control room and observe the morning shows.
My other main job duty was to answer the phone in the newsroom. Being that the other employees have so much on their hands. I got to take the load off them by taking care of the phone calls. I basically distributed the phone calls. If it’s important I send the call to a producer or whoever was best fit for that particular call. Most of the phone calls were just people who wanted to be directed to the call4action hotline. Some were viewers calling with comments about the show.
When taking phone calls, it’s important to listen very closely and to take notes if you need to. A lot of times you must relay a message to a producer. I would always keep a notepad close by. That way I can write down the messages so I wouldn’t mess anything up. I remember a phone call when someone called from The Washington Post, I was so excited. Though when I relayed the message the producer was so nonchalant. Little did he know that little phone call made my day.
It’s also important to get clear messages because if not relayed properly it could really cause problems. For instance, there was one from the court downtown. In which the judge stated, “there will be no cameras allowed in court today”. Had I relayed that message incorrectly that could have been a major issue. Therefore, it is important to listen closely when taking messages and don’t be afraid to ask someone to repeat themselves if you didn’t understand them.
Now there was one day where I received a very disturbing phone call. We were in the newsroom watching a press conference in which President Barrack Obama addressed the recent mass shooting that happened at a Florida nightclub. WIVB made the executive decision to air this instead of the daily news. The phone rings, I answer it, and an older woman says “Could you take that d*mn monkey off of my television screen”. I was in shock at the blatant racism and disrespect. As well as the complete waste of time someone took to make this phone call. If they didn’t want to see this they could have changed the channel, but I digress. When I heard, the old woman say that, I immediately got angry. Especially because she’s shouting racial slurs that are very offensive to me. I replied, “Excuse me”, than I took a breather and asked the woman to repeat herself and she goes on a rant. Stating “I said take that monkey off my television, I don’t want to hear about this sh*t anymore, who cares, they’re dead”. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I sat there in silence as she carried on. Then an employee who works at the desk in front of me say’s “hang up the phone”. He could tell exactly the kind of situation I was dealing with on this phone call. He tells me that when anyone is rude and disrespectful to you “just hang it up”. In that moment, I realized that this is just something you have to deal with on the job sometimes. In that moment, I learned to never lose your cool, just keep it professional. That person is not worth getting out of your character for.
In the beginning of my internship my supervisor mentioned that sometimes reporters will need help and its wonderful experience to go out into the field with them. She stated these opportunities come pretty rare, but they will happen. From then on, it had been weeks into my internship and I still hadn’t been picked to go out into the field yet. Until one week I lucky enough to get out into the field a couple times. The first time I went out in the field with a reporter. Her story was about the drought that kept many lawns extremely dry this summer. The reporter interviewed a landscaper on his way to a client. He gave advice on how people can keep their lawns nice and green in this dry heat. He stated that it’s important to water your lawn as early as 5 o’clock in the morning. As well as to water the lawn at least two hours each day. The second time I went out in the field with a camerawoman. I went with her to get live footage of Governor Cuomo’s speech outside of Geico corporations. Cuomo speech was about his plans to bring up to six hundred jobs to Western New York. After the speech, we went to get shots for a story about Manhattan Bagel a bagel bakery in Amherst that was closing down that summer. It felt nice going out into the field and seeing how they work outside if the studio.
Throughout my days interning at WIVB there were tons of things going on in the news. Like the shooting and killing of Harrambe the gorilla at the Cincinnati zoo, the night club massacre in Florida, The Anchor Bar murder in Buffalo, LGBT communities protesting gun laws, Kanye West concert in Buffalo on August 27th, Shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Black Lives Matter Rallies, Melania Trump Plagiarism Controversy, Buffalo Bills possible training camp move, Meth lab bust in Amherst, and the world largest rubber Duck visiting Canalside. So many interesting stories that made for a very interesting experience. There were days where stories were so explosive that it was so busy in the newsroom. Everyone was running around like a chicken with their heads cut off. To very calm days where everything runs smoothly. In all they handle things so well you wouldn’t even notice something came about unexpected.
Overall I loved every last bit of it this experience. I am so appreciative that I was given this opportunity. In result I learned a lot and it has helped me grow as a person. This experience also helped me in my courses. For instance, in my Video Production course, where our lesson was to perform live to tape broadcast, I got to practice every role. Each class I remembered all these roles at WIVB. Interning at WIVB was one of the best positions I have ever held and I would do it all over again.