First KOMU Shift

Thursday was my first ever shift at KOMU, it was my first VO shift as well. I have had many journalism internships and even worked at KCOU, the student radio station. However, I have never had to put any of my work on live TV before.

As soon as I arrived at the station the producer sent me out to cover a fire that was going on at an apartment complex. I gathered up all the equipment, signed out everything, got directions, set up the car and took off. I was about five minutes on the road when I got a call from the station saying they didn't need me there and all the police and firefighters had left. So I had to come back and unload everything and get another story. I have to say that I was not to surprised that happened, being a journalist means you have to adapt quickly and learn stories can disappear as quickly as they appear.

The second story I went to cover sounded really boring and I didn't think I would get enough good video to make it exciting. I was sent to a Columbia School Board meeting to cover a potential school board election. The producer told me little information about the meeting but I talked to a reporter from KOMU before hand about a similar story he had covered earlier.


I was told to go to the meeting an hour after it had started so I did not know if I would get enough video. I got there as the school board members were talking to the last candidate. I starting filming immediately, and it turns out that I came at the right time because the meeting got very interesting. The school board ended up voting a new member in that night, after three voting sessions. The interesting part was the man who was voted in was James Whitt who will now be the only African-American member on the board. The funny part was that the meeting lasted so long that he left before he found out he was elected. His wife had been at the meeting the whole time and spoke to reporters on his behalf.

I was really pleased with the way my story turned out, I worked really hard to get the best possible shots and interviews. I wish the meeting had ended earlier because I was very rushed with my editing and writing. But all and all my first KOMU experience was very exciting and rewarding one.

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