Throughout my time in COMM465, I feel that I was able to come away with a variety of prevalent information that is application to my future in journalism. Having no prior experience with TV reporting, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I can confidently say at the end of the semester, I am much more confident in regards to broadcasting.
Like many, I found my biggest takeaway from this class was the sheer number of shots required when crafting a package. It was always better to have more shots than necessary, as when the editing process rolled around, you never realize how little you have even after getting 30 different shots. I also found out that at times certain shots did not come out as well as they appeared when filming, making it even more necessary to have more content available to use than necessary. But it also led to a great sense of collaboration and cooperation between my group members, as we all worked together to find the best shots possible. It was through this teamwork where I saw possible shots I never thought about getting because of another pair of eyes.
That was the other big takeaway from COMM 465: the importance of working together. I learned through the four packages we made in this class how valuable it is to have different perspectives around you when working. Being able to bounce around ideas in a friendly manner allowed for projects that encapsulated everyone’s thoughts, not just one person’s. It also made for a more enjoyable time being able to learn more about your partners and work toward their strengths, making it that each member was able to contribute to a certain aspect of the work better than another.
As a whole, COMM 465 opened my eyes to the many different avenues that journalism presents, especially in the modern era. Having been involved in print journalism since I was a freshman in high school, it was interesting to be able to see how a different form of reporting worked. While at times it felt like an unknown concept, I often found some similarities to print, allowing me to feel more comfortable in certain areas, such as script writing and interviewing. While I do not know what the future holds for my career, I can strongly say that after taking this class, there are more options available for me on my path in the field of journalism.