Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Rose Bowl


Yesterday was one of those rare days when the bulk of my work was done by 4:30 AM.

A photographer and I were dispatched to Peckville, to meet with a bus load of people headed to the Rose Bowl. We got there a little after 4:00 AM, about 15 minutes before the bus was to pull out. After a few interviews, and some video, we were on our way back to the office to begin the assembly process.

It was a nice story, filled with happy people on the first leg of their trip to the west coast. I got their flight information to pass along to our west coast crews. With any luck, our people will meet up the the tour group somewhere in Pasadena.

Someone who posted to Talkback Online at WNEP.com asked if the reporters who stay behind are jealous of Newswatch 16's Jon Meyer, who got the assignment to go to Pasadena. Yes, and no. It's always nice to get a hunk of a big story. On the other hand, road trips, like the one to the Rose Bowl, are not vacations. There's a lot of work to be done, involving some tricky travel on unfamiliar highways, the logistics of getting the story back to home base, and the host of issues caused by America's often inefficient air transportation system. There's another big thing to be considered-- the time difference. Evening news time here is mid afternoon in California. Your deadline is moved up considerably, and you're always rushing to get things done on time.

I wouldn't have turned down the assignment, but a stop at the drug store for a case of Aleve would have been a must for me.

Something that cushions the blow is the fact that a very deserving Jon Meyer got the gig. Jon has been doing a great job so far. There's no doubt that will continue the rest of the week.