Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Front Row Seat

It might not be the most glamorous job in television, but it is one of the most important.

I filled in as producer of Newswatch 16 This Morning on a recent weekday.  The producer writes most of the stories, decides how much time each should get, puts them in the proper order, selects the accompanying graphics, etc.

It was wild morning.  We were getting updates on the condition of NASCAR driver Ryan Newman, the Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy, a murder trial was going to the jury, snow and ice were moving in to the area, new information on the Scranton school problem...  There was hardly time to take a breath.

Thankfully, I had plenty of help.

The bottom line is this, and college kids, listen up.  There will always be work for a quality producer.  Producers are always in demand.  You might be behind the scene, but you are a major force in influencing what gets on the air.  There is a lot of pressure and stress, and some long hours.  On the other hand, it can be exceptionally rewarding.