Behind the Magic

Today I watched the news (literally) as it happened. Sitting in the WJZ studio, I was surprised at how many elements work together to make a news broadcast successful.

During the studio tour of WJZ - part of my internship at Himmelrich PR - I go to watch a live studio broadcast for the first time.

To my left, two technicians, sat behind computers, a teleprompter, and over 10 small monitors focused on different anchors and feeds. Beyond them, Don Scott reported live in front of a green screen. Straight ahead, Bernadette Woods checked her notes on her next weather forecast, and to my right, Jessica Kartalija waited for the cameraman to cue her next story.

For the latter half of the broadcast, I watched from the control room. Four producers watched a bank of monitors and timers flicking through the seconds of the broadcast. Each of them informed the news anchors, cameramen, and the audio tech of the countdowns until commercial breaks, relayed cues to on-air talent, and evaluated if all the stories prepared could air in the allotted time.

My experience at the studio gave me a new appreciation for the fast-paced, whirlwind environment that news stations thrive in every day to produce what, on our televisions screens at home, appears effortless.

But then again, that’s the magic of television, isn’t it?

Ally Burton