What goes on behind the camera at your local news channel?

Since starting my internship at a news station here in Oklahoma City there are so many things I've learned. Simply watching the news as a viewer is something i'll never be able to do again!

My view from the prompter, news desk on the right!

I grew up watching the nightly news with my parents and it is something I've continued to do in my "adulthood". It was watching the nightly news that inspired me to pursue a degree in Professional Media.

The anchors and reporters you see on television are only the tip of the iceberg in what goes into a show running smoothly.

The anchors

Here at my station are some of the nicest people you will ever meet and always take time out of their busy schedules to stop and ask the intern (that's me) how my day is going and tell me what an excellent job I've done running prompter (a lot harder and more stressful than it sounds) or whatever other job I've done. They also always remember my name and one even has a nickname for me! (M&M reporting for duty).

The reporters 

Some of the hardest working people I've seen! They are constantly out on assignment, putting excellent packages together from the live trucks, and getting back to the studio on time to turn in their material, The job of a reporter is not for the faint of heart.

The producers

They've got the whole show riding on their shoulders. I call myself lucky to get to work with the 10 o' clock producer here at work who is AMAZING at what she does. She even lets me write for her show and coaches me on everything in this crazy business.

The directors

The voice in our head...errr I mean ears/headset. Without them cueing the different aspects of the show, making sure we aren't heavy or light on time, I don't know how a show would run properly! TAKE GRAPHICS, TAKE THE TWO SHOT, TAKE LIVE SHOT, WRAP, they are amazing people!

The assignment desk editor 

 The one who sees all, hears all, knows all in the news room. I don't know how he does it but ours here at the station listens to 10 different police scanners simultaneously and can filter what's news worthy and what isn't. He is also in constant communication with people from all over the state and country, when he is gone, it takes two people to do his job!

Only half of the police scanners he listens to!

This is only scratching the surface of the jobs that go into making a show run smoothly. Others include the station engineers who are the fix all know alls, the editors who put packages together, the writers who write what you hear nightly, camera operators who keep the world running round, not to be confused with photogs who go on scene with reporters, storm chasers, chopper pilots, sports guys....

I could go on forever. The inner workings of a news station are fascinating, but if I told you everything, i'd have to kill ya ;)

Oh...and if there is breaking news or severe weather...everything I just told you is out the window!