As News Director Chris Ford conducted the tour through the building, he showed the class how they get the news, decide what gets on the air, and how they edit the news and commercials. Ford also talked about the different stations around the country that are part of the Journal Broadcast Group.
A highlight of the tour was a visit with Meteorologist and Wisconsin native Brian Gotter. Ever since getting his job at Channel 4 he has done his best, and told the students: “It's not easy all the time, but if you try as hard as you can you’ll get a lot of work done....I have made mistakes almost everyday because the weather isn't scripted--it's just you up there saying what comes to mind without a teleprompters helping you.”
Gotter also said that one of the good things about the festivals in Milwaukee is that he gets a chance to reach out to the public there. He loves when people tell him how much they feel like he and the other newscasters are part of their families.
Reporter Melissa McCrady stopped to talk to the class on her way out--after a long day that started at 2am. She explained that she loved her job because every day is different, and she likes working under pressure.
Broadcast Media later went behind the scenes to watch the noon newscast produced live right in front of them. This gave the students a chance to meet the Anchors--Vince Vitrano and Diane Pathieu--and ask them questions. During the newscast the anchors are on Twitter and Facebook updating the community about what’s going on. The students saw firsthand how the green screen is used by the Meteorologist when on the air. It was surprising not to see any camera people--the cameras are controlled robotically and seemed to move by themselves.
At a commercial break the anchors invited the class onto the set to see what they see when facing the cameras. Gotter suggested that the class be put on the air, and before they knew it the surprised students were waving to the cameras as they made their local TV debuts.
Sophomore Jazzmin Boyd described the experience at TMJ4 as one she will remember forever, and said she gained a new appreciation for how hard it really is to produce the news. Senior Tiara Allen said: "Every time we watch the news now, we’ll be able to picture the extravagant background."
See the slide show at right for more images of the tour.
