Abstract:
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a television news reporter. I love meeting new people and seeing interesting things every day. However, the majority of newscasts today are filled with stories about distressing crimes, deadly fires, and devastating car accidents. Those are interspersed with less-than-exciting updates on legislative meetings, court hearings, and executive seminars.News directors seem to insist these are the reports viewers want to watch, but I believe positive stories about fascinating people and places can hold a viewer's attention just as well. I also think untraditional feature stories stir more emotions in the people watching at home.My college experience consisted of internships with news departments in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. I also participated in a news immersion program at Ball State's NewsLink Indiana. I gained much hands-on experience and knowledge in all three settings, but I particularly enjoyed creating news packages every day at NewsLink Indiana. NewsLink management allowed us to try unconventional ideas. I was able to produce many stories featuring local people, which I greatly enjoyed. At the internships, I also tried to create news packages that featured individuals.My thesis project is a collection of many of those feature stories. Often such stories require more time and creativity, but I believe they are more entertaining for the audience. I enjoy working on feature stories because they are more fun and interesting for me as a reporter. Reporters are supposed to be eyes and ears for the community, and many of these exciting stories are normally overlooked. Newsrooms are too concerned about reporting what they think they're "supposed to," but much of that is boring or depressing. Perhaps a larger audience would watch the news if there were more upbeat stories.My project gives an overview of my college work, which included days of searching, questioning, and writing, all in an effort to be a good storyteller. The video includes some of my favorite stories, and introduces the viewer to some of the people I've been privileged to meet. This project is my way of capturing the art of telling feature stories. My writings help the audience understand what was involved in creating each story. My personal critiques also help me see what I don't like about the finished pieces, so I can try to improve my future stories. I hope the video will engage, enlighten, and entertain the audience, and I hope the stories will be ones people watch closely, talk about, and remember.
