Reporter at WTVF News Channel 5 in Nashville, Tennessee
What are some past job positions you have served?
After graduation in 1995 I went to WMGC-TV in Binghamton, NY where I was a reporter and anchor. Then in 1997 I moved to KFVS 12 in Cape Girardeau, MO as a reporter and weekend anchor. From there I moved in 2002 to WTVW-TV in Evansville, IN to anchor the morning and midday newscasts. In May of 2004 I came to Nashville.
What are your favorite memories of the TCNJ JPW Program?
Some of my best memories are from Professor Kim Pearson’s writing classes. I also took all the communications classes, to try and learn the television side of the business. They were always a lot of fun because we were able to produce actual TV programs.
What are the most important skills you learned that you use today?
While writing a print news story and a television news story could not be more different, the basic reporting skills you need for both are the same. The beats class is one that still sticks in my mind today. Cultivating sources from your beats is so crucial to your success as a reporter. If you have the right contacts, and you know your market, you will always have great pitches, and great stories.
Do you have any advice for current TCNJ students trying to break into the business?
I thought I could take journalism classes and learn the writing and reporting aspect of the business, then take communications classes to learn the TV side of things. At the time I assumed the two would perfectly mesh together. They did not. Print journalism, and TV journalism are completely different beats, so I had a learning curve. When I got my first job, I basically had to learn everything about a TV newsroom, starting with the most basic skills. I am not sure if the program has changed since the 1990’s, but back then there was not a television news track. My advice is to know exactly what your journalism goals you have, and before you graduate, have the skills to match them. Take advantage of your internships. There is no better learning, than hands-on learning.