The Life of a Reporter, From a Former Reporter

I've never been more thankful to have left the on-air world of television than I am right now. Yeah, this year so far has been beyond awful for people across the world; Kobe died, the wildfires, a possible world war in January and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Hatred of the media has always existed and has been amplified moreso in the last 5-10 years. However, it's now reached levels of horrendous and atrocious behavior by people to members of the media.

As someone who spent eight years being a television anchor/reporter, I think I've seen and heard about every insult that can be thrown my way. I've had my life threatened. Someone's wished for me to be raped. I've had people try and start a physical altercation with me while I'm doing my job. I've had my voicemail and inbox flooded with criticism from the public. Now, I'm seeing fellow colleagues have their safety be put in physical danger. And can I please just say something? Shut your ignorant and hateful mouth up.

Let me break down what the job of a television reporter is, because I can guarantee you that your idea is beyond outdated. It starts with simply finding a story idea. Sometimes, there are great days where there are countless things happening. Other times, there are days where the most exciting thing happening is a church planting flowers (yeah, I was at a television station that ran a story about a church planting flowers...talk about news judgment).

Speaking of, news judgment is what decides what is worthy of getting coverage and going on the air. 95 percent of the time, that reporter's own news judgment is not what determines if they can follow through with a story idea they pitched. It comes from the news director. Now, the news director is the boss of the newsroom. They hire the personnel in a newsroom, they determine what runs in a show, they are the top tier of daily news production. What they say goes. So, even though a reporter may believe that, for sake of example, someone refusing someone business is a great story, there is a chance the news director may not agree. That's all dependent on that news director's news judgment.

Let's say the news director agrees. Now, the reporter has to play phone tag and shoot emails back and forth with people to finally get at least 2 interviews set up. These sources could respond back immediately, or they're busy and don't respond right away (which I'm not bashing. You all have your own lives and jobs, too). It can take hours sometimes for sources to get back to a reporter. Let's say they get back to them at 1:30 p.m. and say yes. The first show that this story needs to be in is for the 5 p.m. show. The reporter then needs to drive (by themself in a majority of markets) to meet the sources, conduct the interviews, shoot b-roll and drive back. If this interview is in town, all of that should take about an hour if that. If it's out of town, well then, add on travel time. I was at a station where unless I was in the county of the station, it was an average of an hour and 15 minute drive, one way. So, factor that in there.

It's now 2:45. The reporter is back at the station. They have to ingest all their footage, listen to their sources, cut the sound that they think tells the best story and then write a script. That normally takes about 45 minutes, barring any technological problems like their software crashing. So now, it's 3:30. This script now needs to get approved by one of the managers in charge. This could take as quick as 5-10 minutes or it could take 2 hours. Off of my experience, it takes about 45 minutes. Now it's 4:15. They have to very quickly voice their script and edit their story along with insert graphics and get the video to master control. That takes about 35-45 minutes. So it is now 4:50...this reporter has been going 100 miles an hour to turn a story for one show. Also, this person needs to "front" their story, also known as being either in studio tossing to their story or being on location, live. If they're live, they have to get on location and have their shot set up 10-15 minutes before they're supposed to go on air. Also, just add in the fact that this reporter needs to have makeup and hair done and looking perfect before going on air (yes, men wear makeup, too. Lights are bright, and you don't want to look shiny).

But wait, they need to churn a different version of their story for the 6 p.m. and the 10 p.m. show. When that reporter gets back to the newsroom, they then have to shorten it for the late shows, get a web article written, have that get proofread by the digital supervisor, upload their aired story onto the web, and then post that on social media and hope and pray they have enough of a following to get clicks.

That back in 2000? That did not exist. What that reporter did in one day and does EVERY SINGLE DAY THEY WORK was about five people's jobs. Maybe even six. There are no camera operators anymore in a majority of the country. There are no editors to help edit reporters' stories anymore. Social media wasn't even a thing. News websites weren't prevalent or even existed to the degree they're at now. It is now a full one-man job to be a reporter; you have to wear five different hats and be willing to deal with any changes.

During this time, there was no time to take a lunch break, probably only snuck in either fast food if they had that extra 5 minutes or a granola bar that sits in the bottom of their drawer or bag. They're having their producers asking for updates. These reporters also need to update their social media everywhere they go. The news director may also have the reporter go cover another "short, quick story" (like a grand opening for a local business) while they're out.

So, people who think they can do a reporter's job, please tell me if that's what you thought their job was. They don't just read. The only people that just read are the TOP SHOT ANCHORS at the massive markets. Even those anchors were a reporter at some point, but a lot of them were not reporters during the late 2000s and on because they busted their ass to become an anchor.

I'm so sick and tired of hearing from people who are not in the media world hate and bash on something they have no actual concept of. It's like if I went into a courtroom and just started bashing the judge or attorneys, because I don't like what they're saying. That is what you do on Facebook or Twitter when you bash a reporter. Unless you, as a viewer, see an error and want to offer a correction, have a question or even just want to give a compliment, you can keep your "Fake News" or "the media is a joke" comments to yourself. Guess what? That rude comment means you're listening and watching regardless.

"Well, I'm watching to point out Fake News." I call bull. If you really thought there was "fake news," YOU WOULDN'T WATCH OR READ THE NEWS. But because you don't want to be uninformed about your world and society and things that are happening, you turn to the media. If anything, we in media are the voice of the people. We are the voice of the community. You want to know how we find story ideas? The community wants to have their voice heard, and they reach out to a news outlet. If you don't want news, then don't reach out and don't watch. It's that simple.

"Karli, only some outlets are fake news. The rest are credible." That is up to your personal judgment of what you enjoy to watch or read or follow. I'm not knocking you on what you enjoy. But let me remind you that the facts they're reporting are facts. If you don't like those facts, that's fine, but that doesn't mean it's fake news. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and those cable shows are now just opinion networks that take news and have it fit into their opinions. THAT is not news reporting. That is watching talking heads. There's a damn difference.

Now, this is coming from someone who spent 4 years in sports only and then 8 years in total doing news and sports. I have done every job, minus a general manager, in a newsroom that you can think of. I've been every cog in that wheel of a newsroom. I have a grasp of what's needed to get done in a timely and factual manner.

In February of 2020, I left being a reporter/anchor because of the toll the job took on me. I was stuck between trying to please my managers and doing what's right for the community. There were a lot of times, in my experience 95% of the time, that those two never worked together. If I did what my managers wanted, I would get berated by the community. If I did what the community wanted, I would get berated by my bosses. There was no win-win situation. Imagine what that can do to a person who's barely making ends meet and has other factors contributing to the stress of life. That can take a massive hit on someone's mental and physical health.

So, the next time you want to bash the media, I want you to have a full understanding of what goes down in a newsroom. I want you to know what that reporter's day was like. I want you to know that we are not doing this for money, seeing that the average starting salary in a mid-major market for reporters is a whopping $30,000 and they MAY break into $40,000 after doing 4-5 years of work. We don't do this to just have our face on television or our name in the paper/online (most of us, anyway. There are some "journalists" out there who are self-centered). We don't do this job for clout (you can get clout and make way more money doing something less stressful. That's just a fact).

We do this to tell the stories of the community. We do this to be the voice of the public. We do this to be the representative of the public. We do this to make someone's day. We do this to shed light on an issue or event that's happening. We do this to let you, the same person that is bashing the media, know what's going on in the world.

So the next time you want to bash the media or a reporter in any way, whether it be on social media, through an email, over the phone or in person, just ask yourself one question: how would you feel if someone came into your place of work and said the following:

"You're just a blonde bitch who doesn't know jack shit. You're fake news. I hope someone comes and rapes you, because you deserve it because of the shit job you're doing."

Yeah, that's an actual message I received from a viewer who did not like that I did not show their child in a highlight. That wasn't even a news piece. Try going into work the same way ever again after hearing that.

6 Months Away From Home

For those who don't know, I moved from Chicago to a tiny, little town in the middle of Eastern Kentucky for a job. I have yet to go back to Chicago since I moved here about six to seven months ago. HOWEVER, I never expected to enjoy a small town as much as I have.

I moved from the metropolis of over nine million people to a town of just about 6,000. Talk about a culture shock. When I first moved here, I was just stuck in a hole. I kept going up to Athens to see my old friends, I rarely left my apartment on my days off, and I just felt really out of place. I was a 6' tall Chicagoan who moved to the South, so I felt SUPER out of place.

I would go out on stories and cover high school and college athletes. I would make on average an hour drive to get these interviews and get to know these kids. The one thing that just kept showing itself over and over again is the amount of poverty in this part of the state. I would see delapidated houses, lawns that are unkept, hundreds of torn up mobile homes and just poverty stricken homes. But then, I would meet these kids, and they would blow my mind.

These kids, especially the high schoolers, are struggling through so much and have so many extra responsibilities that I didn't have growing up. I was blessed to grow in the city with so many options to help the family when I could. But these kids are just having a smile on their face, practice and play their butts off, and keep living their life to the best of their ability.

I never thought these high schoolers would be as influential on me as they have been. They have so many dreams and aspirations and they don't let their location get in the way. I had the privilege to live in such a big city and have so many opportunites at my disposal. These kids are scraping by to just be a success, and it's truly inspiring.

These parents of these kids are even more impressive. They sacrifice everything to make sure their baby can get the new gear for practice or take them all over the country so they can grow as athletes. I've interviewed so many parents and teenagers, and all of them have touched me in some way.

When I first moved here, I was a snob. I thought I was better than all these people down here, because I came from Chicago. I was stuck up. I admit that. Now that I've been here as long as I have, I realized that I'm not better than anyone else. These kids are all trying to acheive the same goals I had when I was their age. These kids have humbled me, and I never thought a small town would have that much of an impact on my life.

Journalism Matters

The first amendment of the Constitution of this great country gives five freedoms to all citizens in this nation, one of them being freedom of the press. As of late, the media industry has been hasseled due to coverage of the presidential campaigns and other top issues, saying that there is bias when it comes to controversial issues.

Journalists have been threatened, harrassed and ridiculed for telling a story. Journalists have been construed to be menaces to society and people who want to uproot the values of this great nation. They say that "old" journalism back in the 1970s and earlier were the glory days of journalism, because things were exposed for the better of this country.

However, when controversial issues come to light, journalists are then the devil. Journalists become a great evil in some people's eyes. Journalism is then crushed as a field of work that just abides by an "agenda."

Did you ever think what a world without the media would be?

People wouldn't know how bad the murder rate is. People wouldn't know about the rising heroin epidemic. People wouldn't know about the scandals in the Catholic Church. People wouldn't know about Joe Paterno. People wouldn't know about Watergate. People wouldn't know about bombings overseas in Syria. People would be so ill-informed about the world around them.

Without journalism, the truth would not be known. History would be different. The government would be different. Sports would be different. Society as a whole would be different.

But because one outlet releases a story about something that you don't agree with no matter the facts behind it, you will hate the media. You hate the media because we open your eyes. You hate the media because we tell stories you may not enjoy but need to know. You hate the media because we expose people. You hate the media because we want you to stop living in a blissful world of ignorance.

You hate the media because you want to believe what you want to believe.

So before you go and say that the media is unimportant, just think about what the world would be like if there weren't people who wanted to dedicate their lives to finding out why something is the way it is. People who want to tell the story of a boy who shows that you can do anything you dream of doing. People who want to tell the story of how this one action can save thousands of lives.

People who want to make your voice heard.

Journalism matters.

This post was inspired by Bryan Vance.

I Did It

Best choice I made was coming here. pic.twitter.com/7R5xiWDIAa

— Karli Bell (@KarliBell33) November 25, 2015

Four years ago, I received a letter in the mail back home in Chicago from Ohio University, saying that I was accepted into the university and into the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Who knew that me making my decision to make the culture change from the metropolis of Chicago to the small town of Athens, Ohio would change my life for the better?

Today, I am an official graduate of Ohio University. I finished my degree in three and a half years and made lifetime friends while I was here. The memories I've made here are innumerable. From spending countless Friday nights in the newsroom for Gridiron to every roommate experience I've had, there is so much I've learned here.

The hours I've spent in the WOUB newsroom is immense. I've met my mentors, some of my best friends for life, and future journalists and teachers that are going to change the world for the better in that newsroom. Every show, every cast, every package, every live shot, every interview, and every game I've been a part of has shaped me in some way.

Now, I'm done with school and will enter the working world. I didn't expect my time here to end so quickly. I'm done with school. That's all I've known for 21 years. I'm going to be honest: I'm a bit scared to enter this new working world without having to worry about a 20 page paper to turn in for a political science course or a presentation for a Spanish class.

I'm not trying to sound cliche, but these were the best years of my life. I've had my trials and tribulations like everyone does, but I wouldn't change anything about my time here in Athens. Anytime I meet a freshman, I always say, "I'm so jealous." They have another four years in the best place in this country. It's become my home away from home. I never thought that I would love a small town as much as I love my big city.

I cannot thank my parents enough for letting me pursue my dream and my future. They gave me all the tools they could afford, supported me when others didn't, and took a huge financial risk on their daughter who wanted to get a journalism degree. That is something that I don't think I can ever fully repay. Even when I do eventually pay off these loans, I will still owe them my life for doing something like that for me.


Thanks so much Ohio University & WOUB for giving me the opportunities and
the work environment where I can grow as a journalist. Thank you to Jimmer, Seth, Baucco, and Lucas for being my mentors. Thank you Allison, Atish, Gabe, and Susan for being great co-workers in the newsroom as professional staff. Thank you to the sports department for becoming a part of my family and creating our own fraternity. I know all of you are going to be great successes one day, ranging from my fellow nine seniors all the way down to the freshmen. Thank you Carter for working with me through every issue and obstacle thrown our way this past semester. I couldn't have done anything without you. Thank you John & Jordan for being the best two friends I could have ever asked for.

Thank you to my roommates Katie, Tia, Madison, and Kristin for being able to deal with me for these past two years. Thank you to all my Fenwick girls (Tori, Izzy, Ashley, Claire, Speez, and Theresa) and the two fellow founders of the broadcast club (Jake & Will). Without you guys helping and pushing me throughout high school, I don't know where I would be now.

I still don't know where I will be next, and it's terrifying knowing that. I've been persistent, sent in bunches of job applications, created my resume, created demo reels and created my own website. Now, it's a waiting game to see what station will accept me to join their newsroom, just how four years ago I was waiting to see who would accept me to join their academic community.

All I can say now? I did it.