Here's what I've been up to:
1. Working on the interactive website "Columbia Tomorrow". We are creating the site as an asset for Columbia, MO residents to learn more about growth and development and what the city will look like in 10-20 years. I personally am working on a multi-media video comparing and contrasting the costs and benefits of new developments in the city. I spoke with a family that recently moved into the Vanderveen Subdivision (a development which required an extension of sewer lines, the expansion of roads and a large amount of new infrastructure) about the fees passed onto them by the developer when they moved into their new home. I also spoke with city council member Barbara Hoppe. Hoppe is a proponent for Smart Growth, and believes in expanding up instead of out. Subdivisions such as Vanderveen, she says require too much new infrastructure and tax payers shouldn't have to bear the extra costs. The story itself will explain this fine line between new infrastructure / residents to the city not having to pay too much of the costs passed on from developers and taxpayers not wanting to be burdened with higher taxes for projects they won't obtain a direct benefit from (as explained by members of Smart Growth). The story is completely shot. I plan to write and edit the script this week.
2. I have continued with my dayside reporting shifts on Fridays. Since my last post, I have reported on two different issues. The first was a great story about local volunteers helping to move an old barn to its new location at the Columbia Fairgrounds. I love the way the story turned out. I shot the entire story, and I had a chance to be creative and really show off my shooting skills. This story is now the top story on my resume tape. Click here to watch it. This past Friday I was able to report on another interesting topic. That morning, I heard on NPR that financial analysts were predicting America would come out of the recession earlier than we had anticipated. Additionally, home costs are holding steady. When I made my way into KOMU, I noticed we had a press release from The Jefferson City Homebuilders Association talking about how there has never been a better time to purchase a home in Mid-Missouri. I shot this story (click here to watch it) and was able to combine the two bits of information.
3. Just this week, I started a new anchoring shift at KOMU-8. I will be anchoring the 6pm on Saturdays until the end of May. Here's a short VO I wrote and anchored.
4. I am also continuing to work on my resume website. I am very close to being finished. I am encountering some problems with adding SWF files to the site to show off a couple flash graphics I have put together for KOMU-8. I am designing my website with WIX, but I have been very unsatisfied with their customer service and with the site building capabilities (only certain levels of SWF may be uploaded, PDF files are not supported etc.) As soon as my link is up, I will post it here.
5. I have finished the fifth draft of my resume DVD and am now very satisfied with it. I have only sent it out to one news director (David Duitch at The 33 TV in Dallas, TX) but I have provided copies to a couple of my mentors for review (Frank Whittaker, news director WMAQ Chicago, Art Norman, reporter WMAQ Chicago and Patricia Doherty-Wildner, CEDA Vice President.)
6. Tomorrow I plan to print new business cards for my trip to the RTNDA@NAB conference. The new cards will have my website and twitter name. I also changed my title from "reporter" to "multi-media reporter" in attempts to make myself more marketable and to promote my shooting/editing/web production skills. The conference begins April 19 and will continue through the 22nd.
This month, I also realized just how much I love shooting. I used to dread shooting my own stories, but in the past couple months or so I've really found a passion for video journalism. I'm excited to (hopefully) hold a backpack journalist position in the near future. I believe the job will suit me well.
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