Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like every writer has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Some of my favorite books to read are memoirs written by other journalists to learn where their stories began and how their careers became what they were. To this date I have read biographies from the likes of Regis Philbin, Giuliana Rancic, Tom Brokaw, Scott Pelley, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and many more. I have many more sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to be read.
When I was a senior in college, I had a dream to become the next host of E! News. That said, I started my own spinoff of the popular ET Radio Minute called the Celeb 411 Update. The update played at the top of the hour on Radio Mitchell. The three minute update provided the breaking news of Hollywood, top stories of the day, and a nightly TV rundown of what was to come on the major networks.
When I found out that Giuliana Rancic was releasing a book, I was crossing my fingers for a book tour. When I saw that she would be an hour from my house, I knew I needed to go! I stood in line on a rainy April evening just to get the chance to meet her. I've heard many horror stories about meeting childhood idols, so I was pretty nervous. However, Giuliana couldn't have been more inviting or kind.
I told Giuliana about my passion for the world of entertainment news and she shared a few brief tips on what it takes to make it in the entertainment business. I still have high hopes for that future career in Hollywood, but I am also quite content with my current job. All good things happen when they are supposed to.
Something not many people know about me is my passion for catastrophic weather. There is just something so captivating to me about what Mother Nature can do when she's really angry.
In 2012, the northeastern seaboard was rocked when Hurricane Sandy devastated much of our coastline. I was a senior in college, living in coastal Connecticut. My dorm was directly across the street from the Thames River and all but a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean. My roommate and I were mandatorily evacuated from our dorm and went to a local hotel.
I don't think I'll ever forget the sound of the wind howling, the downpour of rain, or the white caps of the waves. It was truly captivating to watch. However, the devastation was only just beginning. I remember the gas rationing, supplies running low, and the weeks without power or running water. Sandy broke our hearts.
I feel like I definitely missed a calling when it came to meteorology. I always say that if I wasn't a journalist, I'd probably be a weather expert or storm chaser. About two months before Hurricane Sandy, I got the opportunity to meet Channel 7 ABC Eyewitness News Chief Meteorologist Bill Evans when he stopped by my internship at a local radio station.
Bill was about as classy as it gets. He was on the road promoting his new fiction novel and I begged my internship to let me attend the book signing and release party. Knowing he worked for Channel 7, I wanted to let him know that I was a loyal viewer and fan of his career.
Much like Giuliana, Bill also offered advice to me about working my way in from the bottom. Bill was 100% a class act.
My cousin and I are big country music fans and when we found out about Tim McGraw doing a free concert on Good Morning America, we had to go. Despite the early morning train ride (Hello 3:00 AM!) and pouring rain, we had access with a limited number of people inside the studio to watch Tim perform songs off his new album.
I was in absolute heaven in that television studio overlooking Times Square. The inner journalist in me was screaming. Good Morning America and the TODAY Show are two shows that I watch as often as I can. I love both of their approaches to reporting and showcasing stories about overcoming adversity, beating the odds, recovering from tragedies, and the passion and conviction in all of their reporters.
As my cousin and I were standing there on the set of Good Morning America, I saw many faces walk by that I recognized. It wasn't until I saw Robin Roberts that I became struck. I was always drawn to Robin on the show. I don't know what it was about her but I just loved the way she reported the news. My cousin caught me staring at her from across the room and encouraged me to ask for a photo.
Why did my inner shyness have to come out at that very moment? I am NEVER shy, but I felt so timid going over there and asking for a photo. My cousin basically dragged me by the arm and put me directly in front of Robin before I could even say anything. Robin was hands down one of the sweetest and kindest people I have ever met. She is exactly what she portrays on television.
I guess I should probably mention that we also got to take pictures with Tim McGraw, but Robin was way cooler (no offense Tim!)
Currently as the executive editor for multiple publications, I don't get the opportunity to write articles as much as I'd like. I'm so busy with my editing duties that the time to write just doesn't fit within the 24 hours in a day. Sometimes though, I get lucky.
In 2019, a local women's organization had planned on hosting a lunch and learn program on the future of news. Obsessed with my career, I took the day off from my second job (babysitting) and drove to the event. Breaking News: Navigating Today's Media was a panel discussion with local media experts. One of the panelists was another member of ABC Channel 7, Rob Nelson.
Even though I was technically attending to hear what the panelists had to say about the future of journalism, I decided to wing it and cover the story for my job. After speaking to the event coordinators, I was given permission to speak to the panelists and moderator.
Rob was quite insightful about the future of journalism, in light of "fake news". I spoke with him very candidly about my fears for the future of journalism and the next generation of reporters to come. I've always believed that to be a reporter, you need to be approachable and easy to talk to. Rob was exactly that.
I have a lot of respect for Rob, being a dad, reporter, and good guy all wrapped in to one. He also kept it 100% real and honest with me about what it takes to be a reporter at one of the top channels in the nation. Rob has now moved on to launch a new news program in Chicago, but I still keep up with him on social media.
I want to stress the importance of always staying a student. I cannot tell you how much I have learned purely just from talking with other editors and reporters. Your ideas about how to do things may not be the best, and it's important to recognize that people who have come before you may not have done it the best way. Ask questions to other reporters, pick their brain on topics that you are uncomfortable with, learn from their mistakes, but most of all, help build each other up.
Signing off,
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