Summer Internship 2021: Week 11
I have never worked so many hours in a week. I quickly learned you need a different kind of stamina in the workplace. From covering breaking news in Afghanistan to a bomb threat at the Library of Congress, I was working overtime half of the week. Not to mention I slaved away at the Pentagon working on the camera crew for two exclusive 9/11 interviews.
Being in the newsroom during national breaking news is different than anything I’ve experienced before. While it may look normal, you can feel the tension as everyone is trying to keep up with updated information as we try to create a news package that’s timely. In addition, I learned how hard it can be to separate your emotions and personal beliefs in the moment of breaking news.
With Afghanistan, I got a different perspective of the Taliban just by being in the newsroom. I learned of journalists who risked their lives just to report on the Taliban takeover. How these reporters were treated, especially if they were women, was terrible. The climate got so dangerous, they evacuated every US news team and forced them to only take 10 KG of luggage. Forcing photographers to leave their priceless camera equipment.
Dealing with a bomb threat so close to the office is a different form of chaos. All of our information was solely coming from social media and the only major news outlet covering it seemed to be MSNBC. It was very disappointing to find out this man didn’t have any explosives on him and did this for attention. I stressed out all day for nothing but the story got done.
The most exhausting part of my entire internship would easily be working on the camera crew for the Pentagon interviews. During the peak of the heat wave, I was asked to load and unload 400 pounds of camera equipment. After spending two hours setting up for the first interview, I filmed the thirty minute interview with a 9/11 survivor who was in the Pentagon when the terrorist attack happened. Afterwards, we ran into another survivor who has denied all our previous requests to interview but changed her mind when she saw us. Unfortunately, it started to rain so I had to save thousands of dollars of equipment and pack it up all by myself. While it was cool to drive the company SUV, I was completely burnt out by the end and had to get on the bus drenched in sweat and rain. (Yes, I woke up sore the next morning).
After working myself to death with these special topics on top of bookings, satellite requests and producing the Friday Feed, I desperately needed a rest day on Saturday. On Sunday, I ventured back into the city to film three stories for my news reel. My goal is to have my reel done by the end of the week to start applying for grown up reporter jobs. Wish me luck!
