Tea Tax Parties

I completed my first reporting shift at KOMU last week and for the most part, it was a success! Even from only having been there one day, I learned so many lessons on what works and what does not. From the beginning, I was assigned a story that was 1.5 hours away. A three hour commute will really cut into your editing and writing time. I arrived back at the station around 8 pm and had my script approved by 9 pm. But my computer had to be restarted and it took a very long time for my video to load in. Unfortunately, I didn't make the ten o'clock newscast. Although I was disappointed, it really taught me to expect the unexpected and to be able to work tightly under pressure and on deadline. I hope that my next story is not as far away because that crunch was not fun, but I understand it is a part of the news business.

The story I covered last week was about a Tax Tea Party that took place in Camden, MO, but was one of hundreds that took place all over the country. I was unfamiliar with the tea parties, and luckily, the one I covered was small in comparison to the 5,000 that came out in cities like Washington D.C. I enjoy watching stories on Newsy.com and one of them was actually about the media coverage of the national tax tea parties on April 15th. I was shocked at the controversy that surrounded JUST the coverage!!! Watching this report (http://www.newsy.com/videos/media_tea_party_brew/) reaffirmed that I have to be extra careful when covering protests, social issues, and anything controversial and that my tone is extremely important in the way my stories will be received. A guest speaker a couple of weeks ago made the comment that there is no such thing as completely objective reporting because we all come into this business with our individual backgrounds and preconceived notions. The most important thing is to acknowledge these factors and to make sure people double check your work. There will be some stories I cannot cover because of my culture and ideals, but there will be more that I will have to step outside of myself and be as objective as possible. One CNN reporter clearly was upset with the tax tea parties, and on the same page, the protesters were clearly very upset with her presence as well (they considered her the liberal media). She lost control and she lost her cool. The most important thing I can do is remember my surroundings and to remain in control of my situation. I can't control what people around me say, but I can control the way I act in a situation and the way I choose to cover it.