My proximity to these people provided a different and unexpected perspective. Within two weeks, their faces and ascribed television personalities were redefined and their humanity revealed. However, aside from the discovery that journalists are people too, my summer at ITV exposed me too the nature of life in the work force as well fostered in me a new concept of realism. Looking back, I compare student life and the world of television news to experiencing the calm before the storm. But student stresses are nothing compared to the daily life of the television journalist.
Every task has to be accomplished by a certain time regardless of unpredictable delays.
Deadlines aside, the most important premise of television journalism is one that I started off the summer being totally oblivious too. I walked into the newsroom with the na ve and idealistic assumption that television news, being the most powerful source of information for the public, is used to inform and educate. It was my innocent belief that the television is used as a medium through which truth tellers inform the populace of what they need to know. However, it was soon revealed to me that television journalism implies many things, the least of which encompass idealism. Deadlines, communication, story telling, and entertainment are all key aspects of the game, but the most important factor is public interest.