Broadcast dance

COLUMBIA, Mo. — I have a newfound appreciation for broadcast journalists.

The Sports Journalism Institute class made the trek out to KOMU, the local NBC station, to observe a newscast Tuesday. There, I entered a world filled with what seemed like endless cameras and monitors _ a world mostly foreign to my print-focused self.

During the newscast, producers juggled different shots and called out different signals as robotic cameras wheeled around the floor. It happened so fast, but everyone seemed to know what they were doing. Kent Collins, chairman of radio-television journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, explained how important it is to match the script with the visuals and get a variety of shots.

As a magazine writing major, I often forget how much goes into a broadcast. Not only do I appreciate this form of journalism more now, but the session also got me thinking of ways I can incorporate visuals into my writing.

So I might not ever use camera robots, but I can at least use what they and the rest of KOMU taught me.

— Annie Dankelson