I figure, what's stopping me from getting in the game and giving it all I got....well, within reason for a hard-working new mommy! Time is precious these days with a one-year-old running around my feet, but I've wanted to start my own communications firm for a while now.
It all started out of journalism school and into a busy newsroom as a desk intern.
People always have questions for me when they find out I worked in TV newsrooms.
"Ohhhh, what was it like?"
"Is that anchor really a prima donna like I hear?"
"What did you do?"
"Was it exciting?"
Glamour in a newsroom equals really loud scanners, especially during breaking news!!
And, let's call the 'ecclectic' newsroom callers an added bonus. Stack on top of that he stress of the daily/hourly/minute deadline...skipping lunch because you have to get your reporters assigned and out the door....then you have all the beat calls to make and your working your sources and running into a brick wall.
Not to mention following up on the hundreds of newstips you gather each day.....whew...(I'm tired)...when can I stop?
As the student tours pass by, your colleagues always point out to the wide-eyed kids that you have the "hardest job in the newsroom," which in newsroom language translates to :
"Meet Melissa, she's the one of a very small pool that is crazy enough to do this job." :) Nadia, my schmoopie knows what I'm talking about ~ wink, wink.
When asked if I miss working in the newsroom ~ I always pause for some reason.
Things I miss:
--My colleagues and good friends...We news people are a RARE breed with seats reserved, sitting next to one another, in hell...somewhere. We deal with stress by making harsh jokes with our colleagues about the interesting, tragic, serious, mysterious and sometimes deadly news that we cover on a daily basis. If you have ever gone to happy-hour with a newsroom's staff, you certainly know the caliber of topics that come up around the table. Unfortunately, spouses of newsroom staff are stuck....listening to us moan, critique and talk non-stop news along with the latest shop gossip.
--The adrenaline rush...
When breaking news hits or you stumble on to an exclusive story that none of the other local shops knows about, it's a pretty good feeling. Your filled with the pride you first felt when you signed up and turned in your first report in Journalism 101 (so naive) in college. Adrenaline comes out of the fear of listening to a deadly house fire, highway accident or stand-off with a hostage that ends up in a shooting death of a toddler or young teenage girl. It's heartbreaking stuff sometimes, but the pride that you feel by helping solve a crime with your all-over coverage or getting a local family the community help they so desperately need....the difficult times seem worth it.
--Inside information....
When you work on a busy news desk, you are privy to information that the public will never hear. I'm not talking about biased coverage or omitting facts from stories, but the simple nuances of a personal interview, something someone said to you in a phone conversation as you set up the interview for your reporter. The personal quirks you learn about in talking with a mother about her soldier son, just killed in action. The real 'heart' pieces of a story that you can never convey to the viewer.
These are the things I miss....Ugh, ...now I guess I'll talk about the things I don't.
The breaking news... that keeps me from a movie date night with my hubby, giving up tickets to a game or concert
Working on your day off to fill in for a sick co-worker.
No holiday vacations and don't even think about taking time off during sweeps!
That's just my short list. ;)
Every day I would take calls from PR firms around the state/nation pitching stories on people, businesses and events for our media coverage. I've heard some of the worst and best ways to get on-air....
When I start to tell people how easy it is for me to pitch their stories and get coverage for their products or biz, they want to know more. That's what I do - everyday. Let me do it for you.
So why shouldn't I get in the game?
I hope to market to mommy business owners, inventors, charities, community organizations, etc., who need help spreading the word about their events, their new flavor, their new chef, newest fundraiser and the like ~ the good things they are doing.
And I really want to be part of my great community and what better way to meet new people living and working in my hood?
Let's chat....
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