Broadcast Journalism

As a journalist, you must grow like a mushroom: rapidly and suddenly. Broadcast journalism is a section where I am not quite a mushroom, but am on the way to becoming a great one. This method of journalism is used by the top news outlets and is needed in the era of people being glued to screens. I've gotten the opportunity to explore these more in detail, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Podcasting/audio

I firmly believe this is a golden way for telling stories. Not everyone has the time and the attention to pull up an article and read it carefully. But through podcasting, all the listener needs to do is hit the "play" button and let the conversation lead. This is a great way to engage an audience in a world where other means of getting information is rising.

Guiding the conversation as a host -->

Here, I planned an outline that the other speakers and I could refer back to. They include talking points and guideposts. We also planned who would say what, with the consideration that we may go off track; after all, podcasting is a meaningful way of storytelling through conversation.

Here are the other people who speak on podcasts together in our beloved podcasting room. My journalism class offers its use outside of school hours for our podcast.

Here on the left, you'll see a podcast episode that was hosted, produced and edited by me. I did not do this through my journalism class, but rather outside of class through a podcast called The First Resort that I, along with a couple of peers, created.

Here, we talked about whether we thought the true purpose of education had been lost. It was based on one of my earlier articles that I had written called "Swept under: True purpose of education lost in grades, tests."

I got to touch on issues I believe are unaddressed and problematic in edications systems with the United States and in Asia (Korea and China). As a journalist, I truly believe that it is my duty to let people see past our daily routines. Students are deep into study that a majority don't realize they're truly not learning. Grades are great motivators, but too much of them poses risks. Here, in this episode, I got to explore this.

TPOFE.pdf

Software

In the world of podcast editing, many people use Adobe Premiere Pro, but a great alternative is called Riverside. I was looking for a free resource and this worked out great. It helps me cut, transition, mute, and play with different volumes of different speakers.

JEA National Convention notes

At the Philadelphia JEA National Convention, I went to a podcasting session intentionally to help learn more about this craft. It was presented by Northwestern Medill Professor Michael A. Spikes. I adopted some things, like encouraging the use of simple language, to better hook an audience.

Here are a couple of other podcast episodes I did.

Video

PBS Student Reporting Labs project

How I stumbled upon this

In 2025, I wrote a feature article about Dr. Andria Watkins, a special education teacher at my school. I walked into the interview expecting to talk to her about her hobbies and why she decided to take on her new role at Chantilly High School. Instead, I walked out inspired and in awe. I learned Dr. Watkins was a marathon runner, someone who ran Ironmans, hundreds of miles at once. When I asked her why she did it, I learned she did it to understand the struggle of her students. After I wrote the story and published it, I still felt I could do more. I wanted to learn more about her and her story, something that is so noble and pure.

This led me to pitch this story to PBS Student Reporting Labs, a branch of PBS that allows students to publish journalistic stories and content through it. Despite having little to no broadcast experience, my pitch got approved.

**Side note: Does this pattern sound familiar? As a journalist, I've grown by throwing myself into situations that force me to grow, even if I don't understand how to do it (editing, InDesign, leadership, etc.). What seemed daunting always turned out to be something I learn to love. As I progress further with this project, I truly feel this way.

Here's a picture of lovely Dr. Andria Watkins!! Through this process, I've built a personal relationship with her as well. I've wholeheartedly enjoyed listening to all the stories she has to say about her running experiences.

This was the option I chose! I felt that it fit my vision of what I want my project to be.

copy_26460005-1C73-4FAA-B1B6-BAAE222D85AD.mov

Here is my IN-PROGRESS DRAFT. Unedited and very, very rough draft. Currently, I still have not recorded all the b-roll/a-roll I need. I still need to interview a student of Dr. Watkins, a process that has taken a long time due to the need for administrative approval. It is in the vertical format intentionally, since it will be published as an Instagram reel when done.

More pictures of Dr. Watkins posing with friends, for a pre-run photoshoot and during a run. Stories like these truly remind me why I do journalism.

Email chains and pitches

PBS pitch (approved) (1).pdf

Here is my written pitch that has been approved.

Fairfax County Public Schools Mail .pdf

Read at your own risk: Here's a long, 11-page email chain where school and district administrators had to approve me interviewing a student of Dr. Watkins who could attest to her ability as a teacher. It's finally confirmed, but that did take a while!!

Tools

I use these clipable tiny microphones I got from Amazon. I believe they were $10. There's also a plug-in you see there; it connects to my phone and collects the audio with the highest quality possible. The button on the bottom left is so that when cutting a-roll/b-roll, I don't have to shake the camera; it does it for me from afar.

Editing software

I use Adobe Premiere Pro. Slowly, I'm learning to navigate this application that presents me with an infinite number of tools and features!

Reaching out for help

One of the journalists I met at the Al Neuhrath Free Spirit and Journalism conference specializes in broadcast journalism. Here, I asked her what she uses and what tips she has. I find it helpful to ask my peers for help! I'm always very willing to learn and ask for help to be able to tell a story in the best way.

Sample SRL short 1

www.instagram.com/reel/DNoaE_rMiuR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Sample SRL short 2

www.instagram.com/p/DL8l4oBhz4y/

While these are not works produced by me, they are good examples of my final goal I want to achieve by the end of this process.

University of Pennsylvania GSE Philly Journalism Camp

IMG_9709.MOV

This was a very sweet server at a restaurant; she had been working there for so many years. Through this brief interview, I got to understand a small part of her life.

IMG_9710.MOV

This was a very chipper man. He was a regular and really loved this shop!

In 2024, around 20 other journalists and I participated in the University of Pennsylvania GSE Philly Journalism Camp in the heart of Philadelphia. Here, they taught us the basics of journalistic reporting, and one of them was interviewing pepole thorugh visual means.

Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House notes - Google Docs.pdf

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