Investigation On Train Derailment Continues... And Dew Tour

This week was a crazy blur and I’ll be surprised if I remember half of it…

The biggest challenge I’ve found so far is going from one internship to the other doing completely different things. Transferring from writing broadcast to writing for web has been interesting and I find sometimes it might take me a day to slip into a comfortable zone with my writing for each of them. Going from web to broadcast doesn’t seem to difficult, but going from short and to the point broadcast to witty web articles has been.

Sunday I got my real first taste of learning how not to be timid about touchy subjects. After it was announced that one woman was killed in the train derailment we thought it would be nice to talk to her family. Starting in the phone book another reporter and I called a few people with her last name that lived in Rockford. When this turned up no results, the photog and I left to find the houses that had no number connected to them. We drove to four different houses and were able to rule out a couple, but for two of the homes, no one was there. Even though we weren’t able to find any of the relatives of the woman (which no other media outlet seems to be able to either), I did come out of the trip learning a lot about the history of Rockford… thanks to Bill.

On our way back from the homes, we stopped at a performing arts center to get some video of a father’s day music celebration. When I came back I called the spokesman of CN to get a few more details on the assistance program they are setting up to help for the families affected by the derailment.

Next I digitized in the video for the musical performance, wrote the script for it and rewrote a script about a Malaysian kung fu expert broke his own record by piercing four coconuts with his right index finger in just 30 seconds.

Afterwards I did some beat calls, but almost like always found nothing new going on. With that, it was time to get ready for the 10 newcast… I started chatting with the anchor and sports anchor while they got ready and we talked about Oprah and how she had rented the Rockford airport to send out her entire staff to Spain. Our question for Oprah--- does she know she’s really human?

On Tuesday, I came into the station earlier than I normally would have to learn how the web works at WREX, but as soon as I walked in, one of the reporters asked if I could go out on assignment with them. I couldn’t decline, so I asked the guy who’s in control of the web and he was fine with it.

I headed out with the reporter and photog. Our first stop was to check out a street that a viewer had said the tracks had been washed out at. A huge gully had formed and as soon as it gets closer to the tracks, the train is likely to topple over as it goes past…

On our way to the site of the train derailment Bob, the reporter I was shadowing, gave me a bit of history of some streets we passed in Rockford. Did you know the police found some sex slaves upstairs in that club, chained up, only a few hours of heat during the day, no furniture in the rooms? Bob asked me. And another street was famous for homicides… I guess it wasn’t a surprise when we drove past that area later we saw two women getting into a physical fight, one woman hitting the other with a broomstick.

At the site of the train derailment I learned how to work my way past the cops… well that is if the hard cop decides to go on lunch break and another soft one comes back out. I finally got a close look up of the tracks and how they were progressing in their repairs. We got some good shots, talked to a man from the NTPS.

Next it was off to check out another area of tracks near the Kishwakee River that had been washed out as well. This time we ran into a man walking out of his sisters apartment where he has been working for a couple of weeks repainting for her. He said that sometimes, after it rains, it looks like the tracks turn into a river. Finding all these washed out areas, make it a little worrisome that nothing is being done to fix them.

Wednesday was back to Chicago! Not too much to say about this day, mostly just putting together slideshows and writing articles.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday was Dew Tour days. Thursday was the Dew Tour’s opening day. Only media, friends of the media, and bmx/event coordinators were allowed into the park. It was the preliminary’s for the bmxers to see who would continue on in the contest. When I first got to Grant Park I thought we were going to get a tour. Instead Kristin and I got our press passes and were free to walk around where ever we wanted. Talk about understanding exactly why people love press passes so much. I met a ton of the bikers, got some good shots and although it rained, had a lot of fun.

On Friday the contest continued. Took lots of pictures and met plenty of bikers.

The last day of the Dew Tour I went alone. This was probably the most exciting of the three days because I got the chance to meet some big time bmx riders. I also was granted the chance, with the media pass, to be right up close and personal with the riders when they received their awards. Before the awards, I stood in the media and family section of the park next to the ramp to take photos. I appreciated being able to get some good shots of when one of the bmxers fell and had to be taken away, only to come back later and hug one of his best friends who had just finished their run. Right there in the action.

Deranged Clown, Colossal Explosion…One Heck of a Week

Andy Dick dressed as a deranged bloody Ronald McDonald wielding a large plastic silver knife, a train derailment causing a colossal explosion turning the sky a vast ball of orange, receiving a hug from Johnny Depp (okay that had nothing to do with journalism, but had to throw it in there anyway ;) ), insane weather and another break down from Patti.

No one word could begin to describe this week. Maybe short of extreme-extreme, but far from just hunky-dory.

Monday: WMAQ. This day was all about learning video uploading, creating slideshows and digesting info about how the web reaches out to its audience.

To start I created a slideshow on Rod Blago on his performance in “Rod Blagovejich Superstar”. Click here to see the slideshow on the left side of the page, first slideshow.

Next is when I learned about how to upload videos to the web. Something I’ve been wanting to learn since I first started.

Blogged an update about a missing girl: Click here to read the update.

After a few other things, the other intern and I worked on a slide show about crazy internet hoaxes to put into a slide show. Click here to see the pretty tight slideshow on the left side of the page. Click here to see the pretty tight slideshow on the left side of the page.

I feel like I also wrote at least one article this day, but I can’t recall which, and if so I forgot to put my byline in…

Tuesday: WMAQ. Intern meeting Wednesday. Learned about all the great sessions the interns will be having throughout our time here: tours of the station to take a look at the technical/digital of stations operations, learning about the news departments, and sales department.

My first article of the day required watching part of the show “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” and to recap Patti Blago becoming buddy-buddy with retired NBA player John Salley.

Although I kind of feel bad for Patti for being picked on so much, I can’t feel that bad when she put herself out there like that… especially on a dumb reality television show. Most people think it’s for charity, which is definitely great (although her charity of choice refused to take her money after her husband is previously accused of withholding money from them if the CEO didn’t donate money to his campaign), but it’s also her way of trying to support her family (refer back to last article I wrote about Patti and “Mr Mom”). Click here to read “Patti Tells BFF How Feds ‘Squeeze People’”

To end the day, I sat in on a conference call with Lora about web stuff. More deets to come on this at a later date…

Wednesday: WMAQ. For the most part on Wednesday, I choose which stories I wanted to write. I did start out with a story they gave me about on this guy who organized to send pizzas to Iraq for the soldiers who can’t be here for the fourth of July. This pizza party will go down in the Guinness Book of World Records. Click here to read “Pizza (and beer) on a Plane” (Snakes on a plane anyone??)

Had to talk to the coordinator because I was a little surprised they were sending beer over there, because well troops aren’t allowed alcohol overseas.

Went to a Digital Media Meeting that covered some more about how our site is doing.

After the meeting, Kristin and I walked out to the plaza to enjoy free pizza and ice cream for the NBC tower tenets appreciation lunch. Yuummm, free food.

Updated our local leads blog about a teen riding on the handlebars of a bike who shot off a man’s ear on the southside: Click here to read the blog entry.

Saw the news on the Chicago Tribune for my next article. Click here to read “Eddie Bauer Files Chapter 11”.


Finished off the day with a story I found important. Supposedly, in Cook County, it’s really hard to get a breast cancer screening. Click here to read “Taking Care of “The Girls” Not Easy in This Town”.


Thursday: WMAQ. Thursday was Andy Dick protest at Rock “N” Roll Micky D’s day. I rode into Chicago a little later than usual so I could get to the McDonalds a little earlier than 1, when the protest started. I first talked to the protest coordinator and he explained that Andy and the vice president of PETA would be showing up soon. He gave me a DVD of chicken’s being killed, which I have yet to watch, in fear of my response that might follow, aka vomiting. A few protestors had gathered and so Kristin, the other intern, and I stated taking pictures and asking questions. It was great to be out in the field again, actually doing the reporting. Not long after, while standing across the street taking pics, we saw a semi-huge crowd running behind a man (Andy) impersonating Ronald McDonald, but with a little bit of blood and a Joker-like grin painted on his face, carrying a big plastic knife (also wearing an electronic monitoring device on his ankle, noticed this as I kneeled down to take a picture. I suspect he is on probation.) Kristin and I took more picture of the protesters, Andy Dick, and the vice president, and interviewed them.

When we got back to the station I called McDonalds to get their perspective on the whole situation, we put together the article, and created the slideshow. Click here to check all that out in the article title "Andy Dick Not Lovin 'McCruelty'"

Friday: WREX. I didn’t quite expect the excitement that I got Friday. When I first got to the station I helped out by cutting a VO/SOT about the Rockford Sharefest and finished writing the script. Then I cut some cut some file video from a previous package about teen jail inmates and alternative programs.

All the while, the storms began brewing again outside, which would cause for craziness in the control one once the show started. Tornado warnings and flood warnings had been spotty throughout the day. I think during this newscast was the most I had learned so far about what the jobs of directors, producers, and the audio are. The director was extremely nice about letting me know what was going on and what he had to do. After the newscast (which was moved around due to the weather) I stayed in the control room to watch the action of cut-ins for the severe weather. I was able to sum it all up in one tweet: taraeg says crazy weather calls for crazy control room during newscast and continuous cut-ins during commercials.
Most definitely.

Around 8:00, another round of excitement and chaos started. “Train derailment” came over the scanner as I was writing a health story.

I feel that it’s always worth checking something that comes over the scanner that sounds remotely important. It’s better to get somewhere and find out it’s nothing than to have missed something huge.

So I climbed into the back of the livetruck with the reporter and weatherman, who was there to drive us to the scene. While driving on the highway we could see the smoke from about 12 miles away. The weather man, of course, told us that he was sure that clouds would not be that low on a day like this. We tried going down a certain road, but it had been flooded from all the rain. So we had to find an alternate route, and though it didn’t get us the best video, it was almost the best we could do without bottoming out the live truck.

When we got to a street corner, where we would set up, we first talked to a man who had been out near the train tracks and he told us what he saw. The photog then met up with us so the weatherman could get back to the station.

The photog was busy setting up the truck and asked if I could shot for him. Not really knowing how to shoot with a DVC pro I asked where the three main things were: the record button, the focus, and the zoom. I taped for a little bit for shots they would use during Saturday’s package on the fire.

We learned that a Canadian National train hauling 176 cars, 74 tankers with ethanol, 12 of the cars with ethanol had derailed causing a huge explosion. Over 26 units called in, 600 homes evacuated, and multiple injuries (we learned about the one death in the morning).

During the six hour night while we were there, I was a portable mic stand, holding the mic while the fire chief talked with us, helped set up the shots, and did various things to help out. Because all the other stations were out there, and there was a lot of standing around, I got to know some other people very well.

About halfway through the night, Bill said he was heading back to the station for a minute and asked if I wanted to go back so I didn’t have to be out there all night. I knew it wouldn’t have been a full experience if I hadn’t stayed the whole night… so I declined to going back to the station to go home. We ended up leaving the scene around 2 a.m., knowing we probably weren’t going get any new information until morning.


Saturday: WREX. After my late night Friday, I didn’t get into the station until the afternoon. As soon as I got there, I headed back out to the train derailment site where there was supposed to be a press conference held. This time, after having a little trouble getting past the police, I finally got to see the scene up close. They kept telling us the press conference would be held at different times and finally all the reporters/photogs there decided to get SOT’s from authorities they found and video instead of waiting for the conference at 8. I ran the tapes that Bill shot back to the station quickly, thinking I would head back out to the Rockford Airport to see Oprah sending out five jets full of her staff. But apparently this bit of information was not supposed to get out to the public or media. Oprah had rented out the airport and the security was tight, so there wasn’t really anything to shoot.

So instead I stayed at the station, cut the VO about a fundraiser Vintage baseball game and wrote a story on a NY man who is accused of dressing up as his dead mother to collect her social security and rent subsides.

Bill came back and asked if I would like to come out with him to a benefit dance for a man who fell in China severely injuring himself and who was still trying to pay off his $160,000 worth of medical bills.

His sister had organized “Prom 2009- Back to the Future” for her boyfriend of two years because he had never been to prom, and thought it would be a great benefit for her brother as well. It was interesting to talk to his sister, his dad, and finally the man (it was the first time he was able to make it to a benefit of his). I watched as Bill asked the man a few tough questions and it gave me a little insight on how to ask these types of questions to people who are on camera. I’ve had to do it many times for print, but never for the camera.

We ran back to the station, Bill cut the VO/SOT, and then we headed into watch the 10 newscast! A few minor problems during the newscast: before the B-block the anchor’s mic went out and she didn’t know she was on air, and the monitors also stopped working a minute before the newscast, so we had rearrange the sports guy to the wx wall and had to take out the BTS shots for the anchor.

From a producer and director standpoint I’m sure the newscast seemed horrible, but for the people watching at home I’m sure they didn’t notice the few mistakes. It was quite the way to wrap up a great week!

Video of the week:

The biggest news of the week is no doubt everything going on in Iran. For the video of the week, it's not from a newscast, but it's something that might hit you hard. Raw footage from near the protests. If you've been following along in the news, check this video out (it has blood in it, so don't watch it if you can't handle blood):

Off The Ground and Running At WREX

The rest of my second week of interning proved to be an exciting one.

Wednesday began my first day at WREX. When I got there, the news director introduced me to those working in the station and I hung out with the producer of the noon newscast. Because the station is so short staffed, almost like every station in the country right now, everyone in the newsroom is doing multiple jobs. So the producer of this show was also the morning show anchor.

As I discussed this with one of the anchors/producers there, I’m in love with the concept of not only one-man-bands, but having reporters knowing how to produce, direct, or any other job they may be asked to do.

I’m always yearning for more knowledge about everything journalism and being able to switch between these tasks keeps life exciting.

After the noon show the station had its monthly meeting--- glad to have come on that day! It gave me insight on how this particular station runs. Oh and I found out something that I probably should have known. Reporters and anchors have a clothes budget! In recent events, my bank account has suffered a nice downfall from the cost of business outfits for these internships. Now future clothes buying doesn’t look so dim. I’m sure if my bank account had a face it would be smiling. (The owner of the account sure was!)

For the most part I hung around the five, six, and ten anchor for the rest of the day. I watched as he went through the stories from the wires and NBC to pull out the best ones. During the newscast meeting, I watched how they agreed upon and choose what national stories to put into the newscast for the day. Once we got down to cutting video for the newscast, he showed me the basics of editing a VO/SOT, teases, and using all the different systems. Amid the five and the six, I watched the excitement from the control room as all their hard work was put together.

After the six I was given my first ever---ever, ever--- VO to write. The story had been in the show earlier, I just had to freshen it up and rewrite it for the ten.

Later that night, Sprinkler dude (aka Brandon, aka best friend, aka boyfriend) showed up in the parking lot of the station, as part of a detour on his way to West Virginia. (haha dumb GPS believed him) I took a day off of WMAQ and WREX to spend two amazing days with him. (If there is one piece of advice I have heard many-a-times from professional journalists, and will hold onto, it is to always make time for your loved ones.)

Back to reality on Saturday. When I got to WREX, the anchor of the six and ten gave me a quick once-over of how to import video, cut, and transfer a VO/SOT. I was given a tape of an event the photog had attended earlier. From there I edited my first VO/SOT about the Rockford Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution hosting a Flag Day event.

While writing the VO, one of the photogs/reporters (Bill) told me he was going out and I could come along if I wanted. I quickly finished the script and we headed over to CherryVale Mall where four Chicago Bears players would be doing a signing for GQ sports.

GQ hosted a media session before the signing for us, WIFR (CBS 12), and WTVO (FOX/ABC 17). The two other reporters were friends with Bill and while waiting for the very late players, after having to stare at the large pile of food on the table (we were allowed to have some though), a pretty unique discussion on nasty potatoes chips and how much snacks cost in each of our stations vending machines came up.

Finally when the players showed up Dusty Dvoracek and Israel Idonije gladly talked to us, but Tommie Harris was advised by Lovie Smith to go on a media hiatus after injuring his knee. Kevin Payne was just shy, and it was obvious by the extremely shy smile he gave me when I held the door for him as we left the conference room.

We followed them to the long line outside of GQ, and despite feeling like the paparazzi, it was pretty fun.

Next it was off to Barnes and Noble to cover a story about the Rockford Symphony Orchestra raising money by doing a book fair there. We ran into some hassles and it took way longer than it should have, but I learned something important… once something is shot, by law we are allowed to use it, even if we’re told we can’t. I can’t wait to take Communications Law next semester!

When I got back to the station, I uploaded the video to the Barnes and Noble Story, wrote the script, and Bill showed me how to do a BBO.

Throughout my day with Bill I learned a lot. I don’t think I have ever not learned one thing from shadowing someone.

After my second week of interning (and nearing the end of my third) I can definitely say that the experience of internships are priceless. I know that much of the stuff I take away from them I cannot not learn anywhere else. The Mizzou Method- a hands on approach- is the way to go!

For now… this third week has possibly been one of the craziest and I can’t wait to write about it.

Video of the Week

During the week of June 7-13, I saw limited coverage on N. Korea preparing for missile tests. Since I am eminently late with this entry (not surprising!) the news has moved on without out me. Now it's being written that N. Korea will possibly be launching a long-range ballistic missile toward Hawaii in July or towards the West Coast in three years. First talks started with N. Korea and the grave threats they pose to Asia with their missile and nuclear threats. The video below describes more about the situation:

To read more about the threats to Hawaii and the East Coast click on the links below:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-north-korea-missiles17-2009jun17,0,6469747.story

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,527020,00.html

On a lighter subject, if you haven't seen the video of Obama being distracted by a pesky fly during an interview be sure to check this video out! (better yet, if you can find the video that was shown on the Tonight Show... well tonight... it was hilarious!):

(resorting to youtube while I figure out how to embed videos from places like CNN.com):