Brandi Powell after catching a fish while on assignment for News 8 in Austin, Texas.
Story Created:
Sep 22, 2008 at 11:57 PM CST
Story Updated:
Sep 23, 2008 at 1:58 PM CST
((Brian's Note: I first met Brandi Powell probably 4 years ago. I was a reporter at KLAS in Las Vegas and she was an intern at the station who was usually assigned to work with me. She has now launched her own TV news career and I am very proud of her.))
These days I'm busy as a videojournalist for News 8 Austin. It's my most recent pursuit in journalism since being the Political Reporter at the NBC station in Bismarck, ND. I began my journalism career as a Production Assistant at MSNBC. Meeting Brian Allen was inspirational and comforting. He was one of the reporters I frequently shadowed during my first internship at the CBS station in Las Vegas. From him, I gained wisdom, a little more heart, and a reminder of how important good journalists are in every community.
My idea of being outside on the water includes riding ocean waves in northern California, canoeing along the river in North Dakota, or swimming behind a house boat in Minnesota. So no, I'd never even seen rods and bait on a boat before, let alone actually hold a bass in my own hands. Yikes!
But for anyone who's even dabbled in the world of journalism, you know that you can't help but experience life, up close, in ways you never imagined. It's part of my new adventure as a journalist - shooting my own stories. I took my current position for one reason: to challenge myself to craft stories in a new way. (Somedays, I admit, I'm not quite sure why I wanted that much of a challenge...I didn't realize how much I'd crave a good break after maneuvering a camera and tripod around for a few hours...that Texas heat will make any tough cookie crumble from time to time!)
That said, I'm happy hindsight is not a prerequisite for risk-taking in life. I never imagined how different reporting would be from production and producing...or the mental and physical juggling it takes to be a VJ compared to strictly reporting and editing my own stories. If I had, I may have stuck with what I knew how to do best...experiencing the water outdoors in a way that was familiar to me. (But, no, that's not me...pushing myself if my prerequisite for some of the most important things I get myself into...)
If I had played it safe, what am I offering my community as a journalist? Certainly not a perspective. Without one, the crafting - good crafting - of a story can be lost...and lost, too, a moment of learning for the viewer.
((Brian's Note: Brandi's version of her time with me is humbling and I thank her for the comments. She is well on her way to becoming the type of journalist this industry needs: someone who just doesn't want to be on TV but someone who also cares what she's putting out there on TV. Feel free to leave a comment below or send me an e-mail by clicking here.))
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