One of the reporters I work with has a ring inscribed with the phrase, “Do what you love, love what you do.” In my eyes, this is the cornerstone of being successful. I find when I act with love and put that love into what I do, it shows.
On my February 24 reporting shift, I got that tingly “love” feeling quite a few times.
One of my favorite parts of a reporting shift is when you get in the car to go to your first destination. When I reached that point in this shift, I felt like the things I could see and the information I could find would help people and make them more knowledgeable. Knowing I can share something interesting/cool/helpful with others is something I love.
Then, when I was in the car on the way back, I got that feeling again! Just knowing you are on the brink of writing what could be your next great package/on-set/VoSot…what an exciting feelings.
But reporting isn’t always “rainbows and sunshine.” There are often those shifts that every reporter dreads where no one wants to talk to you and nothing seems to go your way. It’s a lot harder to feel the love for what you do in those moments. But, those are the times when it’s most important. Sometime on those shifts I really have to dig deep for that love…and when I find it, it helps me keep going and remember why I do what I do—why I do things that my friends and classmates think are crazy, or weird, or just plain stupid.
Do I love soybeans, suspected arson, propane, vandalism, or the Toyota recall? No. But I do love sharing captivating information about pertinent and influential topics with my viewers. I love letting them in on the things that I’ve found out and the people I’ve met during my shift. I love being able to show them the things I’ve seen through the lense of my camera and transporting them to wherever I’ve gone that day.
During this February 24 shift, Brian Bracco from Hearst Television came to visit KOMU. He ladeled praise upon the station as well at the MU Journalism School. Bracco said he knows we are very hireable and he can easily recommend us to his stations because when we “go out there” we are ready. This just struck me. I had a moment where I remembered the love. This is why I do this. I am ready. I already have a head start at the work I want to do for a living, when I am a “grown-up.”
My education at the MU J-School and my work at KOMU are a totally unique experience and one that I truly love. The feeling I got on that shift right before the show started when I was on set, just waiting…it’s a feeling I could never replicate and can barely describe. And when I can share something I love with the viewers, I feel truly satisfied.
Confucius said “if you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life.” Now, maybe that is a little bit of an exaggeration but, the way I see it, I have definitely found that path in my work as a reporter and anchor.
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