Back in the game with tPA

The Pan American staff through the eyes of the Arts & Life Editor

    As some of you may know, I have taken time away from The Pan American to intern with KGBT Action 4 News. I left my position as Multimedia Editor to work on my skills as a reporter and learn more about the trade. It was a wonderful and tough experience, but I'm still standing!

    Now as the Fall semester approaches, I'm ready to work with the Multimedia Section and prepare the reporters for the real journalism world. I already have plans and story ideas that the reporters and I can work together on.

    When Summer came along, Multimedia wasn't the only section to receive a new editor. Now as I spend time in the newsroom, it's a different feeling with the new Co-Editors-in-Chief, but it's a good one. Besides, with new people, comes new opportunities, and I can't wait to see what this upcoming semester has in store for us!

    I'm ready to spend countless hours in the newsroom, working hard. I'm ready staying on campus until the night and not sleeping, editing scripts. I'm ready for the stress of schoolwork on top of my daily work with reporters. I'm ready to have my desk chair and the beautiful screen of the Mac computer in the corner of the Multimedia Section back. I'm ready to work hard. Without hard work, journalism wouldn't be worth it.

    So if you're looking to meet some wonderful people, who will feel like family, and get experience, come and join The Pan American this upcoming semester!

The Pan American's Multimedia Section

Writing will get you everywhere

 

Elizabeth Espinosa broadcast work

    As a broadcast journalist and multimedia reporter for The Pan American, many don't see the true importance of writing. How it can make or break and control the voice of your package. The people you interview for sources are very critical your story. The writing is based around the character and humanizes stories just as it does for print articles.

    I have come across some who believe we are just videographers and won't put their all in writing. As I interned with KGBT Action 4 News, I wrote daily. I would write webscripts for stories online to scripts for VOs and packages. I listened to tips on how to better my skill and what headline would attract the audience. Newscast stories are no more than a minute thirty and have to get the point of the story across fast. I learned how to do that.

    I was also taught on how to choose a character to tell the story through. For example, if I am covering a jazz music festival, instead of just speaking about the event. I can choose a pianist from a band and begin the script describing his love for jazz. What he feels as he is playing in front of an audience and as the music flows from his fingertips to the keys of the bored to the ears of people. That explanation is much more attractive.

    "If you know how to write, you can work anywhere," is what I've heard from the staff at KGBT to freelance work I have done. It's true. I don't know a lot about sports but I'm sure I can be able to write a sports brief or feature story on an athlete.

    My writing does need work and I have been practicing. Since finishing my internship, I began to write article for the news section at tPA. It gave me headaches but it was a great chance to solely work on my writing. I have covered a Physics Phaire at IMAS in McAllen, the protest that VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood held when Texas Gov. Rick Perry came to ceremonially sign the merger bill and health care in Texas.

    The difference between print and broadcast writing is that print allows you to elaborate more. Writing for broadcast needs to be to the point but with all the facts. The visual is just as important as broadcast writing. If you're a good writer and know the difference, you'll do great.

Articles by Elizabeth Espinosa

There's no room for bias in news

    I love journalism. I love news and informing people. I love telling their stories. One of the most important rules in journalism is to NEVER BE BIASED.

    Unfortunately, I have seen stories by well-known reporters that are bias. I don't agree with it.

    Just like every other person, I have my own opinions and beliefs. I want to fight for what I believe is right for me. Since my career is made up of telling the news and how it can affect the public, I know that my two cents should never be involved with what I report. That's Journalism Ethics 101.

    Some of the most controversial topics are occurring right now in Texas and in the United States. The list includes abortion, immigration reform and the Affordable Health Care Act. Even though I choose to not voice my opinion as I inform the public over social media or write articles based on these topics, I do have my own opinions. You will never read them in my writing and that is a promise.

    Yet, I find it satisfying that even though I can't always speak my mind due to my role as a journalist, I am proud that I am able to tell the public the truth of what will occur during some issues. Recently, as the House Bill 2 was passed, I informed my audience via Facebook and Twitter letting them know plenty of details about the bill. I want people to be informed and know what or who they are voting and fighting for. It is extremely rewarding to me.

    I may not be able to make a difference with my opinions but I hope to make a difference by informing YOU, the people who matter the most.

The Pan American Life

The Pan American with BroncTV at TIPA 2013

    I began working with The Pan American in January 2012. Dimitra Hernandez suggested I should join the Multimedia section to gain some experience along with my degree. I wasn't hesitant to join but I can still remember knocking on that newsroom door ready to fill out an application.

    I knocked three times and waited. When the door opened, I had my first encounter with Greg Selber, the backbone of tPA. Selber welcomed me in and I then met Pamela Morales. I will admit, I was a bit nervous by this time but only because I wanted to make a good impression. These were going to be the people to help me develop my skills.

    It took a month of working at tPA to finally get the hang of things. I had just done a story on the charging stations on the Academic Services building. It was the first story I was really proud of! I knew I had done a good job at the time.

Academic Services now offer a charging stations for devices

    This story isn't anywhere near perfect but it was a step in the right direction. The way it works in tPA, all reporters, photographers and designers begin as a volunteer. If the reporter shows dedications and a hunger for journalism, they are then promoted to a paid reporter. If the reporter keeps working hard, they can then be a section editor. The next step would be Co or Editor-in-Chief.

    I followed this trail. After I worked with tPA in Spring 2012, I became a paid reporter for the summer. I loved that I was getting paid to do something I love! During the summer I helped other new reporters and showed them the ropes. When the Fall 2012 semester came by, I became extremely busy!

    I was still a reporter for tPA but I produced two to three stories a week, attended 12 hours of class, mentored a UNIV 1301 class, and interned with Good Day Valley. I still managed, somehow, to have a social life outside of work. It was very hard though.

The Pan American's Youtube Channel

    As the Fall semester came to an end, I then became the Multimedia Editor for the upcoming semester. My job then became managing up to six reporters a week. I would assign each reporter a story to work on for the week, review their scripts and edited package. I did each task about six times a week. 

    I will admit, I was very stressed at times but I kept moving forward. I wanted to do a great job at something I loved. Even though I cried out of stress, I never wanted to give up. I would stay until 9 p.m. sometimes editing my reporters stories or waiting for the stories to upload.

    When I interned with KGBT earlier this summer, I took a break from tPA. I sure did miss the feel of our little, cozy newsroom and missed the wonderful people inside, working day and night to bring UTPA daily news. I apparently missed it too much since I am writing articles for the rest of the summer. I can't seem to take a vacation!

My latest article with tPA

    I like to think that I gave tPA so much with every story I did but the truth is, tPA gave me so much more. I would have never had the opportunities to work with KGBT or FoxRio2 if it wasn't for the newspaper. If it wasn't for the newspaper, I wouldn't know what hard work is or knowledge from the great Selber. I would have never made contacts or get my name out there as a journalist if I wasn't in tPA. And I would have never met so many hardworking college students who are low on cash but high on passion if I walked by the newsroom door without knocking. I hope to keep these friendships if not forever, then I hope to have them close for years to come.

Family photo (the women editors of tPA Spring 2013)

The Pan American brings UTPA daily news online

Where it all began...

    Since I have finished my internship with KGBT, I have grown such a passion for journalism (if you couldn't already tell). I feel like my eyes opened up and saw this whole new world! I don't have a plan for the next five years except to just get a job. Anywhere will be good. I just want the opportunity to tell other people's stories of their struggles that they will or have faced. I want to show the public if their is corruption among them. I want to be the best journalist I can possibly be.

    Lately, whenever I talk about the past few months and upcoming story ideas, I get this energy that excites me. I begin to speak 1,000 words a minute and I might have even scared a few people, but I can't wait to look for the next story and character.

    I haven't always been this excited about journalism but it did start some where. As long as I can remember, I have always loved writing. I remember being nine-years-old and writing fictional stories about my best friend and I traveling to a different world and discovering new things. My mind would be racing and my hand tried to keep up writing the words down.

My three-year-old self before my love for writing

    Throughout my high school years, I didn't pay too much attention to my writing and journalism. I took part of Economedes High School's orchestra and mariachi. I did enjoy spending my time playing music and learning a different hobby. Now that I look back, if I could to it again, I would have devoted me hugh school career to the newspaper. I was part of my high school newspaper but only for my Freshman year. After that, music was a part of my years as a teenager.

    It wasn't until my last two years of high school that I almost got back into journalism. I took Media Technology during this time and I learned how to film video and edit on Final Cut Pro. I had a great time learning how to use a camera and what a sequence is! I didn't learn about journalism in this class but it did prepare me for my work as a multimedia reporter with The Pan American.

    When I graduated high school, I was unsure of what to study. I considered many topics such as history, philosophy, english and art. I wasn't sure if journalism was the right track at the time.

    The year I spent in college, I was lost. I didn't know what I was doing or what I will be doing when I graduated. I just attended class and worked in retail at the moment. I knew something was missing. It wasn't until an old friend suggested I join tPA when everything changed.

    When I joined tPA, I had just switched my major to Broadcast and I was happy I made that move. I joined the multimedia section and this was the best decision I have made in my college career. I was working at UTPA's college newspaper, learning a trade I have been in love with since I was young. Nothing could top it!

    Passion is something a journalist needs in order to succeed. I believe my love for writing as a young girl was the seed that grew into my love for journalism. I honestly can't wait to graduate with me degree and work as a reporter.

The most important thing I learned...

    The most important thing I learned is that a journalist needs to have potential. No one can ever be perfect. They can maybe be close, but mistakes are part of people's nature. If a journalist has potential and the hunger to better themselves, they can make it in this business.

    When I began my internship with KGBT Action 4 News, I didn't know what to expect. The reporters work from 9:30 a.m. to almost 7 p.m. I now understand why there schedules are like this day to day. They love what they do and will not stop until they tell their audience the news.

Nadia Galindo and I on our last day working together

    The last few weeks I was able to shadow Nadia Galindo, a reporter who came from the Dallas area to report for Action 4. During my time with her, I learned so many great things. When I was on an assignment with her, she always included me in the mix. When she did an interview, she made sure I knew all the information. I was even free to ask the interviewee questions if I had any. She had me film footage and even do a stand-up for my version of the packages she worked on for the day.

I was camera woman for the day with Nadia

    When we would arrive at the Pharr borough, I would usually write VOSOTs to help Nadia with her work for the afternoon. She would always look over what I wrote and helped me with corrections or a better way to say something in particular. This helped me because in broadcast, reporters have to get their point of the story across quickly but without missing any information. When I finished that up, I began to work on my version of Nadia's package. I wrote, voiced, and edited my own work.

    Nadia would take time out of her afternoon, as she is preparing for the 5 and 6 p.m. newscast and go over how I should voice the script. She even critiqued how I edited and offered different ways to do things.

    Each day I shadowed Nadia consisted of questions on how to choose stories, picking a character to help tell that story, and to always tell the news. She lent me "Aim for the Heart" by Al Tompkins, an amazing read that tells you how to become a better journalist. I could not put this book down.

This is a MUST READ for journalists!

    Tompkins explained to me that we are here to inform the public what the news is. We want to tell them the truth and have them feel connected. I read about examples on how to tell a story and all the different angles. I read about how to ask questions, which is to always ask open ended questions. Always avoid the yes/no questions. An example of this is, "Why are you happy?" vs. "Do you feel happy?" I absorbed everything.

    One example in particular was an assignment about soldiers coming home from war. While many might have looked at it as the usual, "Soldiers arrived at the airport; families greeted them; they went home", Tompkins took the angle of waiting. He interviewed a wife and the first question he asked her was, "How do you get so good at waiting?" He didn't ask her why she was waiting. He brought out her pain of waiting for her husband's return to his family. How much she treasured him. He continued with explaining that the spouses of military personnel all have to get good at waiting.

    He also wrote as his own VO, "She carried a rose for him. Just like he would when he came home everyday." Notice how he didn't have her say that in her interview? This was because Tompkins knew the viewer would see the rose in her hands. He knew that if he would mention it, that was all the story needed.

    As I arrived the Monday after I read the book, I had so many questions for Nadia. Throughout the rest of my time at KGBT, I kept asking and talking about Tompkins and how he changed the way I look at stories now. I wanted to do more. The excitement could be seen through me! In order for that to happen, I need potential.

    Now to go back, I have worked with The Pan American for a year and a half. We are all students a the University of Texas - Pan American and are striving to make a name for ourselves.

A portrait drawn by our very own Arts & Life Editor 

    We all began with little to no experience when we all joined tPA. Before I joined the Multimedia section, I didn't know how to write a script or create a package. All I knew is that I wanted to learn. I put myself out there and worked my way to becoming a paid reporter for tPA, to the Multimedia Editor and the two internships I have under my belt. And do you know what helped me get all this? Potential.

Hear what past members of the Multimedia Section have learned with tPA

    I am no where near perfect when creating a package, I make mistakes every so often but I learn from them. I do try my hardest in making sure the same mistakes never happen again. Experience is what I want before I land my dream job and I know that my potential I have will get me there.

Before KGBT, there was Good Day Valley

Jessica Montoya - Antonio Rodriguez - Adriana Trevino

   Before KGBT Action 4 News, I interned with Good Day Valley at FOXRio2. This was my first internship in the broadcast world. It was quite an experience as well! Good Day Valley is a relativity new morning show with a year under their belt. Jessica Montoya, Antonio Rodriguez, and Adriana Trevino make up the morning team Monday through Friday at 7 a.m.

Future weather girl?

    What many may not know is that those who are wide awake while you pour your morning coffee, arrive at work at 3 a.m. If you're wondering, "When do they sleep?" I did too! As an intern, I didn't arrive as early. I got to sleep in until 5 a.m. Monday through Friday, arriving at the FOX studio at 6 in the morning. This was my schedule for five months straight. My schedule throughout the week was 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. The sun wouldn't even be out when I arrived at work.

Halloween graphic made by yours truly!

    I would help prepare the daily show by creating graphics, the CG's for the guests and anchors, control audio board, control the teleprompter, and even technical directed segments of the show and briefs. It was such a great experience that allowed me to see behind the scenes at the work that not many get to experience. It isn't just the on-camera work that is vital to a morning show or newscast. There were plenty mornings that included complications with packages or technical issues. If you ever find yourself in a situation dealing with this, STAY CALM! And always do your best!

Cheese Chisholm from the Harlem Globetrotters

    Towards the end of my internship, one morning show still haunts me. I arrived that morning asking Antonio what graphics needed to be created, just as I did every other day. When I finished them, I began to work on the CG's for the newscast. As I began typing the names into the program, it froze. There was only 15 minutes left until the show began and the computer froze! I couldn't believe it.

    I quickly told Mario, the Technical Director for the morning so he could know that there is technical issues. I restarted the computer and opened the CG program, hoping it will be good. Unfortunately, it froze.

    By this time, it was already 7 a.m. and we had to go live without any CG's or the logo. I had to also control the audio levels for each of the anchor's microphones so during the commercial breaks I tried to get the computer working.

    It wasn't until ten minutes before the show ended that it finally worked. After I closed and re-opened the program for the last time, I opened a new file and copied and pasted all the CG's and logo into the file. All the work I had done to try and have the CG's didn't happen until the end of the show. That's how it is when working with technology.

A yummy breakfast after work

    Overall, the experience with Good Day Valley was a great one. For 5 months, I was able to live like a morning show broadcaster. It was exhausting and I honestly do not know how I got through it but I'm sure my love and drive for journalism helped push me.

My favorite guests on the set of Good Day Valley with me