When I walked into Cincinnati Public Radio for the first time this week, I had a vague sense of what the next five days would look like. I knew who I would be working with and what my story was about, and I knew that my motivation for applying to the program (besides my ardent affection for NPR) was to glean a few practical skills involving audio and visual storytelling.
Any of the few expectations that I had for the week were exceeded over and over again. I am also walking away with much more than I imagined. I have spent the week in an incredibly welcoming environment of professionals, and I could not ask for a better group of people to help me work with mediums I have never worked in before. I thought I would enter a working environment where everyone would have their heads down doing their part to get a lot done in a short amount of time. And yes, everyone worked hard, but there was also so much time given to really help me work through every aspect of my story, not just the parts where I needed the most guidance.
Operating audio equipment, taking photos and using Adobe Audition for the first time was much less intimidating for me than I expected. I did not once feel as though I was left to flounder, nor did I feel that I wasn’t given ample space to really learn to do the work myself.
Being in a space with so many people in the field who could give me feedback as I worked was incredibly valuable to me. Not only did a back and forth with the Next Gen team help me make Christine Wilson’s story shine, but it helped me expand my understanding of what the interview and writing process can look like. This week I received innumerable pieces of advice that I can take with me to continue to improve my work as a journalist, and I am grateful for every single one.