Ms. Producer: Getting Used to the Crazy

For me, when I think newsrooms, I think people running all around, shouting things left and right, papers flying, etc.

It's exactly that.

It's literally and figuratively day and night during the day shift and night shift. The day shift has everyone, reporters, photographers, anchors, bosses, producers...everything. Then you get to my shift and it's me, the editor, one reporter, one photographer, and one anchor. It's almost, dare I say, quiet. Even with that being the case, night side has seen a lot of crazy itself.

Let's see, we had a major house fire that broke out about an hour before the show began, we've had accidents, break-ins, shootings, jury deliberations, sometimes verdicts, search and rescue efforts, I mean you name it, we've probably had it. But nothing really compared to Election Night.

For the first time since I started producing the 11, I have barely had one live shot. (live shot being reporters on air from somewhere other than the newsroom) But that particular night, specifically two days ago, I had four. Not only that, the bottom half of my show was done by 4:30 or so and then I waited. My entire A-block had no script in. Nothing. Nothing until around 9, 9:30. Talk about crazy.

It was check this, check that, got numbers, what graphic, are we going live, no bring him to the newsroom....it was madness I tell you.

But at the end of the show, I felt a pretty big sense of accomplishment...I mean granted I only wrote a few things in the show....but it went off without a hitch. And that was just one night. The one thing I remember most about my training when I first started at WSET was when someone said, "remember, it is going to be nuts in here, but if you don't stay calm, no one else will either."

That rings especially true for me now that I am a producer. I have to have a handle on things. Otherwise the crazy would bury me. In my short time doing this job, I can't even tell you all that I've learned and am still learning. It's very weird having a job that requires you to have a whole other personality. Like for instance, in real life, I'm pretty go-with-the-flow, but at work I tell you what I want, make the decisions, and don't waiver. It's kind of a nice change...getting that opportunity to really make it your own.

So my advice to those of you looking to enter this crazy business....be prepared for anything, always have back-up plans, and at the end of the day, feel proud you made it through.