Surviving the PR Sequence: Broadcast Reporting

By Daniel Henderson

I was lucky enough to take this class after the transformation from “broadcast beat reporting” to just “broadcast reporting.” This switch lessened the workload but put a lot more time into crafting each individual skill that goes into creating a broadcast package. Professor Dworznik has over 18 years of experience in broadcast journalism, and has structured the class to make sure every student is proficient in the basics, so that all of their broadcast stories (or packages) are ready to be put on a reel (a broadcast journalists resume/portfolio). This is all lingo that you’ll pick up in the class, don’t worry.

Now, many of you may be wondering, “well jeez, I’m a public relations major, why would I take a broadcast class? Shouldn’t I focus more on writing in print reporting?” And you’re not wrong. Writing is a fundamental skill that every PR professional should have a distinct mastery of, and hopefully that mastery has been honed during your time in storytelling and news writing. No doubt, print beat might be the option for you since these classes are interchangeable. But the lessons learned in broadcast reporting wills service you well. Knowing how to write for the ear, and knowing what a broadcast journalist is looking for to do a broadcast story (visuals, sound bites, nat pops) will help you better put together an event and pitch it to broadcast media outlets.

My advice on passing the class:

• Buy your own microphone. SRL is a great service, but sometimes the mics will fail you.
• Take advantage of Professor Dworznik’s office hours. She will never turn away a student.
• Save all of your work to an external drive. It will come in handy if you ever need to submit them as a sample of your work.
• Talk to your classmates about story ideas. If you can’t think of one, I can guarantee someone thought of an extra they’ll share with you.
• Take this class with a light semester (12-15 hours). You work your schedule around the your story subjects so open availability helps a lot.
• If you don’t have a car, find a friend with one. The stories done off campus are usually the best.

​Daniel Henderson is a senior public relations major and PRSSA Kent's treasurer. Contact him at [email protected].

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