THROUGH THE LENS OF SOMEONE ELSE'S CAMERA

Monday, March 23 2009

Today I saw my first real action in broadcast journalism. I’m usually a tad critical of video news because I see the format as too time limited, but working with Diana Nguyen on the Cancer Research U.K. piece showed me a positive side. It was definitely a learning experience and I can see that I need more skills in that department.

We started the day out like most – an early morning meeting after a small breakfast then defining the day’s grand plan. Afterwards, Diana and I went looking for a source she discovered while asking locals about thrift stores. Again, I love the Tube here in London; it almost never lets you down.

I began realizing early on during this trip that my story about the working poor was going to be difficult considering I have no press credentials and apparently I’m “only a student,” a quote I heard from numerous possible interviewees. There were plenty of panhandlers and homeless folks around London, including some talented street musicians, but government officials and professionals were not taking me seriously.

So, given the situation I found myself in, I focused on the people because they were a little more willing to talk to me and many of them had interesting stories. I found two stories in particular that I thought shed some light on economic issues as well as exemplified London’s personality.

John Ellis
Print Journalism