Media Communication Major Chase Evans spent most of the summer interning at WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio. This first-person report shares his experiences.
Over the past four months, I have had the opportunity to intern with the sports department for WBNS 10 TV and ONN Sports in Columbus, Ohio. 10 TV is the CBS affiliate in the state’s capital and is known around the Midwest for its professional reporting and reputation. I grew up in Central Ohio watching the news, especially the sportscasts with my family throughout the week. I have always been fascinated with news and television in general and how everything works. Problem is, I didn’t really know how everything worked.
In the past several years at IWU, I have learned a lot about media and the various aspects of television, even participating in live reporting and anchoring for our local programming and sporting event coverage on WIWU-TV. For an average college student, I probably had more experience in front of the camera than most, so I wasn’t going into this experience blindly.
A lot of people think that when you want to go into television that you want to be in front of the camera and that has been my focus up to this point in my education and career. I always appreciated what the people behind the scenes did, and I know what it takes to get a show or live broadcast ready to air. From going into the field shooting events, talking to the newsmakers, editing packages, producing show content, and writing scripts and teases for nearly every second of air time, it takes people and time to complete these tasks on a daily basis.
I was able to aid our photographers and reporters at PGA Tour events, MLS Soccer games, Ohio State football practices and games and so much more. It’s a fast-paced business that isn’t always as glamorous as it seems, but if you make the most of it, it can be a dream job for a sports media enthusiast. I met and worked with many interesting, even well-known people and learned a lot about myself as a journalist and person. Not everything is handed to you in life, but if you have the drive and proper skill sets, your potential can go as far as you’re willing to go.
