Week 37

It was THE WEEK of Final Presentation Night! I can not possibly put into words how incredible my ISM journey has been. From last year, studying criminal justice, to studying investigative journalism this year, I have learned so much about the professional world and myself as a person.

Cold calls, driving to interviews, and conversing with professionals were at first terrifying ordeals that I would never consider myself capable of. Now, I have spent hours in the Channel 8 Headquarters and have learned how to present myself professionally and confidently.

More than that, however, this journey has opened my eyes to who I am and what I will pursue in the future. I know for a fact that I will continue pursuing a life of service abroad. I do not know yet exactly what I am going to do with my future, but I know that I want to live my life verse John 15:13, "Greater love has none than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." I would love to pursue journalism or diplomacy focusing in on the Middle East, and later enter the FBI, CIA or some other government agency.

Final Presentation Night was a huge success! My presentation was perfect, lots of people came, and my mentors loved it. Byron was so blown away by the program that Channel 8 is now going to be covering a story over the ISM Program! The night was a perfect conclusion to a year of hard work and incredible learning experiences.

My mentors were truly amazing. I will never be able to thank them enough for opening my eyes to the world of investigative journalism and for helping me learn so much about myself. Jason was always enthusiastic and ready for an adventure, and Byron always had pieces of wisdom that never stopped blowing my mind. They made this year the experience of a lifetime.

I am beyond ecstatic for what the future holds and to see where God will lead me in the future. With everything, I plan to live my life verse and my ISM quote from the year:

""Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world... would do this, it would change the earth."

-William Faulkner

Week 36

This week I finally finished my Final Product! My mentors from Channel 8 News, Investigative Reporter Byron Harris and Investigative Producer Jason Trahan, made it possible.

At the beginning of the week, our story was planned out, we had audio, and all we needed to do was put everything together and film the intro and tag. The intro and tag are the parts of the story filmed in the news headquarters as an intro and conclusion to the story. The package is the story itself.

We ran into a small hiccup however. Somehow, my audio file was deleted from the file at Channel 8 News database, and I had to go down to the news station on Tuesday night to record it again. Everything worked out, however, and the package, the body of the story, was ready by my mentor visit on Thursday.

On Thursday we filmed the into and tag of my story, and left it with the editor to put everything together. He was a great help in the completion of our project because he put everything together for us.


The story run about six minutes and reveals several months of work. I am extremely proud of all that we accomplished this year.

Click here to view the story

Week 35

This was probably one of the most exciting weeks yet in the Independent and Final Mentorship Program. We are getting down to the very end of planning and execution, since Final Presentation Night is on May 19th. This week I handed out invitations and made great progress on our story. We had an extra long mentor visit and the WFAA-TV (Channel 8) Headquarters, in which we wrote the entire script of the story based off of the two skeletons that Jason and I created. It took a long time to make everything sound just right and to find the perfect sound bites to fit each part of the story. Our final result is fantastic, however. The story is engaging and exciting, and all we need to do now is piece everything together and film the anchor intro and the tag.

After we finished writing the story, Byron Harris looked over it and gave us some tips on how to make it even more engaging. He also gave me tips on how to mark up the script to help me know which words to emphasize and where to leave dramatic pauses. I then recorded the voice over in the WFAA-TV recording studio. It was exciting to use the equipment from the station and feel like an actual reporter.

All we have to do now is film the opening and closing comments, edit the clips and piece everything together. I am so excited to see how the story turns out!

Week 34

It was another incredible week of exciting accomplishments in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program! The main accomplishments of the week were printing the invitations and beginning the delivery process, and continuing the planning of the story.

As far as the planning of the story goes, we now have the basic skeleton of what we will be writing about. We have a flow to the story and a plan of transitions from one main point to the next. My mentor, Investigative Reporter Jason Trahan, looked over the intro I wrote and said that he loved it. His one problem with it was the opening sentence, which is a cliche phrase. He explained that while cliches are catchy, they do not sound intelligent and often annoy the viewer. We looked at other videos of coyotes loose in New York, and have decided to pull in some of this footage in an attempt to show the universal nature of the problem.

By the time I have my next mentor visit next Friday, I will have finished writing the story. He will then look over it and we will decide on what changes need to be made. We will then film the intro to the story in the WFAA-Channel 8 studio and will begin recording the voice overs.

Week 33

The Independent Study and Mentoship Program is amazing and has been rolling right along. This week we began preparation from writing the story. Byron Harris showed me some scripts from previous stories he has written and explained the basics of the writing process.

When writing a story, it is important to define the point you are trying to make. It is easy to get lost because numerous interview can sometimes cloud and change your idea of what you are trying to write about. Bryon Harris explained the process of creating a "three-word slug" which will define everything you are trying to encompass in the story. This is the incredibly important first step because it helps you decide what direction the story is going to take, what quotes are most important, and how you will begin writing.

Another important step is to look at all the interview footage you have gained, finding the quotes and sound bites that will be most influential to the story.

Once you have a basic idea of the story's flow and direction, it is vital to create the most attention-grabbing and riveting first seven seconds you possibly can. In order for the audience to be hooked, you have to reach out of the television and grab their absolute attention in the first seven seconds. Otherwise, they will continue flipping through the channels without a second thought.

Creating a strong metaphor that can be utilized throughout a story is also an important tool. Metaphors can bring ideas to life and help the viewer truly understand the topic. They are a good way to give a story continuity by relating to the metaphor again and again.

The brainstorming has begun, and I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Week 32

It was another exciting week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program. 

This week I visited the WFAA-TV (Channel 8) headquarters in downtown Dallas. Jason Trahan, one of my mentors, was not there because he had a project to work on. My other mentor, investigative reporter Byron Harris, looked over my portfolio while I was logging video footage. The video footage I was logging was from my interview with Janet Evans Webb last week. 

Logging the video was very exciting because I realized that my mentor had taken several incredible panning shots of nature in Frisco. He also took shots of a construction site nearby, which will be very helpful in describing the urbanization of Frisco. 

While Byron Harris looked over my portfolio, we also discussed the fact that he went to George Washington University for grad school. We talked about what it is like to like in Washington D.C. and if the benefits of going to George Washington outweigh those of going to The University of Texas at Austin. Byron also explained that being in DC is an incredible opportunity because of everything you will be able to see. He was there during the Watergate Scandal and was able to see the importance of investigative journalism first hand. 

This was an awesome visit because it has helped me continue to define my journey for the future.

Week 31

It was another great week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program. One of the major highlights was the fantastic interview we had on Thursday. Jason and I interviewed Ms. Janet Evans Webb, a Frisco resident running for the Frisco City Council, about her position on the wildlife issue. 

It was great to hear the perspective of a woman who believes that the city has not done enough to protect the wildlife in the area. Ms. Evans Webb is a prime example of someone who recognizes a problem and is doing everything she can to make a difference. During our discussion, we talked about the new Walmart that is being build on beautiful land in the area, the exciting side of seeing wildlife in the area, and the damage that has been done to their habitats. 

Ms. Evans Webb's main point throughout our discussion was that the wildlife was here first. We have invaded their land so it is only natural that they should still be around. She adamantly desires that Frisco take more tangible steps to protect the nature and wildlife in the Frisco area.

At this point, we have had interviews with a resident who is frustrated with the lack of government regulation on wildlife, an expert urban wildlife biologist who knows the facts behind why wildlife is highly present in Frisco, a neighborhood director who deals with the wildlife issues when they arise in her neighborhoods, and a woman who adamantly believes that the city should take better care of the wildlife in the area. We have the foundation for our story and now we just need to fill in the gaps and piece it all together.

Week 30

It was another exciting week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program. I feel like my final product is finally coming together.

Over the course of the week, I worked on updating my portfolio, got caught up on assignments, planned ahead, and visited WFAA-TV headquarters.

During our mentor visit, Mr. Trahan and I discussed future plans for the Final Product. Everything is coming along nicely and we should be able to produce a great story.

Unfortunately the video logs I took during several of my mentor visits have disappeared. So I will have to complete those again, but this will give me more practice. We are looking to conduct at least one more interview, and up to three more. This will allow our story to cover an issue from all angles. I can not wait to see how everything turns out.

One thing I will need to figure out very soon is how to get footage of wildlife for the story. I have a goPro that would be absolutely perfect, but I will need to find a way to spy on wildlife or bring it to me. One of my dad's suggestions was using one of his hunting calls to call in bobcats and coyotes and gather footage that way. I am excited to see how this will unfold.

I am very excited to start writing the story once we have obtained our last crucial interview next week.

Week 29

This week I began catching up my portfolio, interviewed another individual for my final product, and completed some assessments.

Some of the successes we are having have been with the interviews. I have grown more comfortable conducting the interview without help from Mr. Trahan, and the opinions and ideas we have received will create a great story. We have also had success with logging the video because it has taught me how to work quickly and efficiently, while drawing out the quotes and ideas that are most prevalent to the story. 

A difficulty for me has been the “stand ups” Mr. Trahan has had me do. This is when you report into the camera in an introductory blurb. I have found it difficult because Mr. Trahan has me improvise the whole thing. I tend to use flowery language and long-winded sentences, especially when thinking on my feet. Mr. Trahan has been teaching me, however, that short, concise sentences are better because it makes them easier to work with in a story. We have also had difficulty obtaining wildlife footage. Our story will be fine without it, but it would create a nice touch if we could include this footage. 

I am highly pleased with the way the product is progressing. My only regret is that there is not enough time for our story to go as in depth as we would like. But for the amount of time we have been given, we are making the best story possible.

Week 28

It was another fantastic week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program. My mentor visit was a greatly important experience as I learned a new and valuable lesson. I've been learning about the process of creating a story is making sure that you cover the topic from all sides. It is incredibly easy for a reporter, and in turn the viewers, to only see a story from one perspective. This is dangerous as it can shift the feelings on a subject and completely change a person’s mind. News is supposed to be an outlet to gain accurate, unbiased information. This, unfortunately, has not proven to be the case. Many corporations narrow-cast, or reach out to specific audiences by sharing news in a way that people of a certain belief will agree with. On top of this, media groups are capable of agenda setting, or deciding what shall be reported on and how much attention the issue gets. Therefore, the overall population can sometimes come away with a very different idea of the problems the country faces than are actually true.

           

This is depressing! I want to enter into this career field in order to alert people to the problems at hand, not hide or shape the truth to make it something it is not. Moving forward, I will have to keep this in mind with everything I do. I should never get to a place where I utilize clips of interviews to make them sounds like they are saying something that they actually aren't. I should never seek information from only one side of a situation. I should never sink to the level of reporting in a way that is beneficial to me but not the general public.

Weeks 26-27

This week I conducted an exciting interview with an urban biologist. His name is Brett Johnson and he works at the Cedar Hill National Park near Granbury, Texas. My mentor and I made the long drive to the park in order to obtain the extremely important interview.

Mr. Johnson's job as an urban biologist means that he has extensive knowledge in the area I am researching regarding bobcats and coyotes. We explained how we are investigating the strange overpopulation of bobcats, coyotes and other forms of wildlife in the Frisco area, and he gave us his professional opinion on why the animals are there and what people should do in response to the phenomenon. Mr. Johnson explained that although Frisco is highly developed, it is filled with wildlife corridors, which are areas of refuge for wild animals. This could include creeks, wooded land, and undeveloped property. Due to these corridors, wildlife have no reason to leave the area. As of now, Frisco plans to keep many of the corridors in tact, so the wildlife will continue to live in the area. Due to the fact that these corridors are also small, the wildlife often have to venture out into neighborhoods in order to find food sources.

Meeting with Mr. Johnson was an incredible experience and incredibly beneficial to the story.

Week 25

This week I submitted my Product Proposal and Calendar, learned how to log video footage at my mentor visit, and gave my Original Work Presentation.

The Product Proposal is a helpful tool in planning out the process of creating your final product and the steps you are going to take to get there. It includes sections covering:

• Introduction and Statement of Purpose,
• Review of Skills and Research,
• Methodology,
• Materials, and 
• Conclusions.

The calendar is a helpful tool as well because it allows you to plan out exactly when each individual aspect of the product will be completed.

My Original Work Presentation went great as well! My opening was strong because I started with a story from one of my mission trips to Guatemala that explained why I am interesting in investigative journalism and global issues. Showing the videos produced by WFAA-TV that had to do with the research I found was awesome as well.

This week's mentor visit was very exciting as well. I learning the process of logging video footage, which is when you go through footage and locate key points and quotes that will benefit the final story. I logged the video footage we shot last week by myself and lobed every minute of it.

Week 24

This week in the Independent Study and Mentorship, I continued to reflect on what I learned through my first interview. I also made more concrete plans with my mentor for the upcoming weeks.

Here were some of my thoughts reguarding my previous interviwe:

Interviewing this woman was also an awesome experience because it taught me the basics of how to conduct interviews as in investigative reporter. I was honestly quite nervous, but my mentor, Mr. Jason Trahan, kept the situation under control and showed me how to work the camera, mikes and the interview itself. One aspect of the interview that I found particularly interesting was the talking that took place ahead of time. We discussed the whole story with her before we taped her saying it, so that we could make sure she would emphasize the phrases that would be most important for the piece. I was also surprised by how relaxed the whole event felt.  I was expecting an awkward, intimidating, serious encounter, but we joked and laughed throughout our short time together, collecting shots from multiple angles and getting footage of the woman with her pet bunnies and puppy.

The interview itself was not at all what I had expected. I prepared questions ahead of time, but hardly used them at all because it was basically a two-way conversation that fed off of itself. It felt like a genuine conversation, which is important in the world of investigative reporting, because you want the information you are gathering to be authentic and heart-felt.

After we interviewed the woman, she gave us the contact information of a woman in her neighborhood that experienced a similar situation with a bobcat. She also talked with her daughter to ask if she would be willing to be interviewed as well. This was interesting because I was able to see how stories truly feed off of themselves. It is important to build a good relationship with your leads because they are your main source of gathering further interviews and information.

After the interview, Mr. Trahan and I went to a wooded area beside her neighborhood, and I did a “stand up,” which is when a reporter gives a small blurb of background information regarding the story at hand. I was especially nervous at this point because my mentor had me come up with what I was going to say on the spot, as reporters often do. This was an awesome experience, and although my “stand up” was far from perfect, it helped me feel like a real reporter and will be a great guide for the future.

We finished up the morning by taking a few panning shots of a playground that the woman said a bobcat had been spotted on. Visuals are a vital aspect of news stories, and learning how to utilize the camera and film effectively was incredible. 

I have much more to learn about investigative reporting, but this experience gave me my first taste of what it really feels like to be a reporter.

Week 23

This week I had my first interview! It was such an incredible experience. My mentors and I have started a project, which will be my final product, in which we are creating a story about the wildlife in Frisco. We are investigating the effects urbanization has had on wildlife in the area and how the animals have reacted. My attention came to this subject because Frisco, although it is an incredibly urban area, has struggled for many years with wild animals appearing at random times and terrorizing pets and neighborhoods.

We fear that this problem could have emerged due to a lack of planning when Frisco was designed. Less and less nature remains in Frisco, and we are concerned about what is going to happen to the animals once all the wilderness is gone.

We interviewed a woman on Friday whose pet rabbit was eaten by a bobcat that came over her eight-foot privacy fence and into her yard. Her perspective on the issue was incredible, and it was beneficial to see the damage the wildlife can inflict.

We are planning on conducting at least three more interviews in order to look at the situation from as many views as possible.

Week 22

In the Independent Study and Mentorship Program this week, my mentor Mr. Trahan and I moved forward with our original work and final product. We have received correspondence from both the United States Geological Survey, to whom we sent a FOIA, and the City of Irving, to whom we sent an Open Records Request. The USGS explained that they have information to provide us with, but it might take a while to compile all the information. The City of Irving, on the other hand, said that our request was too specific and we may need to amend it for them to find anything. We are going to see if the story needs the Open Records Request or if the FOIA will provide what we need.

In relation the Final Product, I have been contacting people from around the Dallas area that work to preserve wildlife and/or are involved in city planning in order to find information and set up interviews with potential sources.

I posted a second time on the blog, Next Door, asking residents if any one would care to share their experiences with wildlife in the area. I received several angry responses, which took me completely by surprise, and also received helpful responses and emails as well. The angry responses I received were from residents that are afraid that my story is going to make wildlife look evil and degrading to our society. I posted another reassuring post that this is not my intention at all. Receiving the angry backlash over such a simple subject opened my eyes to the hard shells investigative journalists are required to have.

My mentor and I are hoping to interview one of our first sources this upcoming week and we can hardly wait to see where this goes.

Week 21

It was a momentous week in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program.

I COMPLETED MY ORIGINAL WORK!!!

My job, and my original work, ended up being research about, and completion of, Open Records Requests. Going into the story, I had no idea what an Open Records Request was, but now I know that it is a tool used by journalists all over the country in most stories. An Open Records Request is a request that can be made by any citizen asking for information, correspondence and planning among city or state officials in regards to certain events. Any information on a public official’s work email can be gained by the public, if they know how to ask. The information in the officials’ emails, phone calls and texts can often be critical to uncovering the truth in an investigative story. The national version of an Open Records Request is the FOIA, the Freedom of Information Act.

              

It was my job to read the Texas laws regarding open records and open meetings, determine who would be beneficial to send an Open Records Request to, find the contact information, and ultimately send the requests. We ended up sending an Open Records Request to the City of Irving, asking for any correspondence between city officials and Seismologist Craig Pierson, who has had a leading hand in the research of the seismic activity in the area.

We also sent a FOIA to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) asking for correspondence and data they had collected regarding the frequent and alarming earthquakes in Irving.  We have received responses from both the City of Irving and the USGS, and it will be only a matter of time before we can determine if any of the information we received is beneficial to the story.

I greatly enjoyed filing the Open Records Request and FOIA. It allowed me to feel like a real journalist and understand a new part of the field that I had not even heard of before. This particular Open Records Request and FOIA do not relate to my Final Product, but knowing that I have submitted requests before and that I am capable of doing it again in the future is incredibly exciting.

               

I can hardly wait for the story to air!

Week 20

Another fantastic week has come and gone in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program. This week, I received nearly a dozen pictures of wildlife from around Frisco neighborhoods, which will be incredibly useful for our story in the spring. The pictures ranged in quality, but will all be helpful.

Here is one of the best ones of a bobcat taken on Bay Hill Drive:

With all the incredible camera shots I've already been sent, I will need to focus on video footage as well. I am still working on finding a GoPro camera in order to shoot video of the wildlife in the area. 

In other news, my mentors and I have been working on the earthquake story which will be airing in early February. When I went into the office on Thursday, I located all active, plugged and licence-revoked oil wells in Tarrant County and Denton County, and then Byron visited some of them to complete further investigation as to whether fracking is the cause of the unusual earthquakes. Hopefully, my contribution to the story will be an awesome original work for ISM this year.

Working with such incredible investigators has been an honor. I can hardly see what the rest of the semester holds!

Week 19

This week held more excitement in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program. I visited Mr. Jason Trahan at the WFAA Channel 8 Headquarters in downtown Dallas, and we discussed our plans for the year. I showed him the research I have completed on the Open Meetings and Public Information laws in Texas. We discussed who we are going to send open records request to in regards to the earthquake situation in Irving. It will be my job to file these requests, and they will be helpful in Jason and Byron's research on the issue. The final story will probably air mid-February.

We also decided on a story idea for the final product. Due to the large amounts of urbanization in Frisco, we've decided to pursue a story documenting the effects this has on wildlife in the area and investigation of whether or not there is proper planning in place to protect nature in Frisco.

I left the meeting with a detailed to-do list for the next week. It has been up to me to contact the City of Irving, the United States Geological Survey, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to determine who I need to ask for an open records request. I am also responsible for finding a GoPro camera for documenting wildlife, and blogging on the neighborhood website asking for pictures and video of wildlife in the area.

I am incredibly excited about all we accomplished this week and can not wait to see what next semester has in store!

Week 18

I HAVE MENTORS!!!!!!

This past week in the Independent Study and Mentorship was incredible. I presented my research speech to the class, researched the field, and gained two fantastic mentors.

My research speech went well. I am proud of the format it is set up with, and I believe I have a nice flow. My teacher suggested that I make it even better by opening up with an investigative story to hook everyone's attention. This will add a great flair to the presentation and keep attention engaged.

I also asked Jason Trahan and Byron Harris, investigative reporters from WFAA8, to be my mentors. They both said yes and we met up for the first time on Friday. We began discussing possibilities for the original work and product, and they showed me the current projects they are working on.  This year is going to be AMAZING, and I could not have ended up with a better pair of excited, diligent, passionate mentors.

Some of the ideas we threw out were the possibilities of my filing for open records requests from the state and investigating my own story. They will help me along the way and give me camera access, etc. I simply cannot wait for what this year holds.

Weeks 16 and 17

In the past two weeks, I have accomplished quite a bit in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program.

The most important and exciting event of the two weeks was the ISM Research Showcase, which took place on Tuesday, December 16th. On that night, all the ISM students in Frisco ISD came together at Heritage High School and presented our display boards and portfolios, showing what we have accomplished so far this year. The event was less stressful than I anticipated, mainly due to the fact that I had already experienced the Research Showcase last year. The night was still incredibly beneficial and exciting, however, as I was given the opportunity to proudly display all that I have accomplished this year. I also ended up talking with several people who had experience or connections in the field of journalism, and hearing their advice and stories was great.

I have also asked a lady to be my mentor. I have not heard back from her, however, and will have to wait till she responds. I will be delighted if she says that she can do it, but if she cannot, I have plenty of other fantastic contacts that would be wonderful mentors as well.

The next step in my ISM journey will be getting my visual presentation up-to-date and giving the research speech, as well as beginning my original work.