Lack of Snowfall on Sierra Nevada and Cascades Mountains made our surface reservoirs thirsty but capturing early runoff can be a solution.

                                                                                                    -Harpreet Kaur 

As most of the parts of the world, California too relies on the natural source of water, snow, and rainfall. Snow packs on the Sierra Nevada and Mountain ranges provide 30% of fresh water to the California which melts gradually, releasing water down rivers and into the reservoirs. They refill the streams through the dry summer in this semi-arid region.

2016 snow pack on Sierra Nevada mountains relieved the Californians, thanks to El Nino. El Nino is the phenomenon where trade winds are weaker and pull less warm waters to the Western Pacific, which raises temperatures in eastern pacific and decreases the temperature in western pacific. There is the counter partner of the El Nino known as La Nina, which is opposite of the El Nino. La Nina brings the drier months.

Last year and 2014 was the driest years. The rising temperature in the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades becomes too warms for the snow. Rising temperatures and winter storms becoming infrequent causing more rain and less snow. As a result, the snow didn't refill the summer water supplies. Groundwater and aquifers are shrinking.

This year snow pack saved California getting into deep droughts. But it may not last longer. Global warming is reducing the California’s snow packs by causing it melt earlier in the year and causing heavy rain. “We’re already seeing some of the expected changes to our rain and snowfall patterns; we’re already seeing that we’re getting earlier runoff,” said  Lien-Mager, a spokeswoman for the Association of California Water Agencies.

“That flips our system on its end,” she said. “It was all designed to capture gradual runoff from snow melt. If we’re moving away from that kind of pattern, then we may be getting too much runoff at a certain time, and we won’t necessarily be able to capture it all.”

Dr. Roger C. Bales, a professor at the University of California, Merced said: “Historically, ponderosa pine at the Sierra Nevada has been the reliable show zone, where it accumulates till late March or early April and then melts.” But now the snow pack here is more like that at lower elevations “where it will accumulate, melt accumulate, melt.” Similar Effects of Climate have been seen throughout the Sierra, including at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, which is operated by U.C. Berkeley. They make measurements the way the lab started in the 1940s, by inserting special metal tubes into the snow.“We are seeing an ever increasing percentage of the annual and winter precipitation in liquid rather than solid form.” said Randall Osterhuber.

According to Erin Stacey, a scientist with Sierra Nevada research Institute. “The snow pack acts as a reservoir for us, and if we don’t have that reservoir, then we need to find some way to store more water or to use less water.” Measurements done by sensors around the continental United States showed that average snowpack has to decrease as the temperature is rising.

The solution to it is California’s natural aquifers provide a space where that runoff can be stashed until it's needed. Aquifers can be recharged by pumping water into them, or by allowing water to seep into them.“In an ideal world, that large reservoir of water would be available during bad times,” Williams a bio climatology at Columbia University  said. “You could draw down on that when times are really bad, and then when times are really good you can replace it again.”  

Researchers at Stanford have shown that California’s natural aquifers offer cheaper options for boosting water storage capacity than expanding or building above-ground reservoirs. Storing water in aquifers was also shown to be cheaper than desalting and filtering sea water.

But how can we fill the Aquifers? As the city of Fresno is taking an approach in trying to boost their underground supply. When water is present in the reservoirs, it is diverted through small canals to a spreading pond known as leaky acres, where the water seeps down to the aquifers. It is a way to replenish our aquifers. According to the Ken Heard, a chief of the water operations for the city’s public utility department, “Now with the prospect of prolonged or more frequent droughts, we may not be able to do that as much, which means we’ll have to continue using the wells,”

As Heard said this may not help much but it is one of the ways we can preserve the off season melting of the snow and replenish our thirsty aquifers and surface water bodies. These all are the outcomes of the global warming, we should also focus on taking initiatives to reduce global warming.Even small steps like taking transit, riding a bicycle or walking small distances than driving a car not cutting driving completely, planting more trees and lot other small changes in our daily life can make a difference.     

But for bigger steps we should support Carbon fee, which is imposing fees for use of the fossil fuels and shift our company's attention to green energy, using more renewable energy source like solar, the wind, and geothermal energy. Geothermal energy can only be harnessed in places which are active. These are the clean energy and produce less or no waste which is not harmful.   

So collective effort in reducing global warming and capturing runoffs water into the reservoirs and aquifers can solve our problems and relieve the depleting water in major rivers of the country like Colorado river.

Agriculture Industy Crucial to Solving CA's Water Crisis

by Alexandra Lee

According to this chart from wwf.panda.org, agriculture uses

the majority of water in almost every sector in the world.

As it is well known, our state of California is facing a major ongoing drought that has had consequences for millions of people living inside and outside its borders. With the drier climate comes less rain and snowfall, so there has been an extreme shortage of water in a time when it seems like we need ever-more of it. Water has endless uses, from running in our sinks to providing the means for our food to grow, and having less of this invaluable resource impacts all of us. The largest user of California’s developed water is the agriculture business, but it also seems to be one of the biggest wasters of our precious supply.

California’s agriculture industry is the largest in the country, and it feeds millions of Americans with its wide variety of crops and produce. Needless to say, this agricultural industry, nicknamed the “breadbasket of America,” is essential in making our country run and fuels people in their everyday. However, the unfortunate side of California’s agriculture system is that it uses up about 80% of our water - and wastes a substantial amount of it.

It’s understandable that the agriculture industry needs so much water, as all crops need water to grow and they are produced in vast quantities to be shipped throughout the rest of the country. However, significant amounts of water used in the industry are unintentionally wasted, adding to our ever-growing crisis. This is mainly due to a lack of sustainable agriculture, which includes inefficient irrigation systems and the cultivation of thirsty, foreign crops.

One way that the agriculture system could improve its wasteful watering systems is to take out old, inefficient modes of mass water distribution and replace them with better options, such as drip-irrigation systems. These systems use small amounts of water, remain intact for years, and deliver water right to the root of the plant as to reduce the amount of water used to grow plants. Old systems, such as irrigation ditches and sprinklers, use up large quantities of water and allow some of it to evaporate or be lost to the wind before ever reaching the plants. Therefore, systems such as drip-irrigation are a much better option for farmers and for California, as they conserve water and save money.

Farmers could also cut back on growing extremely water-thirsty crops such as walnuts, cotton, sugar, and rice to conserve more water - or up the prices on these items. Just one walnut takes about 5 gallons of water to grow, and just one head of broccoli uses almost 5.5 gallons. While foods such as these can be popular on the market, they are greatly worsening the issue of water in California, and there should be raised prices on them in order to conserve more water for our state. However, some farmers are taking steps to having more sustainable farms.

Another part of the agriculture industry that uses enormous amounts of water is the meat packing industry. Few people seem to be aware of the amount of water that goes into producing the food they eat, let alone the meat they eat. The average American eats about 167 pounds of meat each year, according to gracelinks.org. It takes about 1,800 to 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. And, there are around 320 million Americans. So, this all means that it takes about 96 trillion gallons of water to feed Americans their meat each year. Keep in mind, this is only one part of the agricultural industry - take into account all of the water used to grow crops in the Central Valley, and the agriculture industry is using incredible amounts of water, some of which is wasted or isn't necessary in the first place. A solution to the amount of water used up on our meat could be to raise prices, just as with the produce mentioned before. At McDonald’s, it currently costs $3.79 to buy a quarter-pounder burger with cheese. Divide 1,800 gallons of water by 4, and that patty used at least 450 gallons of water to produce - and cost less than $4. According to Business Insider, bottled water costs an average of $1.22 per gallon, so if somebody were to buy the 450 gallons of water used to produce one quarter-pound burger, it would cost them $549. This huge gap between prices means that many people aren’t considering the amazing amounts of water that is indirectly used to produce their food.

There are several issues surrounding the usage of California’s scarce water, but the agricultural industry is surely one participant in worsening the situation. There are many ways that the industry could improve its water-swallowing methods in order to conserve more for our state, and they should start with converting to more efficient irrigation systems and converting to less thirsty crops. Also, Americans can work together to reduce their meat intake, or prices can be raised on the cheap meat that’s readily available to consumers. While the agricultural industry is not to blame for the ongoing drought or shortage of water, it can surely cut back its impact on the California water crisis.

The Secret Behind the Agriculture Industry

By Maggie Alves

For the past five years, California has been in a state of severe drought. On January 17th, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared the drought a state of emergency. This statewide affair turned thousands of heads and demanded immediate action. However, despite images and articles on the news, whenever a sink is turned on, water pours out the same as always. This disconnection prevents many Californians from seeing and properly addressing the issue. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the average American uses 100 gallons of water per day. Water is a necessity, yet something we constantly take for granted. If California does not make serious adjustments, the situation will only decline.  

California is the agricultural powerhouse of the United States, with over 200 unique crops. The 76,400 farms and ranches generated approximately $54 billion from their products in 2014. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, in the same year almonds alone generated 5.9 billion dollars, making it California's second most valued commodity. The importance of this industry is no question, however the profits don’t come without a cost. Crops grown in California, such as almonds, require an extensive amount of water. Approximately 70-80% of California’s water goes to agriculture. Wasteful irrigation techniques and other flawed systems mean that out of the millions of gallons put in, only a fraction are used. With the large majority of water being isolated to the agriculture industry, many researchers and politicians are realizing that the most effective approach to conserve water may come there.

With the rise of drought awareness, new strides have been made to assist the cause. This includes new bills introduced and passed, water restrictions imposed, new technologies developed, and communities modifying their routines. Whether it is installing a system to collect and reuse grey water, or shortening showers, every bit helps. The city of Sacramento has imposed a strict watering schedule, permitting residents to water their lawns only on specific days and times. Communities across California have developed notable ways to conserve and have severely cut down their water use. However, even if everyone did their part, only a small amount of water would be saved.

When examining the most effective ways to conserve, there is one place that severely needs attention: the agriculture industry. Growing crops that require less water, using more precise irrigation or alternative methods such as collecting rainwater, recycling runoff or treating wastewater are all methods that have been proposed for farmers. Using water flow meters can help measure and control the amount of water being used in irrigation. Implementing new methods can be expensive, but government subsidies for these technologies would provide economic incentives for the farmers and there is no question that they are worth it in the long run. Many farmers have watering schedules that are not dependent on weather, so adjusting watering to fit natural precipitation will also decrease water use. Farmers must be willing to make both small and large adjustments if they want pull California out of this fragile state.

Perhaps the most shocking statistics about the industry come from a surprising place: meat. According to the United States Geological Survey, in one beef (¼ pound) burger, 460 gallons of water are used. That is over 1,800 gallons per pound of beef. Although sources vary in number, all report the average male cow weighs around 1,700 lbs. Through simple calculations, it can be determined that if every part of the cow is used for meat, over three million gallons of water would be used per cow. The average American eats 167 pounds of meat a year. There are approximately 320 million people in the United States. That calculates to 53 billion pounds of meat consumed each year. To provide all that meat, 96 trillion gallons of water is used, which is ten times the amount of megabytes of mobile data everyone in the United States used last year put together.     

Water is an asset that is extremely underpriced. Those 460 gallons of water is equal to two dollars at your local McDonald’s. Since water is so cheap, people don’t think twice about using it. When you leave the sink running while brushing your teeth, you don’t think you are literally pouring money down the drain, because you barely are. The same goes for farmers. Farmers use billions of gallons a year with only a relatively small price to pay. If the price of water were to rise, people’s attention to their water use would surge. This raise in cost would affect the places that use the most water, namely, agriculture. If the reality of an ever-shrinking water supply is left alone, eventually the true cost of water will emerge.

You may wonder, if solutions to many of the issues of the drought are already defined, why have they not been done already? The answer isn’t simple. Farmers make major profit off many of the crops/products that use a great deal of water. Tomatoes, almonds and bananas are some examples of crops that require significantly more water than crops such as olives or grapes. However, the demand for tomatoes isn’t decreasing, and farmers make over 1.5 billion a year growing them, so why stop? Agriculture is clearly a major asset, and getting farmers to change their ways is both difficult and expensive.

This historic California drought is not an issue that can fix itself. The agriculture industry is at the heart of the problem, but is also the majority of the solution. When the drought is discussed, this industry is often left out of conversation. It is important to address the easier, more personal fixes, but even more important to address where most of our water is going. California’s water will continue to disappear if great efforts are not made to save water through agriculture. There is no doubt; the key solutions lie within the agriculture industry.

Is the Diminishing Sierra Nevada Snow Pack Jeopardizing our Water?

By Julian Brastow

Today, our society faces an ongoing problem that threatens the earth’s future and continues to manifest itself in our everyday lives. This problem, global climate change, has been evident for decades, and has been causing all kinds of global disasters, from severe weather and inland flooding, to receding polar ice sheets and rising sea levels. A more local problem, however, that threatens California’s water supply, is the diminishing Sierra Nevada snowpack.

The winter snowpack of the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade mountains is extremely important to the water systems of California. Snow builds up in the Sierra Nevada and lower Cascades in the winter, acting as an enormous, natural reservoir, and then slowly melts into streams and rivers during the spring months, filling up the surface reservoirs all over California. These reservoirs provide water to much of California, including large cities like San Francisco and some of Los Angeles and San Diego. In addition, 50% of the water flow into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hub of California’s water system, comes from the Sierra.

California has now been in a drought for almost five years, and although the 2016 snowpack was considerably better than the previous couple years, it has in no way pulled us out of the drought, and was still below average. In addition, the 2015 snowpack was the lowest ever recorded, at five percent of average. Using tree ring evidence, scientists estimated that it may have been the lowest in five hundred years. That won’t happen again, right? In fact, years like the last are expected to occur again in subsequent decades. Even twice in one decade, thanks to global climate change.

Interactive Snowpack Map

There are two ways the state of California can try and solve this problem. We can either look to alternative water sources and somewhat ignore that our average snowpack is diminishing, or we can look to why this is happening and try to combat climate change. The first option would only be successful if vast alternative water sources were available in the long run. But the more reliable option, and the one that would last relatively forever, would be to look to the overhanging source of this long term problem, and try to restore the damage we have already caused.

Map of California's Aquifers

An alternative water source to the Sierra Nevada snowpack is the large aquifer (water table) beneath the Central Valley. An aquifer is a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater, and also acts as a large, natural reservoir. Many farmers in the Central Valley already use the aquifer as a water source in the form of pumping groundwater to the surface. The problem with using the aquifer as an alternative water source, however, is that it replenishes itself naturally very slowly, and if we take water from it regularly, it must be manually replenished on years that we have an excess amount of water. One of its main sources is also the Sierra Nevada mountains, so it would be very unsustainable to use as an alternative.

Another alternative water source would be to increase the amount of desalination along the state’s coast. While this may seem like an obvious idea, desalination is extremely expensive and can also cause harm to the surrounding environment if we are careless about the source of intake and what we do with the wastewater. We will need to look to more sustainable water resources if we want to succeed in the long run.

By far the most sustainable alternative water source would be recycling wastewater. This option fundamentally just makes the most sense, because there is all this wastewater from your sink, shower, etc. going down the drain and not being used again. So why not use it to water your garden or flush your toilet? Water recycling and greywater (on-site reuse) has the ability to meet the needs of non-potable water demands not just in your house but also in the agricultural industry. If we took full advantage of greywater and water recycling, then the need for new water would be lowered vastly.

In the end, we need to look at global climate change as the leading factor of the diminishing snowpack. If we don’t accept this problem, and act, then our water sources will continue to decrease. It’s easier said than done, but there are multiple ways, large or small, to combat climate change. Since pollution from fossil fuels is the source of climate change, it is important to reduce your emissions as much as possible. On a larger scale, we need to move away from nonrenewable energy like natural gas and coal. 63% of California’s electricity comes from natural gas, and although this is a much better option than coal, it still pollutes the atmosphere and it would be better in the long run to focus more on renewable energy sources. If we succeed in this, California will be able to continue to protect its most important resource, water, for many generations to come.

Media Trend

Change is the part of the Society. Since ages we saw revolutionary changes, which changed our life and living and a way of seeing the world and perceiving the information. Perceiving the information has changed a lot. In earlier ages, people used to get information from their peers during small talks, then books, newspaper or through written material, then radios, then television, and now internet. All these sources still exist and have a good market, but internet is mostly widely used because it’s cheap, easily available, and faster. In this busy life, we are more likely to go on social media to watch news and not read because we are too busy! and to be social.

Like YouTube, a social network which is becoming a rising platform for learners. People around the world are suing to teach and learn. You can learn anything from Spanish to English, cooking to makeup or hairstyles and also Health. One of such channel known as Crash Course, is teaching all the subjects , literature, biology, physics, chemistry, psychology, philosophy and lot more. YouTube giving a platform to young actors around the world to pursue their passion and help which was difficult in past. It’s giving voice to the peoples and reaches far. Other social networks like Facebook connect us to our friends and also give us a platform to voice ourselves.   

Harpreet Kaur.

Behind the scenes at ABC Channel 7 News

        By Ethan Singleton

Earthscope recently visited the headquarters of ABC Channel 7 Bay Area
News and found a team of researchers, technicians and news anchors
committed to broadcast journalism.  With the internet becoming the
most popular source for information, many are questioning the
significance of television news.  However, whatever the medium, the
importance of well-researched, responsible journalism is essential.
While there are many people with a narrow view of what journalism
should look like, all that really matters is that people stay
knowledgeable about the world they live in, and that there are people
committed to giving them the tools they need to be educated, informed
members of society. This requires dedicated teams of professionals
worldwide, and ABC Channel 7 news is just that.

Former news anchor Cheryl Jennings was our tour guide. She lead us
into the room where seemingly everything happens.  In one corner are
the researchers, in another the video editors, and in the middle of
all this is where the filming takes place. This came as a surprise to
us; we had expected there to be a whole separate room where the
filming took place. It became clear through our conversations with the
staff that there is no clear work schedule at ABC Channel 7, it is not
a standard 9-5 job.  Some people have to be in as early as 4 am for
the morning broadcast. It is unpredictable in others ways as well,
because they never know what kind of day they are going to have.  This
makes sense seeing as it is dependent on events in the outside world.

Maintaining traditional professionalism in a fast-paced world

by Emily Cerf

On Wednesday, the Earthscope intern crew visited the San Francisco ABC7 news headquarters. We had the opportunity to meet and receive a tour from Cheryl Jennings, who was the anchor for the 5 PM news for over 25 years and has now stepped down to focus on special assignments and projects. We were shown around the newsroom where not only producers, story assignors, and many other people essential to the making of the show sat working; but where a temporary set for the anchors and talent had been erected while the real set was under construction. We were also allowed into the control room, where we watched the producer “conduct” the 11 AM news in front of about 20 different screens, calmly giving out a myriad of queues and directing shots. All the while, the anchors tweeted and connected to the community through social media, and the news was interspersed with short clips of events from facebook and other platforms.

The hectic energy of the room was palpable— a six alarm fire that occurred in the early hours of the morning meant that the crew had been there since before the sun had begun to rise over the golden gate. Yet everyone was very welcoming and willing to describe to us how they had gotten to where they were and share with us words of advice for pursuing a career in journalism. Jennings later spoke to that very climate which she had encouraged and fostered in her many years with the station. This was a climate of respect, politeness and professionalism. It was one that allowed interns rise to the ranks of news story assignors because of a clear display of hard work. One that encouraged taking initiative and proving willingness to go above and beyond. One that allowed one of the first women anchors to garner an equal amount of respect as her male counterparts through hard work and firm handshakes. In the fast-paced world of short attention spans and social media, it is important to maintain this old-school level of respect.

The Future of News Media

by Julian Brastow

In the modern world, media is a very large part of many people’s lives. Trends in media are constantly changing, especially news, and mediums like television channels are always looking for ways to make their broadcasts more appealing and in touch with the modern viewer. Our recent visit to ABC Channel 7 News revealed these changes in action.

My first impressions of the newsroom were about what I expected, but this did not stop me from being very impressed with all the steps and tasks of creating a successful newscast. The tasks ranged from scrolling the teleprompter to controlling which section would come on the screen next. We met the news anchors and were introduced to the people that find news to use in the broadcast. There were police scanners running and we were told about a fire that had happened that morning. The part of the tour that impressed me the most, though, was the control room. From here we watched the eleven o'clock news, and through watching it I witnessed one person that was in charge of, among other things, giving queues to people that were about to come on screen, controlling the levels of sound, and manually controlling which section of the broadcast would come on next. I later learned that this person’s job used to be the job of five different people, and I was extremely impressed with how relaxed and skilled he was during what would seem like a very stressful task.

As I viewed the newscast, I also witnessed how social media was integrated into the routine. There were often tweets from the public on the screen which showed their opinions on different issues. These new parts of news media, from the on-screen tweets to the ability to do a five person job with just one, are all evidence that media is continuously evolving in order to meet the needs of the modern world.

Behind the News

By Cate Guempel

Just recently, I had the privilege of visiting ABC’s Channel 7 newsroom. As we were led through the newsroom, I witnessed flurries of action, all parts of an efficient system. But for the heavy workloads that everyone around me was responsible for, the room was quite calm.

To my right, a news anchor recorded a clip to be aired to millions of people; further down, an alcove contained people editing news reels to be used in the next broadcast, listening to police scanners, and searching the web to find what newsworthy events occurred during the past hours of the night. Everyone in this room had long to-do lists and because of that, the world is brought their news.

Behind the Scenes at Channel 7

By Maggie Alves

Every day, we are bombarded by vast amounts of information coming through a variety of mediums. Whether on television, on a computer, an alert on our phones, or via social media, we rarely consider how it’s all getting there. What does it take to accurately deliver crucial information in a matter of minutes? The answer is found at ABC Channel 7. Last Wednesday, the Earthscope team got an exclusive tour of the newsroom led by the acclaimed Cheryl Jennings. We arrived in time to speak to some of the journalists and reporters before the 11 a.m. segment. Each spoke of their journey to get to where they are now: sitting in front of a camera delivering news to thousands around the Bay Area. Each recommended taking every opportunity presented and working tirelessly, whether your shift starts at two in the morning or at noon. At all hours, information is coming in to the station and being evaluated, scripts are written and edited, and reporters are sent into the field to receive the scripts and read them live on camera. At Channel 7, the hard work never stops.

No one embodies hard work and dedication like Cheryl Jennings. On our tour, Jennings emphasized the power of a first impression. She taught us how to give a professional handshake and that we should “always have something to say” when meeting someone for the first time. When she was an aspiring journalist, there were no women in the field to look up to. Her professionalism and work ethic demanded her respect in the office and landed her a spot as one of the first female news anchors in the United States. Hearing her advice was a privilege and we were so lucky to get a tour from her before she retires this year. Overall, my experience at Channel 7 opened my eyes to what it takes to deliver entertaining news rapidly to our screens.

Backstage at Channel 7 News

by Alexandra Lee

The lively, professional atmosphere inside the standard-looking office building of the ABC Channel 7 News Station was anything but dull. The harmony of each televised reporter, producer, scriptwriter, assignment manager, and cameraman working as a team to produce the live news demonstrated expertise, efficiency, and extreme coordination. On our tour to the news station, led by the famous Cheryl Jennings, we were introduced to several televised reporters such as Kristen Sze, Reggie Aqui, and Jessica Castro. We were even lucky enough to see them report live for the 11 a.m. news on July 6. We stepped into the control room while the news was rolling to witness three essential members of the team in action. One man had an extremely difficult job; he had to cue each reporter 10 seconds before they would be live, tell others when to switch the camera image, and simultaneously juggle several other tasks. One woman was in charge of scrolling the ad-libs for each reporter, while another remained in contact with the other producers, ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Every person in the newsroom was on time and extremely concentrated, as necessary for the show to run perfectly.
One concern mentioned by Jennings was that broadcast journalism might become jeopardized, with more and more people reading news on the internet instead of tuning in to watch the live reports on television. Channel 7 has been incorporating social media posts into their reports as a way to stay updated and modern, and appeal to more people. The rest of our visit consisted of practicing handshakes and chatting with Jennings, as she specified how important it is to make a good first impression; learning the different backgrounds of some of the reporters; and being introduced to various other important members of the Channel 7 unit. The Earthscope team was so fortunate to be able to witness the amazing action and coordination behind the scenes at the ABC Channel 7 news station.

Behind the Scenes at ABC7 News

By Miranda Andrade

 This last Wednesday, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit the ABC Channel 7 Newsroom and see what it is really behind the scenes. On this visit we got the chance to take a tour of the ABC Channel 7 news building with one of the most famous woman broadcasters, Cheryl Jennings. Prior to the tour, I hadn’t thought a lot about the amount of effort needed in either preparation or execution of a newscast and when we arrived at the newsroom, I was shocked. Right when we walked in the door, there were rows of desks full of people researching and gathering information for new stories. We came at the perfect time, which allowed us to see watch the live 11 AM news from inside the control room. In that room there were screens covering one big wall allowing the director and producer to see all the different videos that they are able to queue up. The director was also in charge of the sound from every clip and telling the anchors when they were going to be up on screen. In my opinion this was one of the hardest jobs that I saw. After the show, we got to speak to a couple of the anchors who were very excited to meet with us and tell us about how they got to where they were and what it really takes to be a news anchor.

Even though this channel is so successful, broadcasting is a dying medium because of the role the internet now plays in our lives. Due to our constant use of technology, it is no longer necessary to watch a two hour newscast because all the information we could ever want or need is at our fingertips. Another side effect of the over use of technology is that attentions spans have grown smaller and people are less likely to pay attention to full news stories. However, Channel 7 is evolving in order to communicate better in this day and age. Many of their stories are now under two minutes in order to keep viewers’ attention. There is also a larger trend in incorporating social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, into broadcasts while also creates a more interactive show. With these improvements, this news channel can continue to compete in this evolving world.