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.