Daniel Brown

WHDH Channel 7
August 29, 2019
 Introduction
My first day at Channel 7 went just as I expected. I showed up and immediately got lost
because the human resources guy who led intern orientation the week before neglected to tell any
of us where to go. After I talked to the security guard and asked her where the sports department
was, I walked across the catwalk as the morning news was being broadcast. It led me behind the
massive news screen where my office was, and where my boss Koon Lam was waiting for me.
Once I settled in, Koon introduced me around and explained how everything worked.
Koon is the head producer for the sports department. Everything that is said and shown on tv that
involves anything sports related goes through him and the associate producer. Alex Dembow, the
associate producer, has a lot of say, but at the end of the day, when it comes to editing and final
product it is all Koon’s job. The two of them, once they make the decisions and piece everything
together, begin to type and prepare the scripts for Joe Amorosino, the in-studio sports talent.
Koon and Alex likewise prepare packages and scripts for the field talents Trey Daerr and Chelsi
McDonald.
Along this chain of communication, and technically one of the first links, was me. My
title was sports intern, and as such I had two main jobs in the office; transcribing and logging
footage. My responsibilities, especially when I started, included watching and transcribing press
conferences and interviews. When I began, the Boston Bruins were in the middle of their Stanley
Cup Finals series against the St. Louis Blues, so there were hours of footage they needed to get
through. This obviously takes a while to get done, and since news packages only run for a few
minutes, if even that long, it was integral to have everything prepared, even if it was not going on
air. For about the first month, my responsibilities were entirely on the Stanley Cup. With the
Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots having won their respective titles in the past year, the
possibility of the Bruins winning had them eager to have everything ready, going forward.
The transcribing was very straight forward and helped organize everything for the
producers. Each transcription began with a time code I would enter, marking when someone
started to speak, followed by everything they said in an interview or in a press conference. I did
this for nearly a month until the Stanley Cup Finals ended, after which they transitioned me to
logging Red Sox games and any other sporting events.
The logging of games was like transcribing and was very straight forward. I would watch
a Red Sox game, for example, and put in a time code whenever there was an out, a base hit, a
replay, or anything noteworthy. After an inning ended, I would have to mark it and start an
entirely new column for the following inning. I did this for a lot of events, and they all followed
a very similar structure. If I was watching the U.S. Open, I would enter a time code and mark
when a golfer teed off, or a time code and a touchdown reception for a preseason NFL game.
Like the press conference and interview transcriptions, this needed to be done to have everything
on file for that night’s news package for Joe. If somebody hit a walk-off home run for the Red
Sox and they wanted to focus on that in a package, they could look back at my file, see the time
code, and extract the footage. Even if there was nothing of importance that happened in that
game, it was integral to have everything on file whether it was filler for the show or to be
expanded into an entire sports story.
When I was not in the office, I was sent into the field with the cameramen to record press
conferences or practices while assisting in holding the station’s microphone. Whether it was at
the Celtics headquarters on draft night, or in the Red Sox clubhouse after a game, it was
incredibly important for me to be attentive. One of the reasons was the importance of footage. If
a cameraman was recording one player’s interview, I had to be on the lookout for players talking
to other media members so I can quickly direct the cameraman over. When I was at the Patriots’
training camp, Michael Bennett, a star defensive tackle, was making his return to practice (See
Appendix for media credentials). For instances like that, I needed to have my full attention on
that and only that. Additionally, holding the microphone is far more tiring than it looks.
Questions can drag on, but they need as much sound from the player as they can get, so I had to
be brave in the face of my tiring shoulders and keep it in the same position for as long as they
talked. Amidst all the typing and watching of sometimes meaningless sporting events, it could
sometimes feel like busy work. To go in constantly and type up something that might not even be
aired was frustrating at times. However, I knew where I stood in the organizational chart and the
importance of my job.
As I mentioned previously, it was integral that almost everything and anything sports
related be on file for them. Every news package that was put together and aired on the nights I
worked started with what I had done that day. If there was a package put together on a Red Sox
game where they won in extra innings, the bare bones of it started with them going to the log I
created. This was especially true toward the end of my internship. The last month and a half they
hired a new editor that was consistently asking me for help to prepare packages. If he wanted
isolation shots of a Red Sox pitcher, or a quote from Tom Brady, he would ask me for the time
codes so he could then begin to prepare the packages. When I went to the Patriots’ practice and
was responsible for finding Michael Bennett, wherever he was practicing, I was applauded for
my efforts. The Patriots did not put out a press release he was returning, so when I made them
aware, he was in pads and practicing, it was incredibly important to them. My responsibilities
seemed simple, but when it came to the bigger picture, they were important.
 Impression of the Company
The communication style at Channel 7 is very vertical. For them, it appeared as the best
form of communication in order to accomplish tasks. Considering almost everybody in the sports
department shared one small office, it allowed thoughts and actions to spread and be answered
with immediacy. If I had a thought that I wanted to express, or even if Trey or Chelsi had a
thought, they were able to do so in the moment. This allowed everybody to be treated equally, all
while maintaining a chain of command.
Their vertical communication style, with Joe and Koon at the top for the sports
department, allowed for dialogue to be as open as possible. They need all the information they
can get in order to accurately tell a story and put out a good product. All thoughts and actions
that can help them they are relevant, and so they do their best to keep an open dialogue and
respect those below them. I would be lying if I said there were not creative differences, however.
Due to the nature of news, there was sometimes overlap between other departments in the news
station. My department obviously had say on all things sports and were responsible for creating
most of the stories, but when it came to breaking news, there were disagreements. Just on my last
day there was breaking news about Patriots’ safety Patrick Chung and a drug scandal that was
covered before the nightly news could make a story. The news department wanted to go in depth,
but sports decided it was not worth expanding and felt they should cover it. There were a lot of
these occurrences, but they were often handled swiftly and in a mature manner.
Communication is incredibly important for Channel 7. They want a product that they can
agree in order to accurately inform their audience. Everybody in the department has their own
creative differences and that was to be expected. I never expected everyone to be on the same
page all the time. This vertical process of communication seemed to fit them well as it allowed a
shared voice and inclusion, all while maintaining structure and respect for superiors and
subordinates.
 Description of Projects
Transcriptions, as I mentioned before, were very straight forward and easy to dissect.
Logging games was too, however, what differentiates the two were the semantics and how that
effects the person curating a news package.
For a transcription, all the producer had to do was find the timecode and plug in the
footage. This of course goes the same for logs, but for logs, what is described in a log could
create a lot of confusion for somebody if it is not encoded correctly. For example, I could be
logging a game and type in “MOOKIE BETTS HIT” or I could type “MOOKIE BETTS
TRIPLES TO LEFT FIELD”. Both of those mean the same thing in the sense that he recorded a
hit, but one of them is properly encoded to create a specific message, that Mookie Betts recorded
an exciting hit and it might be useful in a package. When a package is created, the better the
description, the less confusion.
Outside of typing up transcriptions and logging games, there were only a few, small
projects I really worked on. One of them that I personally wish I did more of, was typing up
mock news packages (See Appendix for example of Bruins package). This task helped me to
work on my writing. What I appreciated most about this is that it really helped me understand
media literacy and the role it plays in the construction of messages.
The duty of news stations is to inform their audiences and create meaning for them. I
think if you ask anybody what they expect to see in a news package regarding a story, they will
probably expect the same exact things. It may start with footage and a voice over, or an
introduction from an anchor tossing to footage. Next would come some type of interview with an
athlete, if it is sports, more footage and a voice over, followed by a pitch or concluding
statement. It is a small thing that may seem trivial to people who do not care about the specifics,
but it is incredibly important because not all audiences understand the same things. For example,
my boss wanted me to type up a mock package with footage for the New England Revolution
regarding their hiring of a new coach, and their unbeaten streak. That is all he said, nothing else.
I did so, but at the end I wrapped it up by including a soundbite of their head coach Bruce Arena
talking about how they share Gillette Stadium with the Patriots, and that they know how
important success is for the fans. After, my boss Koon read through it and praised me for
including that.
He used it as an example of the importance in tailoring messages for certain audiences
and how they must be aware of who they are informing. People who are die hard Boston sports
most likely know the Patriots share a stadium with the Revolution, but for those who do not, the
purpose of that package is not just to say that they share a stadium, but to also frame how the
Revolution feel as a Boston sports team, and why that might be important to fans. When I typed
up another package on the Bruins, Koon also explained that writing in news packages should be
good and easy to understand, but audiences only have attention spans for certain things. If I did
not have enough natural sounds, or that if there is too much talking and not enough footage, that
could be detrimental to a news story. Audiences want to see practice footage, the sounds of
players, and that sometimes really good writing will most often be beat by footage due to the
necessity to see and hear rather than just hear a talking head. This was something I really picked
up on when I was logging Red Sox games.
 Fans typically watch sports for what is happening in the game and pay little attention to
things like the quality of a broadcast or a certain camera angle. I know for me that was
something I had zero interest in or opinions on, unless it was glaringly obvious how poor the
production was. When I started logging Red Sox games and was tasked with writing everything
and anything, it really made me feel like a fish out of water. It forced me to pay attention to
everything but the game. At one point in a game I was logging, there was a hit on a first pitch
and the camera shifted dramatically and it was not mentioned, making my job difficult to write it
down. I made a joke about it to which Alex agreed, but he also explained to me that this is the
world of production. When you begin to think about these things professionally, you start to
realize what makes something a good broadcast, and what makes a poor broadcast.
There were not many instances where I had thoughts on how business should be
conducted moving forward. However, there were moments where I was involved in helping
tailor a message. Before nightly sports packages, Joe, Koon, and Alex would run through
everything before putting the finishing touches on a package and would sometimes gauge my
thoughts on them. One-time Jackie MacMullen, an ESPN reporter for Boston sports was coming
in, and they asked for my thoughts on the questions they had for her regarding the Celtics’ new
draft picks. They asked for my opinion on packages a few other times, but otherwise, business
seemed to operate smoothly.
 Supervision
Everybody in the office that I worked with was extremely friendly and were always
willing to answer my questions. My first day there, before I did any work, Koon showed me
around the entire building to see everything. He explained all the software I would be using and
what I was helping them to accomplish. Following that, he sent me into the news control room. I
was told to spend as much time as I wanted in there to see how everything comes together. It was
something I was familiar with in my class with professor Montecalvo, but not on this level. I
ended up spending close to an hour just reading the computers, watching the teleprompter get
setup, and listening to the workers communicating back and forth to switch cameras, increase
volume, and many other directions.
My two bosses were technically Alex and Koon, but Koon was my main boss and he
always kept in contact and answered quickly. He would never keep me late just to make me do
busy work and was always extremely patient with me. If I screwed something up or was not
completely clear with something, even if it was very simple, he never made me feel inferior. He
understood that there was a lot of information for me to handle and said that even he gets
confused occasionally. I asked a lot of general news station questions, because I was curious.
They always explained things in detail and treated me as an equal. This was the pattern in my
entire time working there.
Koon and Alex were very assertive with their directions and expectations, but it was
never condescending. If I missed something or was doing it incorrectly, they made sure to tell
me. Sometimes I would not be as descriptive in a log and they would talk to me about it. One
time I was logging a Red Sox game and failed to log a melt, which is essentially a highlight reel
leading into a game, and I was told I needed to get these. It was an honest mistake because I was
not sure it was something they really needed, but they reassured that everything and anything
that highlights a player, in any manner, should be written down. Communication was very
vertical and immediate. There was little to no interference with any of the messages they sent
because they were all linked together. If a reporter and a cameraman were out in the field and
needed to know what to shoot, they were able to have their question answered almost
immediately. Likewise, if there were disagreements in the office or confusion about what to put
on that night, they could all be dispelled quickly. They all rely on one another and because they
must follow the same communication steps for almost every story or package, they are typically
all understanding and showed a very low power distance.
The last thing I noticed and appreciated in my supervisors, especially with me, was that
the producers always had everyone’s best interest as their priority. If Koon felt like Trey could
handle a story better than Chesli, he would communicate that with them. When Joe came into the
studio to do the nightly sports packages, Koon and Alex would always build off what Joe was
best at, rather than force him into saying certain things. Even for me, he knew that I should see
how fun and interesting this business can be, and when opportunities arose for games, he sent
me. I told him my favorite sport was basketball, and the following week he assigned me to go to
the Celtics’ practice facility to record and hold the microphone for interviews from their assistant
coaches. When the Patriots started training camp, he assigned me with a cameraman and with
directions on what to look for and what I would do that for the day instead of being in the office.
Just as my internship ended, he told me to come to a Patriots’ regular season game with them in
order to get real game experience. Something I was not able to get this summer. My experience
with them from a communication standpoint was direct and unwavering. It helped me be
confident and really build trust with them.
 Overall Impression of the Experience
Sophomore year I took basic studio production with professor Montecalvo, thinking it
was another class to fill requirements. It ended up as one of my favorite classes and a major
reason I was interested in this internship. I am glad it led me to Channel 7 because it was a real
eye-opening experience.
Discussing topics in class, especially ones related to media literacy and the importance of
messages, can be sometimes be a drag. This does not mean that these topics are not important.
They are crucial concepts, especially in a time where we are surrounded by different forms of
media channels, and ways to interact with those channels. Being at Channel 7 allowed me to put
those frameworks and ideas we have discussed in my various communication courses into
practice and experience them as physical elements.
One of the concepts professor Montecalvo stressed in his course was the importance of
time, especially for news stories. News packages cover a lot of information in a very short
amount of time, yet we never really think about it how much is packed into those seconds and
minutes. That was something I was a little familiar with because of my radio show and doing
play-by-play for WJMF. Dead air may sound awkward in the moment for listeners, but on the
receiving end I know how stressful it can be because those silent seconds can feel like hours.
Preparation is incredibly important when it comes to news stories, not just to get all the facts
right, but because you want to put a product out that flows well. Whether I was listening to post
game press conferences and typing out every word, or curating a package, it really puts it into
perspective how long a minute is.
Along the lines of media literacy and the importance of messages, when I was out in the
field listening to other reporters, I started to gain a real appreciation for the work they do. I never
really had the chance to work with Channel 7 reporters, but just being a bystander for other
stations made me realize how hard some people work for their audiences. In my opinion, one of
the main problems when it comes to sports reporting is the perspective from fans that they can do
a reporter’s job just as well. I know I am guilty of it too. Fans hear simple questions and answers
from reporters and might think “I could have thought of that question!”. That may certainly be
true in some scenarios, but what I started to understand is that they are not always asking these
things to hear their own voice. In the era of “Fake News” and clickbait trolls, these men and
women work around the clock to make sure they have every bit of information in order to best
inform their readers, listeners, or whoever stumbles upon their work. When I was working late at
the Celtics headquarters for the NBA draft, there were countless reporters gathering every bit of
information to ensure they had everything they needed in order to be credible. These experiences
helped me understand that reporters are really trying to do their best not for their own selfish
reasons, but to communicate to their audiences to the best of their ability.
I walked away from this work experience with an idea of media that I would have never
gained inside a classroom. What I have learned inside the classroom certainly made me hyper
aware of somethings and taught me what to look for, but being a part of the action helped me
understand how calculated media is. It was uncomfortable to start because I truly felt like a fish
out of water. I began to realize that messages and how we interact with media is not mindless at
all, but perfectly calculated. From transitions to certain images and sounds, all of them work
together to capture audience’s attention. As my experiences inside the workplace progressed, I
started to appreciate it rather than feel uncomfortable. So much work goes into what we
consume, and although not all of them do, a lot of outlets look out for their audiences’ best
interests. People sometimes view media as manipulative, and certainly can be. This is not always
true though. There are good people out there who want to help others, and I hope after
graduation I find myself on that path.
 Appendix A