Behind the Scenes TV 13: News
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Posted: 6:43 PM May 18, 2007
Behind the Scenes TV 13: News
Go inside the news operation
Reporter: Sarah Stokes
Email Address: sarah.stokes@weau.com
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Every week we've been taking you behind the scenes of TV-13: sports, weather and now, news.

The TV-13 newsroom is noisy, busy - and yes, orange. We've got scanners blaring, phones ringing and then there's the conversations, debates and questions.

But it all adds up to what makes up NewsCenter 13.

Behind every good evening is a good day's work.

What only takes 30 seconds on air can take hours to develop. The developing starts right away. The reporters get in in the morning and start making calls, tracking down stories even before the morning meeting.

Once they've got their story set, the dayside crew scatters, getting interviews and video. Then they come back to homebase to get it ready.

They log the interviews, put them into the computer, write the story, voice it and then start editing. Most of it's done on these computers. They pick out good sentences and video, stringing it together to create the stories you see on the air.

The nightsiders start in shortly before two, just in time for the afternoon meeting.

That's when everyone lays out what's going on.

And where we plan out what we'll put on the news.

The big assignment board is just one of the ways we keep everything straight.

Our assignment editor takes tip calls and manages the computerized assignment folder.

And the beating heart of the newsroom is the rundown.

Producers and anchors plan out every second of the newscast - every word, every move - within the lines of the rundown.

The afternoon is split between writing scripts, pulling video and busywork.

There's calendars to fill, guests to book and teases to do.

And there's always a good dose of fun around here.

Here's an anchor-eye view of the studio. It's just us, the robotic cameras and our connection to the rest of the world.

Now here's a real behind the scenes look. People ask, do you have a makeup artist and hair stylist? We joke, obviously not but that would be nice. It's all on us. The neat thing about this bathroom is that we can hear programming, so we know where we are in the night and I know I have cut it close a couple times. That's the behind the scenes exclusive for you.

And just when we think we'll have a minute to do our hair or read our scripts one more time, something happens.

"The hardest part is to have crews out all day long and there at a moments notice everything changes," said NewsCenter 13 Managing Editor Chris Herzog. "In this business you have to be adaptable, able to go in 100 different directions in 5 minutes and get it on the newscast."

One of the most important tools during breaking news is our live truck.

The photographers use it to get us on the air.

Sometimes they have an hour, sometimes they have just minutes to make it work.

They wrestle cables, transmitters and microphones.

But what bridges the gap between breaking news and the everyday news is a sense of teamwork and love of the job.

"I like being in the center of what's going on in the community," said NewsCenter 13 Anchor Judy Clark. "That's special."

And even before the 10 pm crew leaves, Sunrise producers start in on their show, spending all night shaping what you'll wake up to.

And every good morning means it's time for another day and night of news.

Next week on behind the scenes of TV-13, see what it takes to actually get us on the air and how our production crew keeps it all together.