What I Learned at Summer Camp: How to Make the News
People in any profession have to get their start somewhere. That includes the folks involved in the production of the news at CCX Media.
But getting to a big television station requires years of hard work.
Yet within the walls of the Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion School in New Hope, 15 kids are taking the first steps toward a potential career in broadcast news.
“So we bring out our camera and gear and kind of show the kids how to record video, how to interview people, what the actual news industry kind of does,” said Dustin Cooper, studio manager at CCX.
For the third year in a row, Cooper and Javier Cedillo are leading Broadcast News Camp. It’s one of the many classes offered for kids during the Robbinsdale School District’s Summer Academy.
“It’s really fun. I love it,” said Violet Suchy, one of the kids taking part in the week-long camp.
Students Trained to Do Multiple Jobs
After the kids are trained on how to use the cameras, they make their way to each of the classrooms. Some students practice their interviewing skills, while others learn how to shoot video.
It’s an exercise designed to help them become better visual storytellers.
“They’re getting all sides of it,” Cooper said. “Being in front of the camera. Behind it. Maybe editing. Maybe just being a sound person. That way, I don’t know, maybe they’ll find a puzzle piece in that where they go, ‘hey I really like that, I want to try that again.’”
While some of these students could see a future for themselves in the business, that’s certainly not the case for everyone.
“No, I am very socially awkward,” said Parker Neely, a student in the camp.
But at the very least, the kids are getting an idea of what it takes to become one of the pros.
