Lindsey Theis- Speaker recap

Lindsey Theis, a reporter and anchor at Omaha News station, KMTV, spoke to our class last Monday and had some interesting insights on how to excel in the field of reporting and journalism. Growing up in Texas, right outside of Dallas, she recalled always being a lover of theatre. Rodger and Hammerstein musicals were always amongst her favorite, which caught my attention because I grew up listening to the same musicals, which helped foster my love for theatre and music as well.

After moving from Texas, Theis went to college in Naperville, IL (right outside of Chicago), receiving a BA in Broadcast Communication and minoring in Journalism. At the time when she first began her experience in the field, she noted that Twitter wasn’t around yet and the online aspect of reporting and media storytelling wasn’t nearly as huge of a concept or big part of what the job entails like it is now in 2017.

When asked if she had any advice for students preparing for a career in journalism or broadcasting, Theis couldn’t stress enough how important it is to apply for internships. While she was an intern, many of her experiences were unpaid internships, but the experience she gained and the insights built from being able to see how everything operates from the inside of news and radio stations were priceless experiences that she feels all students who seek a career in the field need to look in to in order to get their feet wet and see if its something they truly love to do.

Five years ago, Theis moved to Omaha, NE. “I now consider it my second home,” she stated.

The biggest thing I took away from Theis’s speech was her interest and comments on improvisational theatre and how that helped her become more comfortable in the field of broadcasting and being on camera.

“You can’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself. You want to mess up on the smaller stations and get it out of the way so you can shake it off easier once you get to the bigger stations. News bloopers happen and it’s not the end of the world,” Theis explained.

 Theis gives back to the community by teaching improv classes because she feels as though it is an important stress reliever for many people from many walks of life- whether they are interested in a career in journalism or not. The importance of letting go and not being afraid to act the fool is an important exercise for anyone and I thought it was really cool that she spends her time outside of her regular work schedule to dedicate time to improv and loosening people up.

Fairy Tales and First Fridays: A Benson mother’s Ode to Art

Benson artist and mother, Julie Hautzinger, recently had her artwork showcased at the Benson Theatre.

“There’s so many places for any artist to display their work,” Hautzinger states.

For the past seven years, Benson also holds Benson’s First Fridays, displaying artwork from Benson citizens in order to foster a sense of art appreciation and show the hidden talents of the people who make up the Benson community. Hautzinger feels proud to be able to participate in these First Friday events, either as an artist or a curious observer.

“I participated in First Fridays a couple of times, the last time has been a few years ago. Kids change everything,” Hautzinger laughs. “But it’s something I will always enjoy.”

Hautzinger pulls much of her inspiration for her art from a particular subject matter.

“I really enjoyed fairytales growing up, so I find inspiration in that,” she says. “I did a series of silhouettes as fairytale characters, but put it in real-life situations.” 

From UNO’S School of Communication, I’m Jesi Baltezor.

Benson art murals gives community member a reason to stay

Video Story 1- Benson art murals

Upon moving to the Benson community three years ago, Ryan Gvamme recalls being instantly drawn to the area for its obvious appreciation for art and culture. While acclimating to his new surroundings, it didn’t take long to notice the multitude of colorful murals adorning the alleyways and walls of Benson businesses.

 “It seems like there’s a couple different styles at play,” says Gvamme.

“Like you can tell the stuff like Beercade and some of the other things by the artist- it’s obvious it’s been spray-painted on there; it’s kind of got that urban culture sort of feel or whatever have you. But then you look at some of the others over there – you can tell it was a person who sat there with a brush”

When asked what painting on the Maple street business district first caught Gvamme’s eye, it took no time at all for him to make up his mind.

“The one’s that probably stick out to me the most- I would say for sure- Beercade. I grew up a gamer and all that, so I walk by and see all these characters and I know instantly what they are. So, I would say that’s probably my favorite one,” Gvamme states.

Amongst many others living in the Benson community, Gvamme feels gratitude knowing that the place he now calls home is one where hard work, talent, and self-expression can be seen on a daily basis.

From UNO’s School of Communication, I’m Jesi Baltezor.

Live-Tweet Recap

The Live-Tweet Twitter assignment was an interesting experience, mainly because it showed how tricky it can be to keep up with what’s being said in a press conference, who is saying what, and then furthering the conversation about what is being said by conducting a response in timely and appropriate manner. I found myself wanting to tweet about many things that were being said while I was commenting on the things that were just said, so being a fast typist was crucial in order to give Twitter feed that is relevant and in-time with what is happening.

As far as the press conference went and the issues discussed, I felt that Kevin Hasset and Huckabee-Sanders deflected many questions and no real answers were given. Considering that I follow many of my classmates from my lab and different labs on twitter and have followed them prior to this class, it was interesting to see what they were posting. I found that many of us were thinking the same thing when it came to what was being said about the new tax bill proposed as well as the way Hasset was responding to (aka not fully responding to) the questions posed.  The press conference covered many topics such as Trump’s new policy on ivory imports/hunting big game to sexual assault allegations to the tax plan that no one seemed to still get a clear answer about, leaving us more apt to worry about what it really all entails. It reminded me that people (the public) need to seek out information for themselves beyond watching a press conference, do their own research, and be responsible in educating themselves about the things covered in a press conference. If you rely on getting the whole story this way- you will undoubtedly be missing some significant info if the said press conference is being conducted like the one we covered for this assignment. The whole thing kind of just seemed like a “razzle dazzle” dance (Chicago musical reference for any of my theatre/musical nerd out there); their way of talking seemed informed and dignified, but the actual content of what they were saying seemed to just be repeating the question, choosing other reporters to select to ask their question before the previous question was ever fully addressed, and distracting from the actual issues that everyone was there to gain more insight about.

I also thought it was interesting to see how many of my classmates were retweeting/liking my tweets, which I wasn’t expecting since we were all focused on tweeting on our own. However, given that many of us were on the same mental page about how the press conference was going, it was refreshing and reassuring to know that I was not the only person thinking these things as I was tweeting them.

Although I had a Twitter before this class, I used it very rarely. I typically use Facebook a lot more often, but I still try to keep out of all of the political talk on there because lately it just seems to cause people arguing more and I don’t want to play in to that. However, this Twitter assignment and Twitter’s new change to allow more than 140 characters in a tweet made it easier to form a full thought and I had fun with it. It was interesting to see my classmate’s comments and made me feel like a reporter might feel when they have to rush to get things posted for a story.

Storyboarding Assignment: Mike Riley

Medium Shots:

Medium shot 1

Medium shot 2

 

Interview Shots:

Interview Shot 1

Interview shot 2

 

Wide Angle Shots:

Wide Angle 1

Wide Angle 2

 

Close-Up Shots

Close-up shot 1

Close-up shot 2

Guest speaker re-cap: Jodeane Brownlee of MavRadio

Jodeane Brownlee of MavRadio and UNO’s School of Communication came to speak with our class on November 6 about the inner workings of radio and her experiences.

Brownlee had been interested in going into the field of journalism since the age of sixteen where she lived in Spencer, Iowa. Although she thought she always wanted to be a TV news reporter, she soon found out that her real passion was for radio journalism.

“The switch from T.V. to radio was needed. I was risking my life covering a storm that was so bad,” Brownlee stated. She also said she had trouble wrapping her head around the constant need to look perfect on camera while reporting on major tragedies. TV seemed way more superficial and she knew she wanted to report on the heart of stories, where good writing was even more crucial because on the radio- all you have is what you hear: the story.

I especially loved hearing Brownlee speak because my fiancé, Matt Haave, had her as an instructor while he went to UNO’s School of Communication. He now works for the Scripps company and owes much of the inspiration he found for telling a story from Brownlee. Matt was one of Brownlee’s many students to bring home a national award from the BEA conferences held in Las Vegas, Nevada every year. Brownlee has led multiple students to similar fates, bringing home numerous national awards. Coincidentally, it was her guest speech given for a media class three years ago that led my fiancé down the path he now loves, so it was really interesting to hear her speak about the life with a career in radio.

Brownlee also spoke about how people are often surprised to hear how alive radio still is and how many people across the nation actually listen to their music via radio than from any other source. She discussed how radio is an art form that isn’t dying, but instead thriving with careers that offer many possibilities and engaging ways to tell a story. 

Benson art scene inspires families to travel to Omaha

Transcript:

Benson experienced an influx of out-of-town visitors over the weekend who were able to experience Benson’s unique art and music scene.

HLN Art festival held at Benson’s Waiting Room Lounge featured artists such as reggae group, Satsang, and rock charity band, Wookiefoot, while local and out-of-state artists painted in front of live audiences.

Concert-goers included children and adults, some of which were in town to celebrate special occasions. Art festival participant and mother of four, Jessie Kuhel thought the event would be perfect for her daughter’s birthday celebration.

“My family and I came to the Benson area this weekend to celebrate my daughter’s tenth birthday. She has always loved art and Wookiefoot’s music and traveling, so we figured it’d be a great idea to go up there and see the Wookiefoot show and just check out the area while we were there. We really enjoyed it; we could tell that Benson had a real good sense of community and we could tell because of the art murals that were on the side of businesses and the people that came out to support the show and the live art – it was really great to see.”

With Benson’s thriving art scene and sense of community so easily apparent to out-of-towners, the approaching holiday season might just put Benson on the map for an ideal destination for family fun.

From UNO’s School of Communications, I’m Jesi Baltezor.

 

 

At the heart of the art: Beercade manager speaks of what makes Benson a neighborhood to remember

Benson Beercade audio story

 

Transcript:

Ash Preheim is the general manager of Beercade, a retro-arcade bar located in the heart of the Benson community. After Beercade’s initial opening six years ago, it didn’t take long for Preheim to pinpoint what makes the Benson community thrive, quickly becoming his favorite place to run a business.

“My favorite part about being in this neighborhood is that it’s very community-driven. Everybody is, kind of. It’s very art-focused. There’s a lot of creative people that are trying to create a neighborhood in the community more than most places that I see; a lot of places are forced and constructed and this is all really small, local business. You don’t see a Chipotle or a McDonald’s here because it’s just- that’s not the spirit. I think that a lot of that is due to the like-minded, young, creative people that kind of live around here and are- they embrace the neighborhood. They are a part of it,” Preheim says.

Even when running a business comes with it’s inevitable challenges, Preheim and his staff all agree that they wouldn’t want to come to work every day in any other place but Benson: an area where creative differences serve as the community’s most notable strengths.

For UNO’s School of Communication, I’m Jesi Baltezor.

 

 

Benson’s annual Boo-Bash unites local families and businesses for Halloween fun and increased commerce

 

Benson holds their annual “Boo Bash” down Maple street business district from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Saturday before Halloween.

 

Siblings Raven, (left), Nick, (middle), and Scarlet (right) strategize together for their walk down Maple street in order to collect as much candy as possible.

 

The Boo Bash Trick-or-Treat event brings larger crowds every year from surrounding Benson neighborhoods.

 

Benson’s Boo Bash also welcomes four-legged participants to join in on the fun. Chihuahua “Snowball (pictured) hasn’t missed a Benson Boo-Bash since her very first one as a puppy four years ago,” her owner, Charlotte Davis (not pictured), says.

 

Corey Finnigan, employee at St. Andrew’s Pub, hands out candy to participants as they make their way down the square.

 

“Benson Boo-Bash is something to look forward to every year,” says Michelle Ruckner (left) and her Malificent-daughter, Harper (right).

 

Benson’s Boo-Bash also encourages participants from outside the Benson community.  UNO faculty member Adam Rosen (left), son Levi (middle), and wife Marissa (right) showed off their Ghostbuster costumes while making their way down Maple Street square.

 

Benson Boo-Bash also proves to be a great opportunity to build rapport between business owners and community members. Brian Fitzpatrick, financial advisor at Edward Jones Benson branch awaits new clientele with helpers Miles (left) and Destiney (right).

 

 

 

For business owners and their employees, the variety of costumes from participants over the past few years remain a favorite facet to Benson’s Boo Bash. Beercade’s head-bartender, Derek Stephens states, “I see all of these kids dressed up in the same stuff I used to wear for Halloween as a kid and it makes me happy.”

 

 

As Benson’s Boo-Bash comes to a final close and the sun rises higher on Benson’s Maple St. business district, the Riley family makes their final rounds. “They are happy by how much candy they got,” says dad, John (left). “Although, the wife and I are a little worried about how much later bedtime will be tonight,” Riley laughs.

 

If you happened to be in Benson’s Maple St. business district Saturday morning and saw Freddy Krueger, multiple zombies, and other ghouls making their way down the square- it wasn’t a dream. Benson held it’s 10^th annual Benson Boo Bash from 10 am to 1 pm where trick-or-treaters were welcomed by Benson businesses for candy, promotions, and other fun displays to celebrate this year’s Halloween season.

John Riley, father of four and home-owner in the Benson borough of Omaha makes Benson’s Boo Bash a yearly family event and has seen it grow over the past decade.

“I think it’s great that businesses- even bars and breweries- make a point to make that connection with younger members of the community,” says Riley. “It doesn’t feel quite like Halloween without participating in Benson’s Boo Bash and we will continue to come back every year that it is offered.”

Cooperating businesses stock up on candy and other fun Halloween props to pass along to excited trick-or-treaters who get an early chance to stock up on their Halloween stash before the actual holiday on Tuesday. Generous donations from businesses and private donors have made it possible to include a bounce house and other Halloween-spirited games for this year’s bash.

For more information on upcoming family-friendly events in the Benson area, check out Family Fun Omaha website .

 

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Instagram/twitter assignment

1. Jennifer Griswald- News anchor at KMTV-Omaha:

Her Twitter is helpful by giving direct links to top Omaha stories. My fiancé also works with her at KMTV, so it is interesting looking at her page and how thing are run at the station.

Link: https://twitter.com/griswoldkmtv

 

2.  David Begnaud- CBS News Correspondent

His twitter provides videos and photos as well as linked updates to top stories and coverage. Ex: Latest tweet about TSA problem/Puerto Rico

Link: https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud

 

3.  John Oliver- The Daily Show news correspondent

His twitter provides highlights from his latest show as well as expanded interviews/political commentary.

Link: https://twitter.com/iamjohnoliver

 

4. Kevin Holmes- Kansas City news anchor for “The Now KC” KSHB-KC

His twitter is interesting because he is newer to the anchor team, so it shows news stories as well as follows his journey as a rising journalist for the KC Metro area.

Link: https://twitter.com/kholmesKSHB

 

5.  Steve Karlin- Anchor for KCCI 8 News at 5, 6 & 10 PM each weekday (Des Moines, Iowa)

His twitter was interesting to scan through considering that Des Moines and the Iowa news area is also relevant to the Omaha area. One of his most recent photos includes an impressive panoramic shot of the massive memorial at Urbandale police headquarters.

link: https://twitter.com/SteveKarlinKCCI