PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — As I wrap up my fourth week at WAVY, I have learned so much about the importance and impact media professionals make beyond the screen, and beyond the scripts.
There is power in community reporting and sharing stories that matter most to those who watch. When journalists tell the stories that impact the community, it makes them feel heard and instills a “duty,” as I would call it, to serve.
I have heard several journalists say that going into this profession is signing up for a “lifetime of service,” and at my time at WAVY I have seen that to it’s full effect.
During the third week of my internship, I had the opportunity to work alongside the WAVY team during the Nexstar Founders Day of Caring (FDOC) 2025 initiative.
This is an annual event where all news stations under Nexstar give back to their local community in some form or fashion.
This year, WAVY was able to bless two families with home improvement projects, one in Virginia Beach and one in Hampton. I was able to help the family in Virginia Beach remodel two bedrooms, a bathroom and several other areas of the home inside and out.
Although it was burning hot, it warmed my heart to see how journalists came together to give back in an unconventional way. I have always looked at journalism through the lens of getting in the trenches to reach the people and stories that matter, yet I never knew it could look like paint stains, tool kits and landscaping.
I enjoyed seeing everyone work together, no matter the title. Watching General Manager Carol Ward at the forefront of the “dirty work” while pushing everyone to keep doing their best was inspiring. She showed me an impactful leader is one who gets their hands dirty and leads by example.
For part of the day, I shadowed GM Assistant, Nikia Worsham, who also was a driving force in this operation. Her ability to multitask, problem solve and encourage the team to persevere was also inspiring.
One of the highlights of that day was being able to have one-on-one time with anchor Katie Collett, who poured into me while we took a midday break in between projects. One thing I will keep close to my heart that she mentioned during our conversation is:
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.” – Katie Collett
She gave me lots of gems concerning the media industry and what it means to be a “community face.” How integrity is most important, and no matter where you end up “market” wise, you are only important as the impact that you make.
You have to love the area and the people you serve. With that, everything else will come. She emphasized the importance of not letting hardships defeat my passions, and have the mindset that I can achieve what I work for if I stick with it.
“Don’t listen to anyone spreading negativity. They’re irrelevant.” – Katie Collett
I am very appreciative of the time she took to encourage me and remind me that this is the industry I belong in.
As a part of the digital web team for my internship, I had the pleasure of creating social media content for the day. After working on this project it was great seeing a recap that showcased how hard everyone worked.
I will never forget the looks on the family’s faces after the grand reveal of the rooms we renovated. It felt good to give back and relive a burden for someone else.
Many only credit churches, fraternities and sororities, or non-profits for doing community service, yet journalists not only serve through storytelling, but through hands-on initiatives too!
The motto “10 is on YOUR side” isn’t just a tag or cliche, it’s the truth that I experienced first hand.
Outside of FDOC, I have enjoyed working alongside various reporters and shadowing different departments.
Recording my very first standup while on assignment with reporter Ethan Krauss was exciting and made my internship once again feel surreal. I was able to travel with him to the Oceanfront to cover a story surrounding beach safety.
The video below shows the newscast that aired.
I was able to co-interview the chief deputy with the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service and also write my own script to record a stand up and anchor tag for practice. I learned a lot while watching Krauss MMJ and also admired his spirit towards the locals and tourists who were crowded at the beach.
I have learned through this internship that in order to connect with the community you must be approachable, accepting and open to everyone.
Several citizens ran up on us while shooting b-roll and Krauss was not fazed. He was very welcoming, and engaged with each person who stopped to inquire about why we [the news] were there.
He was even able to interview a tourist who knew nothing about WAVY, all because he entertained the conversation the tourist initiated with us.
It may sound elementary, yet in the world we live in, being standoffish, rude, and closed off is amplified and almost considered “normal,” especially when it comes to strangers.
I have seen the heart it takes in order to make an impact in this business through my internship so far. I love learning about the news world and how to execute news in various forms, yet the character development lessons that I’m learning and observing are even more valuable.
