It’s October and a little over one month since my first day at WAVY, which means the second intern blog entry! There is so much I have learned with the digital department, but one the most prominent has been learning how to move efficiently, and the importance of timely news. Last week, I did a huge 2025 Halloween Events Page for the Hampton Roads area that included a lot of repeated tasks.
I spent a day researching the events and scouring the internet, and two days writing out all of the events. I was at the station until 3:30 a.m. because it was already October and events were already starting, so it was crucial that I got it completed in a timely manner. I had created a document and threw in all of the event hyperlinks separated by the different cities and counties. I then went through and combed each page for the information I needed. Many of these pages, however, didn’t have the needed information, so I had to do even more research (at one point I created a Facebook account). Using a template I made on WordPress, I slapped the information into its appropriate categories and did that about 102 times. Once I got into a rhythm fueled by coffee, copy and pasting, and 3 open windows on my computers, I cranked out the rest!
I have also gotten much quicker using Akta and ENPS to clip parts of the news. When I first started, it took me almost two hours to do 4 clippings and that’s obviously not good when there’s new information coming out, but now I am able to do 4 in 15 minutes (it’s the little things in life that count).
I’ve been putting out news releases covering a variety of news on the state and local levels. There is always something to edit, update and write about, so staying on top of the web and assignment desk is crucial!
During the storms around Sept. 16, I put out a gallery article featuring photos that readers sent in showing how the storm impacted their area, specifically from flooding, strong winds leading to trees falling, damaged power lines and the occasional street kayaker. It was trending as #1 for a while and I loved seeing people from all over the Hampton Roads area want to share what was a universal experience for all of us in the region.
Up next, to complete my intern checklist, I will be working with the Hampton Roads Show, which I am incredibly excited for. I’m currently taking a TV News Production class, so to be able to put parts of what I’ve learned so far into a professional setting will be very insightful. There is still so much to learn and I truly cannot wait! Within the next few days, the interns will do their project proposals which are due towards the end of the semester. I have a few plans of what I want to do but because I get so much inspiration at the station, there’s always a new idea popping up. Stay tuned for the rest of the Fall 2025 WAVY Intern blogs!
