CBS 6 reporter Lorenzo Hall, center, with SPJ members. Photo by Tim Bajkiewicz.

By Jalisa House

It was lights … camera … action … as the VCU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists organized an evening of recording mock newscasts by interested students.

The Nov. 17 event gave SPJ members an opportunity to get in front of the camera to show off their anchoring skills. It was held in the VCU InSight studio so participating students could experience how real newscasts work.

Participants each read a television-news script with the cameras running. Later, they all received videos showing them delivering the news from the anchors’ desk.

Students in attendance got professional advice from CBS 6 reporter and news anchor Lorenzo Hall. He stopped by and talked to students about how to sell a story on camera.

Hall, a 2008 graduate from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, discussed his experience as a broadcast student and gave tips on how to get a job out of college. He told students that:

• They should send their news reels to a number of different news stations.
• They should be flexible — and not to be afraid to learn new skills within their field.

This was the second year the SPJ chapter has held the mock newscast event.

The week before the event, SPJ members heard from another CBS 6 representative — Jessica Noll, the co-host of “Virginia This Morning” and executive producer of local programs for WTVR. She gave a mini-seminar on television programming and careers.

Among other topics, Noll said journalists must be knowledgeable about the business side of television news operations — and the importance of the ratings periods called “sweeps weeks”:

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