The 15th Annual High School Media Day

 

 

"You get to be apart of history," were words from WFMY Reporter Morgan Hightower that brought excitement to the faces of students who attended High School Media Day at North Carolina A&T State University.

 

High School Media Day is an annual event hosted by the university's department of Journalism and Mass Communication and offers area high school students insight about careers in the news media. Students came from Winston Salem, Asheboro and Greensboro.

 

Hightower was a speaker in the session titled Media Careers. Assisting Hightower with the session was journalist Kymberli Hagelberg, who is currently the Digital Motor Senior Digital Editor for News & Record.

 

Morgan Hightower (right)  and Kimberli Hagleberg (left) speak to students who attended High School Media Day at NC A&T.

 

 

The 50 minute session began with greetings from Gail Wiggins who currently serves as the interim chair for the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. Both speakers then gave a brief biography of their experience in the media field. Hightower, a 2010 graduate from the University of Florida said how she started out in print journalism as a news writer for two years. She recently landed a new job a WFMY.

 

Hagelberg said her career began when she worked for Billboard Magazine. She also mentioned the highlight of career covering  Hurricane Katrina.

 

 

"How much money do you make," was one question for Hightower. Hightower responded saying, "you won't make any money on your first job." She explained her story of how after she graduated from college, she thought she would be highly hirable.

 

 

 

 

 

"It's a huge commitment" said Hagelberg. Students began to laugh and chuckle at the thought of not so much pay starting out, but also, after learning about how much work is involved for such little pay. Hightower explained how, as a TV Reporter, she has to do a 1:30 second news story to be aired on television, write a web story, and photograph a story all alone. Hagelberg then interjected and said "you have to communicate with your audience the same way you consume." Students wanted to get to know how reporters and writers find stories. The simple answer for that question was that you must have sources. 

 

 

Hagelberg left students with what she referred to as "stupid tips." She told them that shaking hands and asking for a business card shows assertiveness and makes people remember who you are. She also encouraged students to blog, watch others who are in the industry such as anchors, reporters or writers, and to also be a good writer. Hightower added, "You must be a good writer; writing is a gift."