NPR Next Generation Radio’s Mark Burbridge films his stand up with Visuals Editor Brian Munoz on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in Grand Center. LAURA ZIEGLER / NEXTGENRADIO
I submitted my application for the NextGenRadio project with St. Louis Public Radio a few hours prior to the submission deadline. I remember thinking that I could definitely complete the project, but also having some doubts as well, as my previous four months had been relatively inactive. When I officially got the email stating that I made it as a reporter on the project, I was enthusiastic.
The biggest issue I encountered actually came before the official project week even started: getting a perfect subject to cover for the topic of “home.” Kevin Haller was my initial subject for the pitch, as well as the person I ended up interviewing for the actual project, but at the time I was unsure if he was a unique enough candidate to highlight. I was also in contact with an international graduate student at Saint Louis University as a potential alternate subject, and I thought that she had a great story to share. However, due to complications with email access, I began to have second thoughts about switching. I ended up just sticking with Haller for the project, but I was worried that I potentially missed the boat with an even better story.
As it would turn out, the story that I ended up drafting for NextGenRadio turned out pretty well.
I think my biggest takeaway from this week-long endeavor was how complicated the process of actually creating a news feature story actually was. I had a taste of this process when I was writing for The University News, but the NextGen Project enabled me to have a more thorough look at the whole BTS experience. From learning about how to adequately pace an audio story within Adobe Audition to make it sound continuous to even more rigorous digital meetings with editors about word choice, I gained much more insight about how long and arduous putting together a complete feature story can be.
I was really pushed beyond my comfort zone, and I think that as a result it made me a better storyteller. While I don’t have any issues with the experience, my only regret was that at times my frustration kind of got the better of me, which negatively affected a couple of the meetings. I am grateful for my mentor, Laura Ziegler, and my digital editors for the patience that they showed me, as well as the support they gave me during this endeavor. I could not have done it without them.
As this week-long journey nears its conclusion, I feel that my experience has made me more re-engaged with this kind of digital media storytelling. I am eager to apply the knowledge I have gained through NextGen into my pursuit of a career in communications, film, and film criticism.