Both student journalists and veteran reporters joined this episode of Roundtable focusing on the topic of local broadcast news and the challenges the hyperlocal industry is facing.
This discussion featured WINK News Director Tom Doerr along with NBC-2 and ABC-7 Assistant News Director Tim Klutsarits. Much of the discussion was on predictions of post-pandemic broadcasting, Doerr being optimistic that the newsroom will go back to being the main place of production once it is safe to do so, rather than continuing to collaborate from a distance.
Doerr and Klutsarits shared their experiences with the increasing turnover of young journalists. They are combating this issue by providing workshops for these new professionals to improve any skills needed to promote their success in a larger market.
Later on in the episode, students from Florida Gulf Coast University’s Journalism program got the chance to ask the news experts for advice on finding a reputable job after college while still enhancing their reporting skills. Klutsarits emphasized the importance of being involved within their community and meeting new people because they won’t find news in the newsroom. Doerr advised the students to be open to learning new things such as broadcast production as there is a great need for more fresh producers in the industry.
View the Roundtable by clicking here.
Samantha Roesler is in her fourth year at Florida Gulf Coast University, majoring in both journalism and legal studies. She is currently the Eagle News editor where she oversees FGCU’s student-run newspaper and she is an intern for Gulfshore Life magazine. Her passion is for writing stories focused on Southwest Florida’s delicate environment, having covered a range of topics from Everglades restoration to cane toad invasions.