Some of you have never worked in local news...and it shows.
If you HAVE worked in local news, you're probably pretty familiar with some of the ~unique~ situations it can present. Without further ado, here are 34 gifs that accurately represent what it's like to work in local TV news.
1. First, can we address the thrill of going into the morning meeting with ZERO story pitches & then being struck with divine inspiration RIGHT. BEFORE. YOUR. TURN.
2. Buuuut procrastinating during pitches usually backfires, and then you have NOTHING.
3. When your coworker steals one of your story ideas (yes, a lot of these are about pitch meetings, and yes this should tell you something about the stress level. Don't @ me)
4. That pivotal moment when you realize your job has baaaaasically turned you into a walking encyclopedia written about your new city
5. However, the new knowledge has its drawbacks - you're paid to ask questions, you start to become much more curious (i.e. SKEPTICAL) in your everyday life. Like when someone calls in sick (we rarely believe it, but none of us will say that out loud)
6. Working in TV connects us through common struggles - like dealing with photo bombers during live shots
7. Speaking of live shots - how about when the news director tells you to go live from the highway during a blizzard?
8. When the anchors toss to a reporter during team blizzard coverage and ask, "How's it going out there?"
9. Working in news comes with some exciting firsts, like the first time you get to wear an IFB (if you tell me you haven't done this, I don't believe you)
10. Speaking of secret service...this is generally the vibe the day before ANY election
11. But hey, the double shifts are SO worth it, because ELECTION DAY PIZZA
12. You're probably pretty used to going through life having people question your credibility when they don't like a story. Every story you publish to the station's Facebook page becomes a stage for some ~creative~ comments, like the ever popular, "Fake news."
13. But when someone makes fun of your coworkers - you might be surprised by how protective you are of your news team.
14. And while our coworkers feel like family, naturally, they get on our nerves from time to time. Let's face it - there's at least ONE person who's in it for the air time
15. While newsroom employees can be quick to point out which journalists are "in it to be on TV," deep down, this is how we feel when we see ourselves in a promo for the first time (ADMIT IT)
16. Some stresses are unique to the job. This is the director when stories get floated without any communication.
17. And this is the producer when they get stuck posting everyone's web content
18. The sports department knows how it feels when their time gets cut in half during severe weather
19. News Directors know the frustration of dealing with new reporters who return from shoots without any MOS sound
20. Only engineers can understand the pressure of being asked to fix something RIGHT before the show, even though it was damaged hours ago and nobody informed them
21. Meteorologists preparing to deliver a forecast the people will NOT want to here (sorry that I have to tell you it's going to rain on the day of your BBQ, CAROL!)
22. Once you become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the newsroom, you start to appreciate just how exciting it is - and just how painfully long a slow news day can feel
23. HOWEVER, once you have a few fun WBFFs (work-BFFs), a slow news day can go from THAT ^ to THIS:
24. Your coworkers can be pretty endearing, too. Is there anything cuter than watching a producer when the whole show starts coming together?
25. Or how about when your sports anchor has to play it cool on air after their home team beats the local team?
26. But let's be clear...there is nothing (and I repeat NOTHING) more precious than a meteorologist geeking out over impending severe weather
27. Meanwhile, there are some key stresses that come with the territory of working in local TV, like when you schedule an interview and someone cancels at the last second.
28. Or how about the phone and it's THAT ONE PERSON WHO ALWAYS CALLS (game over)
29. Anchors are familiar with the instant regret that follows after they mispronounce the name of an important local person or city *prepares for angry Facebook messages/phone calls*
30. And how about when you're listening for your queue, but your IFB is malfunctioning?
31. Or when you're reading the prompter and you notice a MASSIVE typo coming up, and you have NO idea what it says (GUESS WE WILL JUST WING IT, AM I RIGHT?)
32. And don't even get me started on how it feels when the prompter goes haywire
33. But no matter how stressful the situation, you've got a solid crew to help you through. Shout out to every coworker who has ever dropped a forgotten file, transcribed something for us when we were in a jam, or let us borrow a tie when we don't have one to match our outfit
34. And while working in local news can be a tough job - you couldn't imagine doing anything else.
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