Sasha Davis: The Streets of Spokane

Interning at a newspaper, with a background in broadcasting, is quite interesting. Technically, my major at the University of Oregon is electronic media. This does incorporate news broadcasting, but there is a lot more to it. I am in the documentary side of the sequence, so visual storytelling is something that appeals to me. I have learned a lot about print media while working here, especially the importance print holds in fully informing a community.
My Internship involves developing some sort of daily newscast. Do people really want another way to view a talking-head saying the news? They might, especially if they are the ones presenting it.
"News From Your Neighbors" features random people on the streets of Spokane, reading brief news stories. It is a fun idea, trying to avoid the look of TV news. I usually head to Riverfront Park when looking for my pseudo-anchors. I set up my camera and mic, and ask people if they would like to read the news. Some people are very forthcoming, actually approaching me. Others are reluctant at first, but you can tell they want to do it. Others are not interested at all. Every now and then I feel like a sales person: No, I don't want you to buy anything, and I'm not trying to get you to sign up for anything. The majority of the time, people think it's funny and are excited to participate.
Throughout the three weeks I have hit the streets of Spokane on a mission to find makeshift news anchors, my expierence has been positive. I talk to people of all ages and classes. People are friendly. People want to participate and think it is a cool idea. This job is the perfect way to get to know the city of Spokane. I love meeting people and even with all diversities and situations, most can agree that they are interested in what is going on in their community.