When people ask me “what do you want to be when you’re older?” I answer, “a journalist.” Though they always nod their heads and smile, this answer is incredibly broad. Print and online newspapers, investigative writers, TV reporters are only some of the options that branch off in the journalism field.

Through my dad, David Fries, I had the opportunity to spend the day with reporter and fill-in anchor Sontaya Rose at ABC 30 Action News. I experienced the day of a TV journalist from the morning meeting to the live show, and I watched it all from start to finish.

After passing through security and obtaining a visitor’s pass, I was led to the newsroom to begin the day. Cubicles and computers fill the entire room, and TV screens line the walls.

We began with the morning meeting, where all of the reporters gather by the manager’s counter. This short discussion plans out the entire day as stories are assigned and each story is assigned a show. ABC 30 has four shows: four, five, six and 11 o’clock. The earlier the show the faster the reporter and photographer must work.

Rose often focuses on criminal cases, reporting breaking news packages like murders, arrests and other news-worthy stories. She was assigned something she called a “refreshing” job compared to the normal melancholy projects.

We traveled to Lemoore with a photographer/videographer in one of many news vans. After arriving early we broke for an early brunch at Chubby’s, before heading to the Naval Base.

We were sent to report on the homecoming of 200 naval personnel after a six-month deployment. We talked and waited with the families, recording and interviewing for a few interesting stories.

After all the tears, smiles and hugs we returned to the newsroom where the real work began. With about two hours until Rose’s package aired, she had to work quickly to meet the deadline.

I quietly observed the process of writing a word for word script that was exacted down to the second, then an audio recording, similar to that of Multimedia Anchor Brooke Stobbe with podcasting. Finally, a video of all that we had seen a few hours earlier to run with the audio recording. Pieces of the package were coming together as the clock was ticking; the show about to start.

I walked the halls down to where I watched the first minutes of the four o’clock show live on set. As each commercial break came, I moved from room to room to watch all aspects of the program. The control room is where the producers sit and direct the entire performance from computers and headsets.

After watching the entire process, start to finish, I learned a lot. Going in, I had no knowledge of what goes on in a newsroom besides what I had seen on TV. The day allowed me to see a glimpse of what my everyday ordeal would be should I choose TV reporting.

Though I still have not made up my mind completely, I think TV is worth considering as a career. Don’t be surprised if years from now, you turn on the news to see me reporting on Channel 30.

For more columns on career choices, read the Nov. 15 article ‘In the element’ of radio (VIDEO).