A View From Behind the Viewfinder: A Day in the Life of an ENG Camera Person

An ENG cameraperson, for those of you who might be mystified, is an "electronic news gathering" person. In other words, these are the people who bring you your local nightly news coverage. This video follows three days in the life of three news stories at KPNX, an NBC affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona. We follow camera teams as they report on 1) a rash of burglaries, 2) a plan to rid downtown of prostitution and 3) Native American health care. The cynical news room morning round table gives the reporting team the assignment. Camera and reporter roll into the field as a team. The story is found and interviews conducted. The piece is rushed into editing and then, hopefully, to airing. The next day, rinse (off your soul), lather (up your gear), repeat. The emphasis here is purely on the day-to-day life of the reporter in the field, with little shown about the editorial decisions which determine which stories get covered, and which are aired (the only story canceled by the station is the "least visual," "least sensational" one about Native American health care). The rough, unpolished style of the video illustrates how fast paced the world of TV news can be. A good choice to show aspiring photojournalists both how much and, ironically, how little is expected of them in the world of local TV news. Aud: J, H, C, P. (R. Ray)