Aside from the teamwork skills I have gained from this experience, I have also improved my communication and interview skills. For the dance video, in particular, I was required to reach out to several dance groups asking if they were willing to be featured for The Diamondback. A few did not respond to me, but the few that did wanted me to explain what the project was for before agreeing to it.

 

I've rarely dealt with sources who are apprehensive about being filmed, but I understand that this is quite common. I now know how to work with sources to make them feel as comfortable as possible before, during, and after the interview. Especially in today's media climate, people have little trust in the press. As part of the next generation of reporters, it's my job to work on regaining the public's trust, even if it is one person at a time.  

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Lastly, since transitioning to online remote classes, I've learned a great deal about producing content without going out to film. We've been working on producing social media content like Buzzfeed or Tasty-type videos, and we've been working on a "Quarantine Diary" series where students film themselves throughout their day and answer several interview questions on camera. They then send us the video, where we edit a short video and post it on The Diamondback's website. 

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Just as professional reporters have had to adapt to these unprecedented times, I am learning remote reporting skills as a student. I believe these skills will be invaluable to me in the future, especially with the uncertainty of when the COVID-19 pandemic will end.