Jordan Schuman
 Multimedia Journalist
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My Last Day: May 2

5/2/2014

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I suppose the story of my last day at the NBC News Bureau here in Miami starts with last week. Last week, classes ended and I officially started to shift gears. For me, classes really were the driving force behind my routine, and once they ended, I mentally started to relax. I developed a slight sore throat, and I could feel my body begging me to slow down since it thought classes ending was the cue. My body was wrong. I was not slowing down because my internship ended a week later than classes did. But I began to wish my internship ended when classes did so I could be done with everything at once.

It is clear to me now that I was like a small child acting out in a tantrum, only saying I wished I ended my internship at the same time I ended classes because I was in some sort of denial about my amazing semester with NBC coming to a close. As if I could convince myself I wouldn't be so sad and miss it so much when it did.

I got over that quickly, and some point in this week realized it really was going to end, but it was no reason to feel sad. It was actually a reason to feel really happy.

NBC is a special, special place. Everyone from the editors and photographers to the seasoned pros like Kerry Sanders were so kind and willing to impart knowledge. From my very first day, I felt welcome, valued, appreciated, noticed, and most importantly, I felt like an equal. There are endless intern advice pages out there. They say never say no. Always be the intern who says yes to getting Starbucks, refilling the printer paper, calling the snack supplier. While I am never the intern to say no to any of these tasks, I'm proud to say these requests were few and far between at NBC. The tasks I was asked to do were more often than not things I could do to directly contribute to a story airing on The Today Show or NBC Nightly News. I was sent out to get MOS, I called sources directly, I chose bites for scripts.

Thinking back on all of the things I did, I can't believe how close I really was to all of the action, because NBC put me right there in it. I got more out of this internship than I think I ever could've dreamed of. NBC set the bar high.

Perhaps due to seeing the relationship my parents have with NBC (they both work for CNBC), I grew up with a strong loyalty and affinity toward the network. Kind of like a family whose kids all attend the same University… NBC was the school, and an internship was the acceptance letter on the kitchen table. It's kind of like having a crush. You have an idea of how it would be if the two of you got together, and of course in you're mind it goes really well and you look cute together in photos. But truthfully, it doesn't always go so smoothly in real life. Sometimes, you and your crush just have nothing to talk about and all of a sudden you aren't laughing at their jokes. But to my relief and not-surprise, this internship really was every bit as good for me as I hope it was for NBC. It felt like it clicked. And it's an amazing feeling of validation when your first experience in the field and at the network you have long dreamed of goes exactly how you pictured it, but better.

I'll be spending this Summer interning with CBS This Morning: Saturday, and having been through one entire internship, I am viewing this adventure in a whole different light. Now knowing how attached I grew to the amazing people I worked with at the Bureau, I am anxious and excited to meet my coworkers at CBS. Now knowing how much I learned about myself from this internship, I'm eager to see what more I can uncover in the next step. Now having seen with my own eyes the wonderful world of television news, my tummy is just so filled with fire to see how it works at CBS News.

I set out a really ambitious schedule for myself this Spring semester. I remained a full-time student at UM, I held this internship for 24 hours a week, I remained a Resident Assistant, and I was an anchor/reporter at UMTV's NewsVision. While I am happy and sad all at once about this internship experience and its ending, I look at my calendar from this semester and feel some other things. I feel relieved, truthfully. I feel surprised that I ever even managed to do all of these things, but the more overwhelming feeling is that of pride. I have waited years to be at this exact point in my life. I'm here, and today having finished this internship, I did it.

I am so grateful to the people who opened their doors and desks to me at the Miami Bureau. It is because of them coming into work was a pleasure, an opportunity, and always enjoyable.

On one of my first days at work, Mark Potter introduced himself to me and said, "I'm Mark Potter, I'm a reporter here." Of course I knew that, but it would come to pass that his humility, humor and guidance would play a huge role in my time at NBC. Mark would frequently invite me to his office to ask questions of me, allow me to ask questions of him, and always reiterate his desire to work with me on a story. I'm lucky Mark had me help on many stories -- you might remember the first time I logged sound bites that ended up in his piece. Mark and I said "see you later" to each other last week, since this week he was out working on a story, but I loved that he called today and told me to come back and visit so he can take me out to lunch. It is his faith in me and my generation that gives me such hope for a future in this career. When Mark Potter tells you you're going to make it, something about it just sticks.

A Senior Producer at the Today show and I said a "see you later" today that ended with "if we had a position, I'd totally hire you." For me, this internship was never about a job as much as it was about an experience, but it does not hurt to hear.

And I'd be so remiss to not mention Erika. Erika is a power producer if I've ever seen one. Her intelligence, determination and professionalism was an amazing thing for me to see this early on in my career. Erika always, always asked questions about my life and my plans. She placed value on my opinions and my thoughts, and she told me I'd shine at CBS, and to keep in touch when I did.

My supervisor Victoria treated me to Starbucks today, and NBC was nice enough to treat us all to lunch. I found some party hats in the office and insisted we all wear them. It helped to remember this was not a goodbye. Instead, it was a celebration of just being thankful to cross paths with these people in this company. I will miss this family I have grown into more than words can say. I cannot imagine my weeks going forward without the 24 hours I spent with them.

 I wrote thank you notes to my coworkers at NBC, and I was glad to find they did the same. I'm going to frame the card, and it will travel with me in every office I sit in.

According to plan, that would be a small local market in the next year, a bigger market after that, two more medium to large sized markets, and someday (god willing) an office next to Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza.

I am so, so grateful for the things I learned, the time I spent and the people I met at the NBC Miami News Bureau this semester. Words don't seem to do it justice. It was a true starting point for a girl with a big dream.

I know we've all got to start somewhere.

I am so, so blessed I started here.

You heard it here first,
Jordan
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Work Hard; Play Hard

4/2/2014

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Picture
Instagram: @vicnews03 - Victoria latching onto AJ's leg on her last day so she'll stay with us!
I found out my direct supervisor AJ Goodwin was leaving NBC one day not too long ago when she started calling what seemed like everyone she had ever met in her 17-year-long career at this network. On her own terms, she decided to leave the business entirely for the opportunity to travel the world with her husband. She says she's sure they'll end up working again somewhere, but where and what that will be she does not know. They sold pretty much everything to their name except their car and carryon luggage, and were off.

The process of having a supervisor leave is a valuable work experience, I think, and it's had some very poetic moments. Here she is at the end (or at least the mid-point where it's time to take a bit of a break) of her 17-year journey with one company, and here I am at the very infant beginning of my own.

I almost always have words for a situation, and I'll try my best here, but the feeling I had at her going away party really is hard to describe. First off, I was just so flattered to be invited. I feel like I am just a blip on the radar that is her career at NBC.

I received an e-vite for the party and read through the list of invitees. I read over names of people I sit with at work every day, and names of people I've spoken to on the phone but had little idea who they were and what they did. I was excited to meet them all. I work with a producer named Victoria who is 27 years old, and across the room sits Lindsey, age 24. I knew the three of us would stick together amongst the crowd of 40-something professionals, and a joke that we were the "Kids' Table" did stick through the night.

I had permission to leave UMTV's NewsVision early to attend the party, so I did. I was wondering what the parking situation would be like, what I'd tell the hostess when I arrived (was I looking for the 'NBC' party? AJ's party?) and if I'd be the only one who didn't bring a gift. I was going to bring a gift, of course, but realized that my boss has just sold literally everything she ever owned, and I didn't want to burden her with one more thing before she left. I instead wrote a heartfelt card thanking her for everything she had done for me at this internship, and I truly meant every word of it.

I arrived at the party about 15 to 20 minutes late, but I knew it wouldn't be a big deal because I didn't think this party was as rigid as a business meeting, and I was still one of the first 10 people there. I did find Victoria and we did stick together. Victoria was in the NBC News Associate Program and has been at the bureau for about 2 years. She introduced me to many people by telling me their name, if I've probably/might ever interact with them and what they do at NBC.

My mom pointed out to me that maybe three years ago, I would've been too anxious, unsure and insecure to even give thought to attending this party by myself. But I did. I went alone, and I really did feel like I belonged, which is what I think 3-years-ago Jordan would've been most concerned about: belonging. I think the shift is due in part to my growth and newfound comfort in my own skin, but even more to the amazing people I work with who always, always, include me in every NBC task. A producer from the TODAY Show ended up next to me at one point in the party and told me that she was so glad I went. I hadn't thought about it at that early point in the night, but I was really glad I did, too. I felt like a dream had been realized: I have wanted to work with or for NBC for as long as I could remember, and here I was doing it, and it was every bit as good as I dreamed it would be.

I loved the chance to see my co-workers outside of work, and I was so impressed and intrigued by the conversations we had. They ranged from topics of news coverage to television to travel and just life in general, and I was so pleased with how enriching each one was. Sharing a room with people who are fundamentally similar to you, value the same things that you do and work hard to include you is truly wonderful. I don't know how other internships at other networks work, and I'm glad I get to find out at CBS this summer, but I will always look back on this semester with NBC with only the fondest of memories. It has been every single thing I wanted and more.

I can't find who said it, but one of my most favorite quotes is, "Create a life that feels good on the inside, not just one that looks good on the outside." It means it doesn't matter how gorgeous your house looks on the outside if it doesn't feel like a home to you on the inside. It doesn't matter if your nails are manicured and your hair is highlighted is if you're not truly a person you want to go to sleep as at the end of the day. This NBC party was another example of that. The party felt good on the inside. The television looks good on the outside, well, most days we hope. The organization functions on the outside looking in, and to some people's surprise, it feels good, too.

I knew early on in my internship with NBC that I would miss it when it was over. I'm lucky to have at least a month left at work. Though it is only an internship and it is only three days a week, I can imagine working being such a fulfilling part of life, and an important one. I am so grateful for the glimpse I get into that part of life every time I'm at NBC.

I'm glad to work for a company and in a bureau that never treats me like "just an intern." They don't give me tasks to do just because I am an intern, and they don't designate tasks for me because they themselves are above them. For what I sometimes feel I lack at UMiami, NBC has made me feel valued and important, and like I have a long lifetime of work -- and work parties -- to look forward to.

At this party, I realized the reason my stepdad returned to NBCUniversal 8 years ago after working there for 10 years and leaving for a brief 7. (That's a total 18 years with NBC.) My departing boss probably said it best when she said you don't expect such a big corporation to be such a family, yet it is.

We went outside at one point in the party to take a group photo. Someone made a joke about how one of our cameramen would find the best lighting for us. Initially, I felt awkward, as this seemed more like a family photo that would capture the stories and memories of AJ's 17 years at the network. I didn't want people to look back at it ten years from now and wonder who I was and why I was there. But with some convincing by Victoria, I did step into the photo.

And I'm glad I did, because they are, after all, my family, too.

You heard it here first,
Jordan
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A Reflection on Friday, and Learning to Love the A Block

3/14/2014

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I think I've always loved Fridays. I mean, what's not to love? Everyone has sat through rush hour together now four days in a row both ways to work, parents are excited for the sleepy faces and cuddly children they get to wake up tomorrow morning with pancakes, teenagers finally get to sleep past 7 a.m. for a brief two days to come. And at this internship, Fridays are almost always the busiest. A few Fridays ago, it was the day we covered the aunt who gave her nephew CPR on the expressway. And today on the way into work, a very nice man comped my parking, and a very nice woman in the elevator complimented my shoes (Target, leopard flats, clearance, 11 dollars [?!?!]).

In a newscast, the A block is the first block of the show, and traditionally the most important and pressing news of the day. The D Block is the last block, those stories that make you laugh and hopefully make you feel at some ease after the A, B and C blocks -- you know, the real adult stuff. In the days of the week, Friday is the D Block. Not necessarily the reason you turned on the TV, but it'll make you glad you did once it comes.

But this blog post is not as much about Fridays as it's about last Friday- the day we went back to the UMiami campus to get sound for a Nightly News story. I've gotten sound on UM's campus many times. Once, I did a story about texting and driving and I got sound from students who said: I never text and drive... I try not to. And a reluctant admittance: Yeahhhh, I text and drive.

But today, this sound would not make its way into a story that would live forever on my external hard drive. This sound would go to NY.

That Friday morning, the Pew Research Center released a study on millenials ages 18 to 33 (that's me!) saying that we essentially are unattached to everything except social media:
-Relatively unattached to organized politics and religion
-Linked by social media
-Burdened by debt
-Distrustful of people
-In no rush to marry
-Optimistic about future 

So we went to UMiami to ask millenials how they felt in reaction to this research. I first got changed so I looked a little more professional and then I met up with the cameraman, Bruce. Pay attention to Bruce. He's important to this story.

I received instruction from a producer in NY that we should interview 80% ethnic looking people, and diversity is huge. This is because the research from Pew also said that our generation is the most diverse yet. I knew this wouldn't be a challenge at Miami, where on the way to class I often hear conversations in up to 5 different languages.

I found two students sitting at a table, one African American and one Moroccan and we were able to interview both of them. I realized how in my element I felt, working for my internship but on a campus that is kind of a home base to me. The best part is that most of the students we interviewed didn't even know I was a student. To them, I was exactly who I introduced myself to be: "with NBC News."

The day continued like this and we interviewed about 5 students in total. There were people in LA also getting sound, so we really just needed a handful of really good bites, which we got. As I listened to this diverse sampling of students tell us their views on religion, politics, marriage and technology, I felt proud to attend a school with such smart and passionate people. I feel proud to attend a university where students are doing what Hillary Clinton urged us to do when she was here, which is not be a passerby in this world, and to get off of the sidelines and become an active participant. From the sound of what my peers were saying, I think they were doing just that.

At one point during a lull of passerby to choose from, Bruce said we should interview me. In a moment that was very unlike me, I was at first really resistant. I'm the intern- am I stepping on toes? Is it even appropriate? And that diversity thing. Hello white girl from the suburbs. It was honestly the first time in my life I initially said no to being on camera. But I sat down and did it. You know, an intern's gotta do what an intern's gotta do. And okay, I love the camera. You'll hear Bruce's voice in the clip below.

I ended up really loving the chance to explore these questions for myself, and have someone care for 6 whole minutes about what I thought.

We did one more interview after my own, and I really did hope Nightly would choose my bite. I came back to the bureau and logged all of our interviews. I always indicate what I think might be really good bites by putting ** next to them. While logging, I felt really awkward **ing my own bites. I mean, I thought they were good but that's kind of the same as liking your own Facebook photo. Of course you like it, you posted it. As in, of course I liked my bites... I said them.

But that awkward feeling did not stop me from saying to Mark Potter, "Hey Mark, look!!" while pointing to my own photo on our screen.

Picture

I finished at work and came home, and promptly invited all of my friends to a Nightly News viewing party in my room. No one came, such short notice and everything ;) but I was really pleased to see our story early in the show. As in, the last story in the A block (theoretically the most important news of the day!). I was expecting it to be D block, which is the fluffy stuff. You know, we spoke to a bunch of 20-year-olds and here's how they feel. 

Now, I love the D block. Do not get me wrong. On NewsVision at UMTV, I always joke that I can write the D block like nobody's business. It might be my favorite of all, I admit and then duck my head down to make sure the world hasn't fallen apart around me since I said it. I've written D block stories about the day Time Magazine posted a list of the most influential candy bars, National Pancake Day (closes the show!!),  and I've suggested my friends do packages on extremely unnecessary news... like how much students like the milkshakes at the baseball games.

But like I said, our story made the A Block. NBC had also done a bit with Buzzfeed for this spot, which made total sense because Buzzfeed is a company aimed entirely at millenials and their habits, but it meant fewer of our bites would make it into the story, and actually none of mine. But I was okay with that fact because they did use a bite we received at UM that day, over any of the ones gathered in LA, which is just a cool bonus.

It's true with more of our bites, I would've had a chance at instant fame and Brian Williams knowing who I was for a few seconds. But without Buzzfeed we would've been D Block.

And tonight, for the very first time, D Block is not where I wanted to be.

You heard it here first,
Jordan   

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#ClintonOnCampus

3/3/2014

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I can't remember the first time I heard Hillary Clinton would be coming to campus. I think it was earlier this year when someone said a "special guest" was coming. It was said kind of casually, probably by a professor to me and a group of my friends. We thought back to Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Les Moonves, Mitt Romney, Andy Cohen, all of these important guests who we've been lucky enough to host. And then an official announcement was made at another point I can't quite remember, and campus buzzed.

I learned about it through a press release, to which I replied faster than any reflex I've ever had.

One camera, one producer, one reporter (me).

That's not an excerpt from the e-mail I wrote back to media relations; that's the whole thing.

At work, my Bureau Chief told me Hillary Clinton was giving remarks at UM. I said, "I know, I'm covering it!" She was happy for me, obviously, and said if I wasn't covering it for UMTV, she would've credentialed me through NBC. That was too cool.

And then the night finally arrived.

I left work early because I had this awful feeling in my belly regarding the unknown traffic situation on the roads due to her appearance. When Joe Biden was nearby, the main road I take from work to home was closed off. I didn't realize initially the road was closed because of Biden until I saw what looked like a presidential car drive past me. Until that point, I thought something absolutely horrible had happened in Coral Gables. Dramatic, yes, but there were police officers at literally every single intersection.

Anyway, on the day Clinton came to campus, it took me a half hour to get back to campus. I curled my hair, decided what to wear and ended up with exactly what I initially planned on after trying on many outfits and not being satisfied. I made throat coat tea because my throat was scratchy and I had a long night ahead of me. I watched The Bachelor.

I arrived at the event and met up with my friend and producer for this shoot and the other reporter working for NewsVision with me. She was going to be on the media risers shooting the remarks and Q&A with President Donna Shalala. I would be in the press room to watch the speech, and my story would be on the student reaction.

University of Miami President Shalala and Hillary Clinton are great friends since Shalala served as U.S. President Bill Clinton's Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

Because former First Lady Hillary Clinton is still protected by Secret Service, all of the camera equipment gets sniffed by a bomb dog. After the sweep, my producer and I shot some exterior shots of the event and location, shot my stand up and also did 3 interviews with students who were waiting in line.

I was having genuine fun. 

Usually on shoots, I am by myself to deal with equipment and being a reporter all at once. So while I'm asking a person questions for the story, I'm also trying to look through the lens and make sure the shot is framed, the lighting is correct and the audio is working. It's a lot to think about, so I owe a huge thanks to my producer on this shoot, Carlee Rasner, who is largely the reason that on this night, I was able to do my job and enjoy myself all at once. 

So I was in the press room for the very first time. I love the press room. I want to live my whole life in the press room. There was free coffee, tea, water, cookies, etc. And I heard there was sushi although I missed it. Press rooms look just like they do in the movies: long tables with folding chairs, and reporters with laptops. 

We found "Reserved UMTV" and sat down. In case you're lost, it's the one directly behind, "Reserved NY Times."

I grabbed my laptop and opened TweetDeck, also known as the greatest program to ever exist. TweetDeck makes it insanely easy for you to keep tabs on way too many things at once (which is what we were all doing in the press room). My TweetDeck is set up with columns: my personal Twitter feed, my TV/media Twitter feed, news, news about the media, and mentions to me. I was glad to see so many other laptops with TweetDeck open too. I tweeted, "Does @HillaryClinton have butterflies?" 

At a point, the playlist that had been on in the press room played Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop." This was Bill Clinton's campaign song in the 90s and as soon as it came on I, for lack of a better description, freaked out.

Me: This was Clinton's campaign song in the 90s, are you dying? I'm dying.
Everyone else: **keyboards typing, Twitters tweeting, free coffee pouring**

Alright, well. That happened.

I went into the event room where 6,000 people were waiting for Hillary Clinton and I waited too. I'd spend the rest of the evening in the press room, but I wanted to see her come out. She did. I teared up. Put your politics aside for just a moment and understand and consider that this woman is among the most powerful women in the world… and potentially the next POTUS. Just think about the doors that have been closed so she could have a conversation. Or the times she's sat in the situation room more aware of how a decision she made would impact us than we could probably ever be.

The magnitude of the night was not lost on me. I felt very lucky to be exactly where I was at that exact moment doing what I was doing.

After Clinton's speech, I headed outside with Carlee to conduct some more student reaction interviews.

We finished up and I felt like we definitely had more than enough to make a great story. I met up with the other reporter to share and swap footage. Afterward, Taco Bell. Because dinner. 

I started editing my story and went to sleep around 3 a.m. with it mostly done. I woke up at 8 a.m to finish other things and get on with my day. After so little sleep, I felt like a zombie re-incarnate for most of the day. 

I went to my first class to hand in a paper and stayed, but I skipped my next two classes so I could eat lunch and take a shower before anchoring NewsVision that night. 

We opened the show with teases relating to Hillary's visit. We aired the packages back to back, and I said, "THE ONE QUESTION STILL ON EVERYONE'S MIND- WILL SHE COME BACK AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE?" 

I breathed a big sigh. And I slept really well that night.

Sometimes the former Secretary of State comes to campus and just throws everything off… or reminds you that your priorities are just where they should be.

You heard it here first,
Jordan

See the package here.


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Day 18: On Always Having Enough Gas

2/21/2014

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Today started like any other day of work. Except I made really great time this morning, and I even stopped for gas on my way.

Good thing I did, too, because while I had enough gas to make it to work and back, (usually all the traveling I do on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday) today I was going out on a shoot. I didn't know it when I filled up my tank, but I ended up logging 30+ more miles than usual. 

The reason why: Yesterday, a woman was driving with her 5-month-old nephew on the Dolphin Expressway when she noticed he had abruptly stopped crying, and stopped breathing too. The baby had been born two months early, explaining the respiratory struggle he has not yet overcome. The woman, Pamela Rauseo, jumped from her car and began screaming for help. A passerby pulled over and came to assist. In the car behind them happened to be Al Diaz, a photographer for The Miami Herald. Diaz walked down the expressway for more help, and found a police officer. In the meantime, Rauseo began giving the baby CPR. The police officer took over when he arrived. Also stuck in the same traffic? A Captain and Lieutenant from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. 

The story quickly gained national prominence. Partially for the abnormality of it. The baby is so, so young. And stopped breathing in traffic on the expressway? It was kind of chilling how real the situation is for all of us who ever sit in traffic on an expressway. And it's a very real reminder that tomorrow is never promised… for any of us.  Further, the fact that the photographer who found the cop happened to be on the Dolphin Expressway. This was lucky for the baby, and lucky for us, because without his photos, there would quite seriously be no story. Moreover, the aunt and baby were on their way home from a doctor's appointment. And lastly, the fact that the two men from Fire Rescue were sitting in the same traffic related to this very incident when they heard it over their radios. 

So today at around 10 a.m. I was sent to meet a photographer at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. 

I showed up and parked where it said, "Media Parking." I quickly found my photographer. We walked over to the entrance to the building where the interviewing was taking place. The media coordinator for the Fire Rescue team came over to me and said she didn't believe we had met, and proceeded to introduce herself. I made a mental note that in the future, I should be the one to say I didn't believe we had met, and introduce myself.  

I said, "I'm Jordan." She said "With…" and I said, "NBC News."

After I said it, I thought to myself, Holy shit. I'm Jordan Schuman with NBC News. Haven't I waited a really long time to be Jordan Schuman with NBC News? Today, I was. 

I interviewed both men who responded on behalf of Fire Rescue. I re-learned why it was best to interview them separately. There are a few reasons for this, actually. It's very awkward when you have a shot of two subjects and only one of them speaks. It sometimes causes the viewer to question why the second person is there in the first place. Secondly, when two people are together in an interview, one tends to dominate the conversation, and the only way to keep this from happening and truly get the most information is by separating the subjects.

My photographer was planning to leave Fire Rescue and shoot some video of heavy traffic on the Dolphin Expressway where the emergency occurred. I was going to head back to the office. 

Before we left the parking lot, the photographer received a phone call from our Bureau Chief letting him know we were to instead head to the aunt's house to interview her, and another photographer would get the traffic. I asked, "is someone meeting us there?" I was expecting him to tell me Mark Potter, the correspondent working on this story, would be there too. Instead, he said, "nah, we can do it."

It was this moment I realized no matter how many people were necessary to make this story happen, NBC would not have sent me if they didn't think I'd act professionally, ask the right questions, etc. I was thrilled to be on this adventure considering that as a bureau, most of our shoots are a long distance drive or plane ride away, and planned in advance and not on days I'm working. I was just lucky this news broke and was relevant when I was sitting at my desk. 

We headed to interview the aunt and arrived at the house at 11:45 a.m. It turns out the interview was scheduled for 1 p.m. so we went to lunch and returned shortly after 12:30 p.m. Also in the driveway was a photographer and reporter from Telemundo. They're on our team. 

We waited for Pamela Rauseo and in the meantime, reporters from the ABC & Univision and FOX affiliates also joined us outside the house. The tension was palpable. 

When Pamela's husband arrived, he told us he had committed to interview with us and Telemundo, and everyone else would have to wait. Why? Because we had called ahead and set up an interview, while the other reporters showed up and hoped for the best. It was that moment I knew I was on the right team. 

We went inside the house to set up for our interview and Pamela walked in. Before this, I realized that Pamela would be walking through the front door which was being crowded by aforementioned unscheduled reporters. There was nothing we could do if Pamela stopped to answer their questions first. We hoped she wouldn't because it would set us back in our schedule immensely. She didn't. Instead, she told them she was going to go ahead with her committed interviews with us, and if they wanted to wait they could. They didn't want to wait. 

I felt bad for Pamela for a little bit. She did a truly wonderful thing and saved her nephew's life, but yesterday, she was just a woman who lives a quiet life in Miami and has a 5-month-old nephew. Today, everyone wanted to talk to her. After she walked in, she handed her phone to her husband and said someone would be calling from Anderson Cooper. I couldn't imagine how overwhelmed she felt. 

A producer did end up coming to the house to help us. She conducted the interview. At the end, it's customary to ask the person if there's anything we didn't touch on that she wanted to discuss. She said no, so my producer then asked me if there was anything we didn't touch one that I wanted to discuss. There wasn't, but I was really glad she asked. 

Afterward, we shot some B-roll in the baby's room. The photographer shot Pamela looking through a closet of too-cute baby clothes. Baby clothes make me all sentimental even when they aren't assigned to a child. Especially tiny little precious baby shoes. I suggested my photographer get a shot of the pairs of shoes on a shelf.

He told me he already did, but said I had a good eye for catching them.

There's a famous piece of literature believed to be authored by Ernest Hemingway: 

                                                              For sale: baby shoes, never worn

It is often considered the shortest novel in history. I know how much these 6 words say, so imagine them in pictures? I thought about the very different story we could have been covering if not for the kindness of strangers and the assistance of nearby officials. The baby shoes would speak even more volumes that way. I'm so glad they didn't have to.

At around 2:04 p.m., my photographer asked me if I was a fast driver. I said yes, because… I don't know why. I just said yes. He gave me the tape to bring back to the bureau, since this story was for Nightly News and we were on a very tight deadline. 

I didn't speed, but I wondered if I had, if a police officer would understand and/or care and/or empathize with the fact that, "I need to bring this tape back to the office as soon as I can because it's going on Nightly News tonight- that's NBC- and I'm only going soooo quickly because, well, see I'm only an intern but I worked really hard on this story and I need to get it to New York!!" I was glad I didn't need to say any of that to anyone.

I brought it back to the office and immediately started logging with another producer. I log a lot, but this time, instead of hearing Mark Potter or Kerry Sanders ask the questions, I heard my voice. Remember, I'm Jordan Schuman with NBC News.

At 4 p.m., we had a script. It was sent for approval and was approved. I could not believe this was going to be on Nightly News. I watched an editor in the edit room which slowly filled up with producers. By 6:30 p.m., Mark Potter, me, an editor and two producers were in the room. We were on the phone feeding the story to New York around 6:27 p.m. I could not believe this story was going to be on Nightly News. On the other end of the phone was the control room at 30 Rock. You know 30 Rock. Where NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams is shot? Well we heard a countdown from 10 and we were on the air. Though I still could not believe this story was going on Nightly News, I started to. NY had our story at about 6:28 p.m. The show went live at 6:30 p.m. 

I breathed a sigh of relief after the time-crunch story-chasing day we had. I said goodnight to everyone at work, and we celebrated a job well done. 

I drove home. 

When I got home, I received an email that the Senior Producer at Nightly loved our story, and people were saying "yay!" in the control room.

That would've been more than enough for me, but this tweet from @MarkPotterNBC didn't hurt either…

"@jordanschumantv We are thrilled to have Jordan working with us. She is so smart and has such a bright future!"

You know, just in case you weren't sure this blog is the blog to be reading.

It is :)

You heard it here first,
Jordan

See the full piece here.

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Day 5 at Work; Day 4 at School

1/24/2014

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Picture
If you're wondering how many days it takes to memorize your way to a destination such as work, it's 4.5. The 4th day, you'll be fairly certain you can get to work without your GPS but leave it on anyway, and the 5th day, you'll leave the GPS off.

On the always riveting commute into work, a gorgeous black puppy was fearlessly running across traffic on US-1, an extremely busy main road by school. I felt so sad for this puppy but I watched cars slow down to try to let her get to the other side safely. I'm not sure what ended up happening, but I sure do hope the puppy made it home.

On Day 5 I wore a navy wrap dress with flowers and birds printed on it, and coral heels to match the flowers. I just could not with my contact lenses so I wore glasses instead. Lasik is sounding better and better by the day.

Nothing too big was happening at work except the follow up to the George Stinney, Jr. case. Mark Potter was with producer Erika in South Carolina for the hearing. We logged and logged and logged, hearing from relatives and witnesses. I realized how painful it must be for these people to have to dig up these memories 70 years later. I've been very fortunate in this life but even I understand closing the book on a painful chapter when the time is right.

I really was hoping for a positive outcome for the Stinneys. It was shocking to me to hear how similar the details of the case were to every fiction story I've read about a town like Alcolu in a time like 1944. The more I listened and logged, I hoped, for the Stinneys' sake, that the aforementioned-imagined painful digging will be worth it. The judge decided to give 10 days to both sides to evaluate legal issues of the case. No timeline has been set for when the two sides will return to court. I could empathize with Mark Potter's imagined defeat. I really hate showing up to a story and finding there might not be one.

We continued to log tape just in case we do revisit this story. I'm not sure how it'll play out- check back in 10 days. For the Stinneys, I hope justice, closure and peace. For the intern and producers who logged the hearing and still logged the hearing and still logged the hearing, I hope a really wonderful story.

I was once again proud to work for an organization that places value on news-gathering, and allocated funds for a reporter and crew to cover a hearing, while understanding there might not even be a story.

I left work exactly at 5 to get to a meeting at school that started at 6. Sirius XM The Highway played "No Hurry" by the Zac Brown Band exactly as I hit a ridiculous amount of traffic. I questioned what Sirius XM was actually trying to do to me, and then I chuckled at the irony.

In other far less important news, the day after Day 5 was Day 4 at school- also known as Justin-Bieber-Gets-A-DUI-Day. The same Mark Potter who was in Alcolu the day before was now outside of the courthouse, like many other reporters who I imagine were not too thrilled to be there. I laughed when Fusion's morning show covered the story with an "Insignificant Breaking News" chyron. You go, Fusion. You go.



I wondered how many times Justin Bieber's mugshot was posted to instagram, and I really disliked any time someone asked me if I had heard about it. I dislike myself as I type this for giving more time to it this morning. I also want it on the record that the first time I wrote this blog post I misspelled Justin Bieber's last name and I'm pretty proud of that fact.

Today is Friday which is, no pun intended, very good news. I was on RA duty again last night. The good news there is that I'm almost halfway done with duty nights, and I think that was my last one on a night before work. Duty tours on weeknights require you to be awake until at least 12:30 a.m., and as I walked into my room I turned to a resident who was in the hallway and I said, "be quiet tonight, okay?" They were.

No duty calls, but a call from a friend in need. Yes, he was "sexiled*". This is college, after all. So at 2:38 a.m., I converted my couch into a futon, threw the extra comforter down, opened the door, felt like a really good friend, and said, "go to bed."

And then we did.

You heard it here first,
Jordan

*Sexiling: the act of being isolated or exiled due to your roommate taking someone home with whom sexual relations could occur.


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The Day Al Roker Rocked Twitter

1/28/2013

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In a moment of unity, on a day when partisanship was obvious yet ignored, Al Roker was trending on Twitter.

For out of all of the people waiting on Pennsylvania Avenue one week ago today for the 57th Presidential Inauguration, hoping for just a glimpse of the newly re-inaugurated President of the United States, Al Roker was the one who yelled after Mr. Obama and asked about the weather.

I couldn't help but smile while watching it, and hearing the rest of the Today Show cast giggling into their mics at the fact that it was even happening filled my heart with joy and was a big slice of humble pie... that yes, even Today Show anchors get interviews they never dreamed of or planned on.

To me, that moment gave every aspiring journalist and meteorologist a glimmer of hope. And a large slice of insight.

When I covered the President's visit to the BankUnited Center on the University of Miami campus, I submitted my request for media credentials like many other local journalists and networks did, and I waited for a response. It came, and I sent it to everyone I know, with something resembling the fact that not only was I going to be in the same room as the POTUS, but I'd be filming it for use on our very own evening newscast! I was working on deadline, and it was awesome.

When Al Roker got the "interview," as Brian Williams calls it, with President Obama I realized that someone requested media credentials for him to stand exactly where he stood, too. And someone got a confirmation email, and Al Roker probably told his family about it at the dinner table that night. And I'm sure his kids thought it was pretty cool. In a way, I guess I realized that Today Show anchors are just like us. The POTUS is a big freaking deal to them, too.

I still have my "White House Press Pool" press pass from that day, and I probably will forever. Not only was it my first press pass, but it was from the White House. The White House! To see the President!

And though I can't say for sure, I have a feeling when Al Roker actually caught President Obama's attention and exchanged words with him, he had similar thoughts. "That's the president!!" ... "From the White House!!"

I liked it. Because it doesn't matter who you voted for, and it doesn't matter what you believe. This is the President of the United States. (Isn't that what inaugurations are really all about anyway?) And something a Today Show anchor did made the entire country look, and not so long after, he was trending on Twitter.

And if that wasn't enough, after a year full of shootings, debates, crime scenes, accidents and natural disasters, Joe Biden did something that made me forget about the laundry list above. The actual Vice President of the United States broke format and shook Al Roker's hand. It unified America, and for a short minute, the news personality made the news.

And while all of the Secret Service had a momentary freak out, it was great television. ( <-- See it here!)

And you can't beat that.

You heard it here first,
Jordan

There he is! Follow the "O" in Florida down to a white spot... right before the guy in striped polo.
A screenshot of my confirmation e-mail for media credentials.
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