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Yesterday, in the infamous word of Ms. Reid, was an
“amazing” day. The Reid Group and I woke up bright and early around 6:30 a.m.
to head to CNN Studios to watch and meet with notable journalist Soledad O’
Brien. We were able to sit in on
O’Brien’s show called Starting Point,
which is morning “conversational ensemble” described by CNN. This show replaced
American Morning that aired from 2011
to 2011.
In 2009, I was first introduced to O’Brien while watching
CNN’s most powerful documentary called Black
in America. This documentary showed how African-Americans deal with
everyday life and the many challenges we face. I instantly became a fan of
O’Brien ever since because it took strong and confident journalist to be able
to deliver and execute such a controversial documentary.
While standing on the set of Starting Point, I was jus in awe on how well O’Brien reported
information and had control of her show. It was so natural just like her
personality, very detailed and straightforward. Also, in her segment there a
different variety of stories that she reports, from hardcore news to fun
moments in sports. I also went behind scenes in the control room to see how the
show operates from a viewer’s standpoint. I notice the teleprompter and tried
to read along, it’s not as easy as it looks. There were times were O’Brien did
a little impromptu and adlibs.
My favorite part of
Starting point was when she interviewed Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC)
first African-American president, Fred Luther for the 167-year
denomination. One of her guest panelist
asked Luther a question about gay marriage being a civil right’s issue, which
is a very sensitive topic. Luther confidently stood on his biblical beliefs,
stating “God attended marriage to be between a man and a woman.” Than O’Brien
interjected with another question about he feels about being in opposition with
America’s president who supports gay marriage. Again, Luther did not back down
on his beliefs but mentioned how he supports our president and the gay community
but has a different perspective on gay marriage.
We headed back to the set of Starting Point for an intimate
question and answer moment with O’Brien. I introduced myself while so many
thoughts were running through my head, like “OMG I cant believe this happening!”
She than asked if we had any question to ask, I think everyone stood in
admiration because there was an awkward 3 second pause before questions were
asked. She went in detailed about finding what makes you comfortable while
reporting to help control your nerves. That was a common issue for the entire
Reid Group last Saturday while practicing our live shots. She gave a helpful
example that I will never forget, she suggested acting like the camera is your
mom and you’re trying to tell her whatever happened as detailed as possible. I will definitely use that tactic this Saturday
coming up to help master my live shot performance.
Meeting O’Brien will be an unforgettable experience; I
really enjoyed her down-to-earth persona and helpful advice. I can’t wait to see her again possibly
work with her in the future.
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