A Day at WMUR with Erin Fehlau

A Day at WMUR with Erin Fehlau

Evmorfia Alton

As a student journalist it was one of my biggest goals to visit a popular news station and learn all about the industry.  It would’ve been even more exciting to visit the station that I had grown up watching every day. On May 16th I got to check this goal off of my bucket list when I went for a private tour of the WMUR News station, guided by one of their most experienced and admired anchors, Erin Fehlau.  Immediately at my arrival I saw people hard at work whether it was typing away at their multiple computer screens or running scripts to the desk.  I got to see the main area of work and met the media specialists who edited their posts for the social media accounts. In addition to that, I met the group of producers searching topics for their next stories and preparing for the afternoon’s show.

Along the wall of the work area there were at least 100 tapes lined in order on shelves, from the days of tape cues and DVD.  When asking what was the biggest change in the industry over the past years, I found it interesting that the recent changes and upgrades in technology have completely altered the way a news broadcast is put on.  Even some of the employees I met in the main area had been recently hired to do things like maintaining WMUR’s website and social media posts, a job that wasn’t needed a few years ago. My tour also included exploring small rooms where people control the sound and video clips that are inserted into the newscast.

The most exciting part of the trip was seeing the afternoon newscast.  The studio that I see every morning on my tv was right in front of me. The news desk, the weather screen it was all there. And not only did I get to watch the newscast but I got to meet Josh Judge and Kevin Skarupa, who are also on the daily news reports.  What I found most interesting was the large cameras and monitors that had the scripts being streamed for Fehlau to read.  I couldn’t believe how fast they had to read the words and clearly speak them so all the viewers could completely understand.

When not doing the broadcast, Mrs. Fehlau was kind enough to answer some of my many questions about her life in this business.  I was very curious about what her daily life is like on a normal day at the station. I learned that she is up extremely early and depending on the day, whether she was filming for Chronicle, she got home anywhere between 9-10 P.M. But with those long days she gets to report on some very exciting stories and sometimes travels to unique places all over New Hampshire.  She explained that her life is very hectic and fast paced, but she loves it all the same.  In getting to talk to her, you could really see her passion for what she does.  When asked what a young journalist can do to get experience in the field of work she said ” Exactly what you’re doing right now.  Visiting your local news station is a great way to learn what this is all about. As well as getting experience in journalism and broadcasting at your own school!”

During my day I learned so much about this industry and the hard work that goes into it.  I can’t thank WMUR and Erin Fehlau enough for this experience, it’s something I’ll never forget.  Don’t forget to tune into WMUR everyday to keep up with the latest news from some very talented broadcasters and journalists!