Student selected as Junior Reporter for FOX 29

For the past year, WCU students have gotten to know Amber Key from watching WCU Weekly every week.

Once a week, on WCU Weekly, senior Amber Key is the Sports Short reporter. She does weekly news reports on the sporting events that take place for the university.

Now, Key has expanded her horizons as a newly selected Junior Reporter for FOX 29.

As a FOX 29 Junior Reporter, Key will be going out and finding news stories to present to the producers.

If her story is chosen, she will have the unique opportunity of filming the story and having it shown on FOX 29 Weekend, Key explained.

This position is considered a four month internship.

Key will be developing her demo reel for future employers and will also get paid when she produces stories.

This is a unique opportunity to build her resume and get real-world experience in her field.

So how does one become a FOX 29 Junior Reporter?

For Key, she was inspired to apply after her friend let her know that FOX 29 was looking for junior reporters.

“I decided to gain courage and try out,” Key said. She always had an interest in the program, because her roommate always watched Good Day Philadelphia, Key explained.

The application involved coming up with three story pitches in a two week period.

Then, FOX 29 chose a story that the applicants had to film, edit, write, etc.

“I was so grateful to have really great friends to help me out. Shout out to Jerome Ambrose and Cory Blake,” Key said.

Key’s news story was about Camp Dreamcatcher, a “non-profit organization that provides year-long services for children and teens who have been infected or affected by HIV and AIDs,” she said.

For Key, her background as a WCU Weekly reporter was crucial in getting this internship.

When she applied, they asked Key for samples of her projects, and she was able to give them links to her WCU Weekly segments.

WCU Weekly also provided her with experience in the field. This year is Key’s second year working for WCU Weekly.

She was previously a field reporter for the school’s television show Sports Talk Live, which is now called RAM Center.

Sports Talk Live was produced by Courtland Bragg who was also the sports reporter for WCU Weekly.

When he graduated, Key explained, she auditioned for his spot.

She also became an executive producer for RAM Center, which is still a position she holds.

“WCU Weekly is a huge commitment,” Key explained.

“We are expected to have our stories put together and given to our executive producer by the end of the week.”

WCU Weekly is filmed on Sunday afternoons.

“While we are filming we treat it as if we are being paid to be there.

Everyone is very professional and we work together to make sure we put on a good show.

Although we remain very professional, we still share a lot of laughs,” Key said.

She credited the producers with making sure everyone always had a good time.

Key is a communications major with a minor in Fine Arts.

Originally, she had planned to use her Fine Arts background to create advertisements when she graduated.

Then, she “fell in love with the communications major and the endless opportunities there are to succeed,” she said.

Key plans to continue in the broadcast media field after graduating, producing, reporting, or both.

Theresa Kellyis a fourth-year student majoring in English literature secondary education. She can be reached at TK780615@wcupa.edu.