On April 29th, 15 students from the Amador Valley Journalism program visited the NBC Bay Area news studio in San Jose. Students gained firsthand knowledge in broadcast journalism at a state-of-the-art broadcast facility. This studio serves as the production center for the region’s local NBC newscasts.
“I’ve always wanted to do sports media. Visiting the NBC news studio made my aspirations seem like a reality. By observing the production process of a newscast, I realized that there are so many different pathways and avenues for me to get involved in journalism,” said AVJ student Izabella Cantu.
This field trip was made possible through a $500 Innovative Student Grant from Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation (PPIE). The funds covered the cost of substitute teachers, allowing AV Journalism students to attend at no personal expense and gain first-hand experience by observing the live filming of a midday newscast.
Seeing Behind the Camera
“In the classroom, we learn about things in theory. So when we actually go visit people, we get to see what they do on a daily basis and what the daily reality of it is like. I feel like it’s really important to have that aspect to our learning,” said AV Journalism advisor Stacey Sklar.
Field trip attendees took a behind-the-scenes tour of the studio, which was led by news anchor Jessica Agurrie. They learned about the 24-hour news cycle, the impact of evolving technology, and how journalists combat misinformation. They explored the many roles involved in producing a newscast and spoke one-on-one with staff about their career paths and the day-to-day work of broadcast journalism.
“Touring the NBC studio made me realize how many different jobs and people go into creating just one 30 minute show, and how in journalism, there’s just so many different things you can do and be. It’s not just an anchor or a director,” said AVJ student Elissa Jimerson (‘27).
AV Journalism students had the opportunity to compare their school newsroom with a real-world broadcast environment. They gained firsthand insight into the collaborative and structured process of producing a newscast and explored how those industry practices can support their growth as student journalists.
“[The NBC staff] spoke a lot about how hard they worked to get where they are, and also even now on a daily basis. They explained how they’re willing to pursue the story when it happens at the drop of a hat, at the expense of a lot of personal things. That represents a career choice. If [journalism students] want that level of involvement, they have to be ready to make that level of commitment,” said Sklar.
