We’re just like everybody else. We have quirks, bad habits, and things about ourselves we’d probably never admit. Being on television everyday sounds like such a glamorous and jet-set lifestyle to so many people. But there is a big difference between celebrities and journalists.

We are journalists. There is a lot of nitty-gritty those goes on behind the scenes to pull together a newscast.  Reporters carry heavy cameras and tripods from story to story, regardless of the weather conditions. And speaking of the weather, whenever it gets bad it’s our job to be in the thick of things so you get the most accurate up-to-date first-hand information from the comfort and safety of your home.

There are days when people run from us like we have the plague because they are camera shy or are having a bad hair day and don’t want to be on TV. We get all kinds of excuses like “I’m in the witness protection program” or “I’m running late for an, uh, appointment.” It’s not always easy to get people to talk to us on camera. But we still love it.

And even the most light-hearted “good news” stories can be pretty taxing on a reporter. Like the time I wanted to get the “perfect shot” of Santa on Christmas Eve when he passed through downtown Winchester. I probably ran towards him faster than the kids did. And in doing so, I met the pavement. I wasn’t watching where I was going because my eye was looking through the viewfinder on the camera. Before you know it, I’m flat on the ground. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I could have broken my fall. But, true to my job, my main concern was the camera. I hit the brick sidewalk hard but managed to keep the camera above my head the whole time. Not a scratch on it. I was a different story though. When I got back to the newsroom with a huge hole in my pants and bloody hands and knees you would have thought I was out on a tough assignment. Nope, just covering Santa.

What you see of us each day on-air is only a small piece of the pie. It can take an entire 8-9 hour day to assemble a two-minute story. There is a lot of research, interviews, video gathering, editing and writing that has to happen first. And time is tight. Forget hair and make-up, there are days when reporters are working on their stories up to the last minute and have to run (yes run) into the studio to make airtime.

No, it’s not always glamorous. But don’t feel sorry for us. We’re in this business because we want to be. We’re addicted to being “in the know.”  And we love having the tremendous responsibility of delivering the news to you.

Now on to some common questions… No, we don’t have make-up artists or stylists. Yes, we write all of our own stories. And no, our autographs aren’t worth anything. Yet.

Want to see it all first hand? Gather your group (or club or organization) and take a tour of the TV3 Winchester studio. To request a tour, go to our 'weather' page and click on the link.