When Xavier O’Boyle (12) joined the Broadcast Journalism class during his sophomore year, he knew that he wanted to be in front of the camera to be an anchor or an announcer.
“I thought [newscast] was going to be like public speaking to a crowd you can’t see,” O’Boyle said. “Being an announcer is a dream job for me because I feel like I’ve got the voice for it and the energy.”
On Jan. 7, O’Boyle took a step toward that dream. He was able to experience what it was like to be on a set of a live broadcast with Chris McGee, the host of All Access SportsNet, for the Lakers games. O’Boyle’s dad, an old friend of McGee’s, told McGee that his son was interested in pursuing a future in journalism. McGee then extended an invitation for them to come on set before the Lakers versus Clippers game.
“[When] we showed up [to the set] we met a bunch of the producers and the editors, and it was a lot larger of a space than I’ve ever seen before,” O’Boyle said. “I’ve been to several [studios] like KPBS Studios down by San Diego State [University], but this [was] a lot different because I feel like there were more people working on this project [since] it was a live show rather than something that was pre-recorded.”
After getting a tour of the control room and a rundown of everything that happens behind the camera, O’Boyle was taken to the main stage.
“They ran me down on how they print out the lines and how some of it is just spontaneous, but [they] also have a teleprompter that they read,” O’Boyle said. “[The hosts] put their own personality and opinion into what they say while also following the script, and I thought that was pretty cool.”
O’Boyle was also able to meet Derek Fisher and James Worthy, two retired professional basketball players. He said that both were very friendly to him and made his experience all the more memorable.
“It was a pleasure to meet two Lakers legends, and I appreciate their hospitality for giving me the opportunity to check out the studio and give me a better look at what a future in the [journalism] field may look like,” O’Boyle said.
Looking back, O’Boyle said that his biggest takeaway was seeing how large of a field broadcast journalism is and that he could see himself in that role in the future.
“A lot of the stuff [from the studio] I’m already familiar with, and I think that if I continue to follow my passion with journalism, I could easily end up in a spot like [being a sports news anchor], especially with the connection I have now,” O’Boyle said.
Though O’Boyle didn’t get to be on TV, he did get a chance to sit at the desk in front of the camera and read a few lines from the teleprompter.
“\I think sitting on that chair gave me a feel of what it could be like if I was actually live [and ahost],” O’Boyle said.
Coming back from this experience, O’Boyle was able to reflect on what brought him to pursue a future as a news anchor with his experience on the newscast.
“In broadcasts, when I sit at the desk, I just enjoy sitting [there], reading, seeing myself on the screen, and hearing my own voice [from the screen],” O’Boyle said. “I think [being a news anchor] is something that fits my personality, my own mindset, and the way I work, because I feel like I could enjoy doing that as a career.”
