by Megan Osborn

April 14th, students from Oceanside High School’s journalism and broadcasting classes took a trip down to the News 12 office in Bethpage, New York to get a tour from News 12 reporter and journalist Cecilia Dowd. From the moment we arrived, we got a behind-the-scenes look at how a real television news station operates. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting the weather reporter Rich Hoffman. It was fascinating to see how weather forecasts are presented on TV. We learned how meteorologists use green screens to display maps and graphics, and how they prepare before going live on air. He even took the time to zoom in on the town of Oceanside on the big screen. Watching the weather segment being explained in person gave us a whole new appreciation for what we see on television every day.

In addition to meeting Rich, we also got to interact with many of the people who work at the station. From camera operators to producers, everyone plays an important role in putting together a live broadcast. They explained how teamwork and timing are essential to making sure everything runs smoothly.

Another exciting part of the visit was learning how to use the equipment. We were shown how microphones work and even got a chance to try holding and speaking into one like a real reporter. We also learned about cameras, how they are set up, controlled, and used to capture different angles during a broadcast. Seeing all the technology up close made us realize how much effort goes into every segment you see on the news.

Overall, the trip to News 12 Long Island was both fun and educational. It gave us a deeper understanding of the world of broadcast journalism and showed us just how much work happens behind the scenes. It was an experience we will not forget.  Thank you to Ceceila Dowd and the News 12 crew for their hospitality!