It is finished!

Unless you are a student within the college, you will not understand the greatness of the College of Journalism and Communication at UF. I can remember my first time doing a story in the INC. I felt like I was literally on CNN or ESPN doing the biggest story of life. It was the beginning of my broadcast journey. There are so many opportunities to grow in your field as well. They have sports, news, advertising, PR, production, you name it. There are some educated teachers who have also spent time in the business, and the things they teach are you the closest thing to the real thing.. It is the real thing! As i'm about to graduate next week, I know that I can walk into adulting confident that I will succeed. THANK YOU CJC!!

This Journey is Almost Over!

As my time at the University of Florida and in my Advanced Interactive Reporting class comes to an end, I can truly say that I have learned how to do so much in this college. From using ENPS to write scripts, Final Cut to edit video, cameras to shoot video, etc. I feel like I’m equipped to succeed in the television industry. Another important skill I’ve picked up is blogging. I’ve learned how to make my blog better with SEOs, links, pictures, Bubbli, SoundCloud, and more. Some of these skills have also been picked up by my classmates! Here are the links to all of their blogs. Their interests range from food, to fashion, to lifestyle, to sports. Enjoy! http://willbenner.com/news/ http://thepersoninpersonable.blogspot.com http://dancingbylauren.blogspot.com/ https://soulbeauty1.wordpress.com/ https://floridafemmefoodie.wordpress.com/ https://talesofacommunigator.wordpress.com/ https://hiddentreasuresofnewyork.wordpress.com https://hashtagsportsblog.wordpress.com/ https://christianendrigian.wordpress.com/ https://smorganfrazier.wordpress.com https://kellygrosfield.wordpress.com https://stefanihunter.wordpress.com/ https://valerieoverseas.wordpress.com/ https://kadymarlowe.wordpress.com/ http://seniorsemesterreporter.blogspot.com http://livelovelizsite.wordpress.com https://ladymendozablog.wordpress.com/ https://postmodernparenting.wordpress.com/ https://abeliefinstressrelief.wordpress.com/ https://chrisplattsite.wordpress.com https://eastcoasteatssite.wordpress.com/ https://motherhoodsurvivalblog.wordpress.com/ https://findingfayetteville.wordpress.com/ https://ariellerothwordpress.wordpress.com/ https://estrellitafernweh.wordpress.com/ https://dowhatyoulovetodayblog.wordpress.com/ http://sidssportstake.blogspot.com https://howtobeanartist.wordpress.com/ https://veggiesforvoleer.wordpress.com/ https://sociallyacceptablecom.wordpress.com/ http://www.bohotravel.org/

The Tipping Point

You never realized how big of a difference little things make until you read this book. The Tipping Point shines light on small factor that play large roles in things like fashion, crime, language, etc. As a journalist, Malcolm Caldwell knows the art of research and investigating, and it is apparent in this book. Fashion is one of my favorite things to talk about and look at. As a model, you see so many clothing items and you match them up in your head from head to toe. Sometimes you can’t think of what shoes or purse will add the finishing touches to an outfit so you have to think back! I can count plenty of times when I have gone to a thrift store or consignment shop to find gems that would not be found in a department store or mall. So I’m not surprised that the Hush Puppy show came back in style. In 2016 we’ve seen many thing come back into style like high waist pants, three strap sandals, up-do hairstyles, etc. I know this is true because every time I get something new from the store my mom says “girl, we used to wear them back in the day.” Crime is something that is in every city, you can’t avoid it. But some cities may have a lower crime rate than others. I never thought about the factors that went into these statistics like an older population, drugs, college degrees, etc. The Tipping Point spoke about crime in NYC falling over time. I’ve lived in communities where the crime rate was high and others where it was low. The deciding factor came down to be income. In a place where most people have stable jobs or are retired, they tend to have the resources that those people committing the crimes want for. They are wealthy, educated, and lacking or nothing. On the contrary, those who are committing the crimes lack those things. This is problem why the crime goes down as that demographic gets older, they are either doing better or mentally have chosen to stop the crime. Last but not least, language. As a reporter, I have to make sure that I am using language that others can understand, whether they are in elementary school or have graduated from college. But language varies across different groups. When covering a story about a suicide or homosexuals, you have to make sure the terms are inclusive. Being in a sorority has taught me a lot about language and translation. Everyone was raised differently, and everyone takes words different ways. But when you used inclusive language, language that would be appropriate and respectful in front of your grandmother or mom, you’re usually on the safe side. I think The Tipping Point does a great job of explaining the different factors that makes an issue change or stay the same. I recommend this book to anyone doing research or any journalist that is looking for investigative story idea.

Food, Fashion, and Fun!

Food, fashion, and fun! Who doesn’t enjoy all of these wonderful things! It’s really nice to know that some of my classmates feel the same way about these things I as do. I love trying new food from different cultures. And so does Caitlyn! Fashion is so important! I love looking good and dressing for the occasion. Sometimes my college budget doesn’t allow for excessive shopping, but just like my classmate Brooke, we one day hope our closets will overflow with items! And we all have our ways of escaping the daily struggle of college. Some play sports, some go out on the town, and others dance like my classmate Lauren! Check out these blogs if you also love food, fashion, and fun!

What are you writing about?

Journalist- a fancy word for a writer. And under that fancy word, are a bunch of words, thoughts, and expressions. Some of those words are about news topics like on Stephanie Byrne's blog, other words are about a time period in life like on Sydney Martin's blog. And then you have journalist that enjoy lifestyle, family, and travelling like Brittney Smith. All three of these individuals love writing and sharing stories. Check out what they have to say!

Who is Britnee?

Britnee McCoy is a senior Telecommunication major at the University of Florida. McCoy will be graduating in December 2016. Upon graduating, McCoy will start her new journey as a News Reporter at WRDW/WAGT in Augusta, GA. McCoy is originally from Miami, FL. She enjoys attending sporting events, blogging, and binge watching her favorite show “Being Mary Jane.” McCoy’s ultimate goal is to become an Anchor on Good Morning America.

Digital Resume

Check out all of the things Britnee McCoy has done in broadcast! https://www.linkedin.com/in/britneemccoy?trk=prof-samename-name

Equality for all hair

“In a small market such as the one I work in, you don’t have a pool of people to even discriminate, so I don’t really know what that is like. We are all about giving rising reporters/anchors opportunities to move up to larger markets with our training. Maybe after their contract here, they will develop a look or a voice, but if I never give them a shot because of hair, that is just not fair.” This director worked his way up in the station from producer, to executive producer, and now news director. He says he has seen many people come and go. “I have seen natural hair, colored hair, shorts hair, I’ve seen it all here. But I also know people grow a lot here, and the fact that the majority of these people go to larger markets after leaving here shows that there are opportunities out there for all kinds of hair, you just have to find them.”

Black Woman to Black Woman

“I love natural hair, but I know some of it does not work on TV because of experience. I’m not saying it’s ugly or too wild, in saying that as a reporter in the field, it will be affected by the humidity and then most of the time become wild and different than how it originally looked. This ND is a black female who worked as an anchor/producer, and then became a news director. Despite how she feels about natural hair, she says she never discriminates her hires because of it, she just lets them know her experiences and allow them to make their own choice. She says she also tells young journalist the same things. “You can wear your hair however you want, maybe you have the natural that won’t puff up in the humidity. Bottom line is, if you are good at your job, I will hire you. However, I will let you know if it’s becoming a little too much for your look, and most women take it constructively when it’s coming from black woman to black woman.”

The Inspiration Behind the Conversation!

My interest in natural hair came from a video posted by Angela Green, a news anchor in Greenville, NC. She was talking to an intern with curly natural hair, who wanted to know if she should straighten her hair or leave it curly for a class broadcast project. This gave viewers and other reporters to weigh in on Facebook and the responses were both for and against conforming to the straight hair. This made me question: Does Natural Hair and Broadcast Mix? That is the inspiration behind this blog and my research!

The TV "Look"

This video is my news reel that I apply to job s with. I posted it so that employers could see my best stories and look. In an industry based around appearance, especially hair and makeup for women, I have to make sure that my appearance is consistent and perfect in every story.

Book Review: Don't Make Me Think!

When I first read the title, I had no idea what the book would be about. But as I began reading, it all made sense. We live in a world where everything is online from news, to shopping, and even job applications. It’s so easy to access this stuff that we don’t have to think about it often. We just search it and it’s there! But what about when we have to think about it? Do we stay on the site if the top news story we want to see is too hard to find? Or do we go to a different news website where it can easily be found flashing across the screen? For me personally, I like simple stuff. I don’t want to think most of the time, isn’t that why we have the internet! Reading this book also made me think about my own website. Is it clear? Can employers find what they’re are looking for within a few seconds or is it confusing to the point where they just go look at another applicant’s website? By using the graphics in the book, I see that my website is very user friendly. My reel is on the front page. There is a tab for my resume and a tab for my contact. Users, especially employers don’t want to look too far to find info. Ironically I went to a website to apply for a job today and it gave me the run around. After finding the employment page, I clicked apply here and it took me to a separate page that had nothing to do with employment and I ended up not applying to that job right then. I’ll probably go back to that site when I have more time for all the different pages associated with getting to the actual application. What makes a good website is actually simple, I think a good rule of thumb to go by is to make sure every age range can understand where things are located. Whether you are in 3rd grade or 60 years old, you should be able to access things quickly without questions. The website does not need to be busy. You do not need pictures and links nearly on top of each other because people will get confused and not know what to click. You also want things to be visible. Dark fonts and small words can be very hard for some people to see and read, especially if they are older or wear glasses. Also, tabs need to be labeled in a way that people don’t have to question if they should click. For example, on a clothing website, you should have a shop now tab that takes people to the items. From there you can have a dresses, shoes, pants tab to narrow things down. This makes it easy for shoppers to get what they came for. Imagine having men and women clothes and shoes mixed together on one page. That is confusing and too busy! This book was a great read and I recommend it to anyone who has a website or is thinking about creating one. It will give you tips for a successful, user friendly site!

Interview #3

“The hustle and bustle of looking good all the time and conforming is exactly why I’m getting out of the business after my contract ends. I used to be so excited about the money, hair and makeup, until I realized that I was a puppet.” This news anchor has been working in a top 50 market for the past 8 years. She says she was naïve to how much she had to conform, until she had to tell an intern about her journey. “I was always told by other black anchors, you can’t wear your hair natural, and you have to wear makeup like a cheerleader, make sure you don’t gain too much weight. And when an intern asked me how I felt about her look, I found myself telling her those same words. But then I went home that night and broke down. It’s not fair, why do we have to stick to those strict guidelines, why do we not get to push the envelope, why can’t we be ourselves.” She says she knows women who are afraid to show their station what their natural hair looks like, even on off days, because they are afraid they will judge them.

Interview #2

“I don’t think that this is something that just started being a problem. When I was younger, I used to watch the news with my grandma and all of the news anchors, both black and white, has straight hair, no curls.” This person has been in the business for about three years now, and she says she knows that straight hair is what news directors hire. But with the recent murders of black men by police officers, she says the Black Lives Matter movement is something that goes beyond the murders. “Black Lives Matter, Black Hair Matters, Black People Matter. It just sucks that we have to conform and give in every single time. We don’t have the option of wearing our natural curly hair or weave, our only option is to look as similar to our white female coworkers as possible.”

Interview #1

This person was allowed to wear her natural hair on television because her news director and her viewers liked the way it looked. “When I was first hired I received so many emails from viewers saying they love d how my hair looked and felt like I represented the natural black woman very well, especially in this small city.” She said she heard about black women adding weave and straightening their hair but she never felt the need to because her news director never mentioned it. “I figured that if he hired me with my hair this way, he didn’t mind. But I do get afraid when it comes to applying for my next job because black women in large markets never wear their own hair, it’s all weave.” She says she isn’t willing to conform and if she was offered a large job but had to change her look, she would not take it, “Obviously it’s easy to say when you’re not in the situation, but I don’t want people to focus on my hair, I want them to hear what I have to say.”

Let's Take a Look!

Every TV news station is different. Whether it’s by market, city, state, or even news philosophy, no two stations are the same. One thing that is also different about each news station is “the look” of on air talent. The look obviously differs between men and women, but it also subliminally differs between among women. For men, we usually see a nice haircut, well-groomed facial hair, and a suit and tie. Women on the other hand have a lot more variety. You see dresses, skirts, and sometimes even pants. But this Summer I was able to research natural hair on television. I look forward to sharing my findings with you all this semester!

FACES Modeling Troupe Elections

FACES Modeling Troupe is holding semester elections. The organization prides themselves on their image and is looking for leaders that are talented in makeup, fashion styling and modeling. Members of the organization take elections very seriously because they want to look good on the stage, so they want to choose people proficient in those areas.

Black Har on TV- Then and Now

Bring Your Own Bag

Finding the proper hairstyle for a professional setting also comes with finding the proper makeup to match. At the University of Florida on March 28th in Weil 238 at 6 P.M., Being A Girl will host an event featuring a makeup artist who will apply makeup to the face of a volunteer while others in attendance can bring their own makeup bags to follow along. The purpose is to show attendees how to apply the appropriate makeup for different settings.

Kim Williams shows us how she wears her natural hair to work and tells us why news anchors should embrace their natural hair.

SAVANT Leadership Honorary's #MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace Black History Month Event.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace is something that can be found in all careers. Each worker comes from different cultures and backgrounds.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace Cultural Competency is similar attitudes that together in a system, work effectively in the workplace.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace Cultural differences include hair, clothing, make up, work style, facial expressions, etc.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace Some cultured African American women may wear their hair in afros, short cuts, curly, or straight.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace Some cultured hispanic women may wear their hair very long and straight or curly. Sometimes with highlights.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace Women should not feel threatened to wear their hair a certain way to conform to others.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace Business casual/professional may be different according to the career.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MultculturalismInTheWorkplace Lawyers may wear suits, graphic designers may wear skirts and sneakers.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MulticulturalismInTheWorkplace If workers become more culturally competent, everyone will feel more comfortable.

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

#MultculturalismInTheWorkplace Use inclusive language. Instead of "freshman", use "first year." Instead of "spokesman", "spokesperson."

— Natural Hair & News (@Naturalontv) February 27, 2016

My "News Hair" Evolution from My First Story Until Now.

Now in 2016, we see African American reporters with long hair, side parts, and very loose curls. Very far from the 70's style.

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 27, 2016 at 10:38am PST

Here we see a similar style a little more curls and also more length. You can see that the reporter has added extensions to her hair.

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 27, 2016 at 10:37am PST

Here we have the hair going back to the face, but it is shorter and far more straight than the first photo.

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 27, 2016 at 10:36am PST

In this photo, hair is more pulled back, so you can start to see the transition from the fro to more "relaxed" styles.

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 27, 2016 at 10:40am PST

In this photo, the reporter is wearing her natural hair out in a fro, similar to the way 70's reporters wore their hair.

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 27, 2016 at 10:32am PST

African American TV News Anchor and Reporter hair from 1976-2016.

In this photo is WGCL News Anchor Sharon Reed in 2015. We see the hair extensions longer than the previous post as well as some highlights. We also see curls coming back, but not the natural hair curls. #Natural #Hair #Broadcast #News

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 20, 2016 at 4:33pm PST

In this photo is WSVN News Anchor Robin Simmons circa 2005. The hair in this photo is very different from the first photo. The hair is completly staight and much longer than the other photos. The hair also has extensions and looks relaxed. #Natural #Hair #Broadcast #News

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 20, 2016 at 4:26pm PST

In this photo is Fox 29 anchor Joyce Evans in 1996. Compared to the previous posts, Evans' hair is longer and far more straight. We see a very small amount of curls whixh gets away from the natural hair look. #Natural #Hair #Broadcast #News

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 20, 2016 at 4:01pm PST

In this photo is former BBC Anchor Moira Stuart in 1981. She was wearing her hair in it's natural state. You can see the difference between her hair and Winfrey's. Stuart's hair seems more "tamed" and "relaxed" in comparision to Winfrey's. #Natural #Hair #Broadcast #News

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 20, 2016 at 3:55pm PST

This picture was taken in 1976 of former WJZ-TV News Anchor Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey was weaing her hair in the natual state with no extensions or hair perm. #Natural #Hair #Broadcast #News

A photo posted by Does Natural Hair & TV Mix? (@naturalhairandbroadcast) on Feb 20, 2016 at 3:49pm PST

Black Women Take to Social Media to Discuss Black Hair in the Media

What's this about?

Hello everyone! The purpose of this blog is to explore the taboo conversation of black natural hair in the TV news world. It has become an unstated rule that black woman should get a weave or straighten their hair it they want to make it in the industry, or they will be overlooked by news directors. I know that this a hot topic among black broadcast journalist because I am one myself.

As a black news reporter, I know that I won't be able to wear my natural hair on television because those in higher places in the news room think it's too curly or too wild. But it that the truth, or is that an insult to the black roots? As stated before, this blog will explore that conversation. I'll post links and images from other black journalist who feel the same way and ways that they handle this issue.

Check out this link about a news anchor discussing why a natural hair intern should straighten her hair for a project.