Sheri Falk, WVTM-TV

Sheri's desire to serve her community led her to broadcasting. She says, "For me, choosing a career in broadcasting was the best way to become involved in my community and give back. Being a journalist is one of the most rewarding professions. There is truly nothing like it. I help people get answers, find solutions to their problems, give hope to the less fortunate, and hold people in powerful positions accountable. Each day I get to inform the community about exciting and important things happening in Central Alabama. What other profession allows you to be a voice for so many people?"

We asked her what receiving a grant would mean, Sheri remarked, "As we all know, you don't become a journalist for the paycheck. It took a long time to build up my resume, earn the community's trust, and earn enough money to start to repay the thousands of dollars I spent on my education. This obligation will take me many more years to repay. The $5,000 would be a tremendous help in doing that."

Joshua Frost, WSFA-TV

When asked why he chose a career in broadcasting, Joshua responded, "I actually just kind of fell into it. I went to school because I had a passion for film, and wanted to pursue a career as a film editor after seeing a documentary on the subject in the early 2000’s. A career in broadcasting was always in the back of my head, but at that particular time in my life, movies were at the forefront....

An encounter at a close friend’s birthday party led to me putting in an application at WSFA 12 News for what was originally just a contract editor position that then became a parttime job and then finally a full-time job. So I would say that I didn’t necessarily choose a career in broadcasting, but that it chose me. I’ve certainly come to appreciate the ability to help tell the stories that impact my community, and shine light on the complicated debates that have shaped the country and world we currently find ourselves in right now. And while I still have the same strong passion for movies that I did when I was young, I don’t think I would do anything different."

Sarah Jones, WAAY-TV

According to Sarah, receiving an ABA grant will help her stay focused on broadcasting, "Organizations like the Alabama Broadcasters Association

who offer grants like this one are lifesavers for millions of people whose only way to get a college degree and help them achieve their career goals was through taking out loans.

Without the opportunity to receive some relief from my student loans, I would not be able to keep my focus on the future of broadcasting in Alabama....

Local broadcasting stations bridge the gap between what’s important to the average Joe and the leaders who are making decisions on a city, state, and even federal level....

Throughout my career, I plan to keep the momentum of what those before me have already started, be a catalyst for change, and a voice for the voiceless."

Philip Lancaster, WVTM-TV

Philip answered our question about the future of broadcasting with the following response, "The future of broadcasting is streaming. I was recently moved over to the promotion side of news. Part of my job will be helping recruit new viewers through my messaging and trying to come up with promos that grab people’s attention on television and online.

I hope that the promos I put together help not only promote our brand, our station, and the people that work for us, but that central Alabama see’s us not just as a news station telling them what happened recently, but as a trusted source of information to people and a place that they can and should be able to trust with their stories and know that we are there to help tell them and help Alabama grow from the changes we can help create together. It is my belief that through this trust, we can grow a strong bond with the community, and they will follow us online and we can ease into the switch from television to online."

Chelsea Meinecke, SummitMedia

Chelsea told us she is happy with her choice to stay in our state after college, "Starting a career here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! When I was in college at the University of

Alabama I was a part of the new college program where I was able to design my own major. The major I chose was Music and Arts Marketing, so I knew I always wanted a career in entertainment.

My Dad went to college at Villanova University where he was on the student radio station and also broadcasted Villanova basketball. I grew up in a family of Phildelphia sports fans so the Philly sports talk show on WIP-AM was always on at our house and in the car. With this background I’ve always been

drawn to broadcasting so I feel like everything has come full circle working at SummitMedia."

JR Moore, WQRR-FM

When we asked JR about the future of the profession, he talked about the role journalists and stations have in bringing communities together, "The boom of social media has left even the smallest, most tight-knit Alabama towns feeling oddly disconnected. However, what those who feel the most distrust against those trying to inform may not see – or maybe aren’t informed of themselves – is that the majority of their local journalists are also their community members.

With the public lumping trusted local outlets in with entertainment news at the national level, an emphasis on being more visibly apart of our audience in Alabama is going to be important to re-establishing the relationship. Good faith efforts such as covering community events in person, partnering with local charities and even offering services like free obituaries are all positive ways I currently see outlets attempting to mend the distrust."

Wade Smith, WAFF-TV

Wade shared with us what he loves about his job, "My life’s passion is telling stories. Web stories, streaming, TV, social media, radio, or others - the medium doesn’t matter. I have had the chance to touch all of these in my almost 12-year career.

The ability to help residents of my part of the state with major issues in their communities makes this career even more rewarding. We all have those days/weeks where the hours get long – elections, severe weather, breaking news – but those are the most rewarding.

All of the hours are instantly worth it when we receive a single phone call or social comment thanking us for helping to keep people in the know."

Autumn Ward, WVTM-TV

Autumn told us about her favorite broadcaster, "From a young age, I was fascinated with what my dad did for a living. He started in the promotions department for WVTM, went to WBMA for thirteen years, and is now planning to retire with WVUA. He didn’t graduate from college and is mostly self-taught. And despite that—he can tell stories quite like no other person. He’s the reason I fell in love with the art of storytelling and broadcasting in general, as that is what we ultimately do in this industry. We tell stories.

Regardless of our separate employers, our main goal should always be to tell stories. We’re here to showcase the best and worst that our great state has to offer. Our goal is to present it in a way

that takes ahold of the hearts of our fellow Alabamians."

Jalisa Williams, ABC 33/40

Jalisa explained that she was meant to be a broadcaster, "Since I was about six years old, my calling to have a career in broadcasting has been set in stone. My family gave me the nickname “Channel two” because I always had to know or talk about the latest and most current events. Whether it be what was being talked about on the news or at school, I had to know.... Since starting my career, I've had the opportunity to work as an editor, master control and audio operator, among other tasks. Through it all, I decided being a producer is where I can serve in this industry best....



Making the decision to get into broadcasting was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made....I thought

about the impact I could make on people’s lives just by telling or sharing a story. I’m a firm believer that if you choose a career that allows you to wake up everyday not feeling like you are

going into “work,” you’ve picked the right career. That’s what being a producer feels like for me."

Megan Wooten, WAFF-TV

Megan told us how she will try to advance broadcasting through her work, "I plan to advance the profession by staying on top of information. As a technical director, I am always watching for the details, and I want to make sure that key details do not get overlooked. Most importantly, I want to be an example to future broadcasters that even when times are tough, everyone looks to the broadcasting industry to understand what is going on. I looked to the broadcasting industry fresh out of college and found amazing career opportunities.

I believe the future of broadcasting sometimes looks a bit unclear, but those who choose this career tend to have the drive to keep up with the world as it evolves. I love uncertainty because if we work hard to present information to the public as the world around us grows, the future looks a little brighter. We continue to adjust to the news every day, and I get to watch the city that raised me now grow with me to try and be better."