Students tour 60 Minutes studio
The Media Living Learning Center students visited New York City on a networking and experience trip over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, Jan. 16-19. During the trip, they met with alumni and toured the offices of New York’s famous media sites.
By Carley Lanich
On our final day in the Big Apple, the Media LLC residents had the opportunity to visit the New York offices of CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Jason Kashdan, a recent Boston University graduate and 60 Minutes Overtime intern, led us through a tour, starting with a replica of the famous 60 Minutes ticking clock and moving past the offices of legendary correspondents such as Steve Croft, Morley Safer and Bob Simon.
We were struck with astonishment as we rounded the corner to see 60 Minutes correspondent and CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelly speaking with his assistant. Although he had time for only a quick hello, that was enough to send the heart of this self-proclaimed “jerd” (journalism nerd) over the moon.
Students also explored where production and editing for the weekly broadcast news magazine takes place and viewed an interview room used for the program’s online supplement, 60 Minutes Overtime.
Editor Matt Richman took time to discuss his role at 60 Minutes, as well as what the process for working on a broadcast story is like from start to finish.
Richman advised media students to “emulate techniques you like, make mistakes and start exploring now.”
Finally, we were taken to the office’s video screening room that is used to preview each 60 Minutes broadcast before airing on national television. Here we were shown a short screening featuring some of the program’s most recent and notable stories, including coverage on Sandy Hook, blood doping and superior autobiographical memory.
We then spoke with IU graduate Evie Salomon via telephone, who called in while working on a secret assignment in Chicago. Salomon spoke with us about everything ranging from college internships to how to prepare yourself for a job as a professional journalist.
“I feel like the coolest part of her job is that she keeps everything secretive, yet at the same time she gives you a behind the scenes look at everything so you get a complete interview,” said Media LLC resident Alexandra Davie.
Read more student reports from the Media LLC’s experiences in New York.