SIGHTS
General Floor: A reception desk, a workspace area (desks, computers, file cabinets, phones, pads of paper, pens and office supplies, water bottles and drink cups, stacks of paper and files, reference books and binders, newspapers), computer monitors with sticky notes plastered on them, journalists eating lunch at their desks, jackets thrown over chairs, mounted TV monitors, police scanners, workstation pods where many reporters work in close proximity to each other, whiteboards where schedules and upcoming events are recorded, an intake area filled with computers and servers that store incoming transmissions, a conference room (sparse décor, plain chairs in rows, a lectern), a control room (mixers, control boards, microphones, multiple monitors, headphones, audio equipment), printers, potted plants, a break room (tables and chairs, a microwave, etc.)
Broadcast Room: anchors sitting behind a long desk, loose papers and pens, chairs that roll and swivel, textured walls to help with acoustics, interactive flat screen monitors, green screens, teleprompters, studio cameras, lighting, lighting boards, cords crossing the floor, monitors for the anchors to see, a digital clock
SOUNDS
Computer keys clicking, cell and office phones ringing, phones being hung up, papers being shuffled, the white noise of many people talking in low voices, the grainy sound of voices coming over a police scanner, file cabinets sliding open and closed, the rustle of newspapers, printers printing, chairs rolling and squeaking, footsteps, silence in the broadcast room as the cameras prepare to roll, producers calling orders
SMELLS
Coffee, heated-up food from home, delivery food brought in
TASTES
A bagged lunch from home, food that has been picked up or delivered, birthday cake, doughnuts, coffee, soda, energy drinks, bottled water
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
A sore back from sitting for long hours in a desk chair, swiveling back and forth while thinking, blurry eyes from staring at a computer screen all day, warm paper fresh out of the printer, tapping a pen against a desk or one’s leg in thought, wolfing down food, an adrenaline rush from working under a deadline, a crick in one’s neck from cradling a phone between the ear and shoulder, pacing across the floor, holding a mug of hot coffee to one’s lips, heartburn from poor food choices
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Running a story without properly checking the facts
Paper cuts
Getting scooped by another reporter or station
Being pressured by influential people who oppose the story one is trying to pitch
Having inner conflict over the story one has been assigned
Untrustworthy sources
Death threats
Writer’s block
Unrealistic deadlines
Fearing that one’s career is being threatened by younger or more attractive co-workers
An ailment that makes it difficult to remember one’s lines or read a teleprompter
A disfiguring injury that threatens one’s position as an anchor
Embarrassing oneself on camera
Being asked a question during a live recording that one has trouble answering
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Camera operators, editors, graphic designers, makeup artists, meteorologists, news directors, photographers, producers, production assistants, receptionists, reporters and journalists, sound and lighting technicians, TV anchors
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Car accident, courtroom, emergency room, green room, police station
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Journalism is a high-energy career that can add a lot of conflict to a story line. But the newsroom is home to many interesting people, too—ones who can impact the main character or act as main characters themselves. When writing your story, don’t forget the editors, camera operators, photographers, makeup artists, and other people who frequent this setting.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Ella clamped the phone between her ear and shoulder, taking notes with one hand and verifying facts on her computer with the other. The digital clock screamed 4:42 in bleeding red letters. Her heart hammered; she had three minutes, tops, before the broadcast would start. With a rushed “Thank you,” she let the phone drop, grabbed her notes, and ran for the editor’s desk like her shoes were on fire.
Techniques and Devices Used: Simile
Resulting Effects: Tension and conflict