Interview with Julia Reusch
11 p.m. Producer, WSLS NBC-10 Roanoke
by: Whitney Cook

Julia Reusch grew up outside of Philadelphia, Pa. where she attended Germantown Academy. She then went on to play lacrosse for all four years at Ohio State University. She graduated from OSU in 2003 with a degree in Political Science.

She began searching for a job in television broadcasting anywhere on the east coast. She finally landed a job at WSLS-TV in Roanoke, Va., recently after graduating from college. At age 24, she is now the 11p.m. producer for the news channel. She lives with her husband, Jon Reusch, 25, who works as a senior analyst at Allstate’s National Support Center in Roanoke.

Julia Reusch has been at WSLS-TV for two years and plans to move back north when her contract is over in February 2006. Being that this is her first real job, Julia has a bright future in television production. She is ambitious about her job and does all of her work to her full potential.

Julia Reusch is career driven and hopes to someday be an executive producer of a television station. Here is a little bit about her experiences and responsibilities that have lead up to her career as a television producer.

Q: How did you decide you wanted to go into broadcasting?

REUSCH: Um, I think it’s something I wanted to do since high school, and I did a lot of internships throughout college and there just wasn’t anything else I was interested in.

Q: You did an internship with NBC in New York City…when was that?

REUSCH: It was my senior project. The last six weeks of high school I worked at NBC, and it was really fun!

Q: When you worked alongside Tom Brokaw how did he influence your experience as an intern?

REUSCH: He’s very involved in everything; I think people have a misperception, if people don’t know anything about news. They think the anchor walks in, does the news and walks out, and he isn’t involved in putting the show together and all of that. Tom everyday would come to the meetings and pitch stories. He’s so involved in every aspect of the day, doing everything. I think it gave me a different idea of what an anchor is, they truly are a reporter first and then they come in knowing what they will be talking about.
             However, he had no one-on-one time with the interns. There were not many people there, but he always had appearances and all sorts of things that kept him busy. By the time I got there, his contract was over with, and he only worked three days a week, then finally two days. His last day, he said good luck at Ohio State and gave me a signed picture of himself that I still have today. 

Q: How did you go about pursuing your current job in Roanoke being that you are only 24 and a recent college graduate?

REUSCH: I knew I was going to a small market, and if I could, stay on the east coast. My mom knew someone that knew someone who used to be an anchor here, and so I called her and she helped me get a job.
But my husband thought I was crazy to move down here for a part time job, but it was the only one that called me back because I knew someone.

Q: Did you start in the current position you hold now?

REUSCH: No, I started as the associate producer. I signed a contract and started on weekends doing the news and then moved to weekdays at 11p.m. after several months.

Q: What are some of your current responsibilities here at WSLS News Channel 10?

REUSCH: I come in and everyday, well I produce the 11 o’clock, and have an editorial meeting, and pitch stories that I think might be good for the reporters to do and then I organize the newscast, the order of the stories and everything, work with the reporters, trying to figure out what they have because you have to tease things in the earlier shows for the later shows. And then I write all the stories.

Q: And is that what the anchors read off the Teleprompters?

REUSCH: Yes, the reporters write their script as track, but then you write their anchor news and then you time the show.

Q: Do you enjoy working as the 11pm producer……with afternoon and evening hours?

REUSCH: I like it, but sometimes I wish on Friday nights I got out a bit sooner. But I like having my days free to go grocery shopping, there’s never anyone there. I come in at 2:15 p.m. and leave at 11 p.m., so not too bad.
Q: How do you like being the producer?

REUSCH: I like my actual job because you are your own boss, which is another good thing. I mean it’s your show and obviously you have a boss who tells you what you have to include, but for the most part you do it however you want as long as you don’t do anything too crazy.

Q: Do you stick around and watch the show being taped?

REUSCH: If it’s my show I go to the control room and there may come a time I need to rearrange the show, like if the anchors talk too much or if they need to add something. We are constantly adjusting things.

Q: How does your job differ from that of a news anchor?

REUSCH: The anchors are more similar to what I do. They do write things a lot, but I am more involved in actually putting the whole show together. But they usually weigh in on things. They will write stories, like John Carlin always writes stories for Crime Trackers, so they write their own stories for things like that.

Q: What would you say to someone who is trying to get into the business?

REUSCH: Know someone! (laughs) As sick as that is, it is the best way to get a job, especially in this business because our news director gets 200 tapes for one opening, and he’s not even going to look at yours unless you know someone. You have to be good once you get here, but if you get your foot in the door, having a connection is the best way. And be persistent, everyone I know sent out at least 200 tapes to get one job.

Q: How are you enjoying living in Roanoke, in that you are from Pennsylvania?

REUSCH: I like it, but I miss home a lot. When we first moved here, we were miserable.
But we’re starting to like it more as time goes bye. But I am definitely leaving when my contract is up in February.

Q: What last advice would you give a college student?

REUSCH: Once you get a job doing anything, if you are good, you’ll move up…If there is an opening, producing will be easier because you only have to work in the market for three years before moving up, whereas reporting you need a lot of experience, even up to 10 years in the field before being promoted.
And you have to be able to adjust to any situation and not take anything too seriously, because if you crash and burn everyone you work with knows.