Multimedia Reporting Fall 2021

Author: KRISTAL ROMAN

Extremis Documentary

Watching the Extremis documentary on Netflix was a rollercoaster of heavy emotions. The camerawork behind the short film really made one feel as if they were in the shoes of the ones going through the experience. The warmth of the angles and the camera movements really captures the essence and heart behind all the family members involved in these situations and really shows the dedication of the doctors, nurses and every staff member on site trying to make the whole process of everything easier on those it would affect the most.

I loved the use of noise used as well. the sounds of the hospital monitors that would at times be louder than the actual voices I believe really symbolized the voices of those in the thought spot. Sometimes it may feel like you don’t have have a voice, just because they don’t know exactly what to say however their decisions are the ones that could change the directory of the process. I think the film did the brilliantly. I also think it was a good move to make each story so different from the other however, they all had the same decision to make.

Each story was heart wrenching but I believe they did the families justice in this short film.

Video Story Pitch

For my first idea is since I have to travel next week for a wedding and I was thinking maybe interviewing some people at the airport about traveling so close to a holiday (thanksgiving) or I can focus the story on what is required now after COVID to travel in totality.

Or my second idea is interviewing an entertainment reporter on her role and her duties as an entertainment reporter. That is something I aspire to be so I find it very interesting, however Im not too sure if its entertaining for the public.

Subway Safety Radio Story

 

Radio Assignment Script

“Subway Safety”

HOST INTRO:  During the worst of the pandemic, subway use dipped to historic lows. In April of 2020, ridership was just 8.3 percent of what it was in April of 2019. Today, New Yorkers are slowly making their way back to the subway despite the soaring crime rates amid the COVID-19 pandemic with as many as 168 felonies per month according to The New York Post. Kristal Roman took it under the streets of the city herself to speak to commuters about how safe they feel taking the subway after such statistics.

 

AMBI SOUNDS: Train noises faintly in background.

TRACK: Today, I am at the Washington Heights 181st street station where back in February of this year, 2021; two people were stabbed, resulting in the loss of a life, and leaving another severely injured.  I’m accompanied by a local, Rosemary Mejia as she exits the train on her way home from work.

ACT: ROSEMARY: I take it five times a week, every day of the work week. I take it to Fulton Street, so on the A.

TRACK: Mejia details one time she recalls feeling the most uncomfortable when heading to her job.

ACT: ROSEMARY: I was on my way to work on a crowded, packed train, and there was this homeless man in the cart standing a few feet away from me, he stood up from his seat and he you know, pulled out his private and started peeing and the train was fully packed. Everyone then started to crowd to one side making it even worse

TRACK:  This isn’t the only time she has felt unsafe—in fact, she says this kind of thing is a common occurrence.

ACT: ROSEMARY: As of lately I haven’t been feeling safe because of the high crime rates, and the homelessness and things like that. There’s a lot of people that are put out on the street and are like addicted to drugs and things like that and provoking problems for others who aren’t really messing with them. I actually have noticed that the crime rates seem to have gotten higher now after the pandemic.

 

AMBI SOUNDS: Train noises faintly in background.

TRACK: The MTA has doubled the number of private security guards patrolling the system from 100 to 200. Mejia is a fan of having police officers in the train carts and hopes they focus on the violent acts that might be committed and not small ones, such as boarding the train without payment.

ACT: ROSEMARY: I think that I would feel more comfortable if there was more police presence on the train, more so inside the trains than outside of the train like policing people that are like hopping the train. I really more so care about the safety of all of the riders on the MTA.

TRACK: Another Washington Heights local, Andrew Burbano, depends on the MTA a few days a week to get to his job. He has also noticed the steadily increasing acts of violence committed on the subway. He remains on high alert during his commute to get to his destination safely.

AMBI SOUNDS: Train noises faintly in background.

ACT: ANDREW: I take the train maybe two or three times a week to Spanish Harlem. After the pandemic there has been an increase in crime, but I always paid attention to my surroundings just because the MTA has always been dangerous.

TRACK: Like Mejia, Burbano believes Police Presence to be essential for a safe trip on the underground transportation system. According to the New York Post, Mayor, Bill de Blasio relented to weeks of pressure from past Governor, Andrew Cuomo, and the state-run MTA, and added 125 extra cops to the morning and evening rush hour in May of 2021.

ACT: ANDREW: I do believe there should be more police officers patrolling the MTA. You know there’s a lot of crime going on, and it’s just a necessity at this point.

TRACK: Aspiring Mayor, Eric Adams has a “Subway Safety Plan” in line if elected that goes into detail about the need for an increase in the city’s mental health beds to get care for those suffering from a mental health crisis, who are more often than not both the perpetrators and victims of subway crimes. He stated, “We can and must deliver safer conditions on our subway trains and platforms, and make New Yorkers feel safe again.” For Baruch College, I’m Kristal Roman.

AMBI SOUND: Train noise Fades out.

 

Practice Radio Script

Practice Radio Assignment Audio

Practice Radio Assignment Script

HOST INTRO:  CUNY Journalism student Kristal Roman took it to the halls of Baruch college to find out what fellow classmates do on their down time while they aren’t in class.

TRACK: I’m here with William Ma on the Baruch College Campus, as he makes his way to his next class. He is a full time Journalism student here at Baruch College with a love for art.

ACT: WILLIAM: Things I like to do in my spare time is any type of art, I like painting, drawing, stuff like that.

TRACK: He lets us in on his love for art and where it began, with some crayons given to him by his grandmother as a child.

ACT: WILLIAM: My grandmother would always say that she would remember me drawing on like anything, with like crayons and I’ve never really stopped so I would say that I was creative since I was a child.

TRACK: Ma, goes on to explain Disney as one of his inspirations and his love for The Little Mermaid

ACT: WILLIAM: I would say I’ve been inspired by many of the Disney Animated Films that have really been popular. That has influenced my artwork. The little Mermaid has been one of my favorites, since then I’ve been drawing a lot of young women, a lot of fantastical women, mermaids, fairies, and stuff like that because of how fantastical Disney has portrayed these characters and I want to do something similar.

TRACK:  He explains one of his favorite pieces to us that he created on his own.

 

ACT: WILLIAM MA: My favorite piece of artwork that I’ve done, is a black and white charcoal drawing of a Mermaid sitting on rocks. She’s more realistic and a little bit angry, not happy. I think that in a lot of portrayals of like these fantastical creatures, it’s always like under the male gaze, and they’re always like sexualized and happy. This mermaid she’s upset. She’s upset that you’re looking at her, she’s upset to be there. I think the black and white of the charcoal really helps it sell that. And what I like about that is that despite it being a fantastical piece It gives it a little realism in there.

TRACK: He only see’s drawing as a hobby and does not see himself taking this on as a career in the future. However, he explained it as a great escape to relieve stress from real life on his down time and he believes it is great for everyone to have a creative hobby as an outlet.  For Baruch College, I’m Kristal Roman.

Radio Story Pitch

For my radio story I want to speak on the rise of violent acts on the New York Subway transportation system. According to the New York Post, “Subway crime rates soared amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019, when NYPD recorded a comparatively scant 1.47 felonies million riders.”

I have found myself with incredibly high paranoia when on the train due to recent crime rates. The goal of my story is to ask other New Yorkers who like most of us need the public transportation daily to get around the city quickly. Even with a car, parking is an issue therefore most New Yorkers depend on the underground transit.

I believe this will make a good radio story because I can incorporate some noise from the train itself as I catch New Yorkers heading out. Even the turnstiles are a good sound effect for this sort of story.

The goal of the story is to get the answer the question, Do New Yorkers feel safe while riding the train? Would they prefer the inconvenience of parking over feeling unsafe on their ride to work or school? What can the city do to feel safer?