Daniel Ramírez Saínz is a reporter and producer at KDRV News watch 12. He graduated from CSUN in 2020 -- gaining his bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Spanish Journalism.
After graduating, he began to look for a job and soon got hired at his current station in November 2020.
“Just be prepared to take on different positions at the same time such as being the photographer, anchor and editor,” said Daniel after being asked what tips he had for those graduating soon.
Smaller stations tend to have you do more than one position because they are not a big market like ABC7 in Los Angeles, for example.
Daniel never had an internship during college but was able to land a good job with a great reel.
A reel is small videos of your work on and off camera you can show to employers when looking for a job in the broadcast industry. “Your reel should be short and sweet,” advised Daniel.
Here are a few of the questions our students asked Daniel.
Q: Do you like producing?
A: I hated producing at first but it’s all about getting comfortable with it. There’s so much room for creativity.
Q: Are sports still your true passion or is what you’re currently doing something you want to keep pursuing?
A: I’d want to take on the role of becoming a Spanish reporter and interact with people whose first language isn’t English.
Q: Were you ever camera shy starting off?
A: I was very shy, I once stood outside for two minutes before an interview, I began recording b-roll, but a reporter from our competitor station came in so confidently and I saw that, and it gave me the confidence to jump in.
Q: Any advice for the freshmen going into journalism?
A: Work on your craft to build on your experience. It’ll help you relax your nerves, things are going to happen, but you’ll learn from those mistakes. Make connections!!
To hear more about Daniel's story and journey to reporting and producing, watch the full interview on Youtube!