Sanaz Tahernia

Why did you choose the Journalism (MS) program?

I was changing careers at the time (I am a lawyer, licensed in California, however I no longer practice) and knew I wanted to go into broadcasting so I was literally in bed one night and I decided to research what it took to get my master’s in journalism, and check out some of the top ranking schools in the nation. Had I known the programs were so short, and that I didn’t necessarily need a journalism background in order to get into a good school, I would have changed careers much sooner.

How did your time at COM help prepare you for your life post-COM?

My time at COM really helped me understand what a job at a news station would be like.  I took every television broadcast journalism class that I could fit into my time there, and between classes like TV Reporting with RD Sahl and TV Newsroom with Susan Walker, I really think I was exposed to what it would be like working at an actual news station. In TV reporting, we were required to create 4 packages for the whole semester – in the real world, reporters are required to turn a package daily.  While I didn’t have to deal with the daily time crunch, actually going out to locations, interviewing people and then editing it all into a 90 second package allowed the to transition into reporting right out of school much easier.

In TV Newsroom we rotated roles and positions in a newsroom. One week I’d be in charge of taking video, the next I’d be doing the audio board, the week after I’d be anchoring. I think that class was the closest thing to a real job as we were required to produce a 30 minute news show, complete with live shots and scripts in 4 hours – and it was in that class that I realized how thrilling it was to be a part of something so intense and fast paced.

I also participated in Good Morning BU.  My first semester I was the headline news reporter, where I’d gather stories, cut video and report from the studio. The following semester (my last semester there), I was the host and producer for the show.  Again, it gave me on air experience, it allowed to me to build some confidence in myself an my on camera abilities and my delivery.  I’m not sure I would have been as comfortable as I was (albeit still nervous) at my first job if I didn’t have that live experience.

Finally, I also completed an internship at NECN as a web producer, and that was very helpful as well because it made me realize that I definitely do NOT want to go into web/digital production.

What have you been up to since you graduated?

After I graduated, I moved back to Los Angeles to be with my family because I hadn’t found a job at that time, and within weeks of being home I got hired as an MMJ for WLBZ News Center Maine in Bangor.  I was there for 5 months (fortunately they didn’t give me a contract so I was able to leave) before leaving Maine to be where I am now.  I currently live in Reno, Nevada and I work as the live morning reporter for the NBC and Fox affiliates here (KRNV News 4 & KRXI Fox 11).  While it is difficult waking up at 2am everyday, I absolutely love doing live shots – they can be a lot more interactive, and so much more exciting.

Can you talk about your current position? How did you choose it? What makes it exciting?

I ended up in Reno because I wanted to be closer to home (Los Angeles).  I applied to every market in California that would have been within reach that early in my career (except SF, Sacrament, Fresno, LA and San Diego), and I came across the Reno position.  I hadn’t heard back from any of the other stations that I applied to in California, and I figured that since Reno ranked higher than all the ones I applied to, I would take it even if one of the CA stations offered me a position.

My ultimate goal is to get to network – the dream is the Today Show, or have my own morning show.  I had always wanted to be a foreign correspondent for CNN (especially because I’m Iranian-American), but working on mornings and seeing what it’s all about, I’ve realized my personality fits mornings better than evenings. But that’s not to say that if CNN offered me a job, I’d say no! I’d scoop that opportunity up in a heartbeat.

What makes my job so exciting is that I literally get to cover such a wide range of stories, and I get to meet some interesting people. I have good days and bad days, and after a while having to do 8 live hits every morning can get repetitive, but I remind myself that our morning audience rotates since we start at 5am through 9am.  Events season is coming up here in Reno – I covered events last year, and I got to do some pretty cool stuff.  I rode a camel for the camel races, I covered a classic car show, a motorcycle show, a chicken wing festival, I got to stomp grapes for an italian good festival, ride in a hot air balloon for the balloon races, etc.  Outside of events season, I still get to do some amazing things – I rode in a Chinook helicopter over Lake Tahoe… I literally could go on and on.

What advice would you give to prospective students considering the Journalism (MS) program?

Look no further. COM has the best faculty members I’ve encountered in my educational career (undergrad and law school).  The faculty cares about their students, and because class sizes are small you really get the personal attention and guidance that you’d need to prepare yourself for your path in journalism.  Also, BU has a very prestigious journalism program, and if you look on LinkedIn most, if not all, the major news outlets have a BU graduate working there.  Make yourself stand out in the pile of applicants, and going to a reputable school is one way to do that.  Also, Boston is an absolutely amazing city, so why not??

What about students in the Journalism (MS) program who will soon graduate?

Don’t get discouraged if you’ve been applying to jobs and haven’t heard back.  Really utilize the career services office (COM really provides its students with great resources – don’t overlook them) because they have a HUGE network – and in this industry, a lot of times all you need is a good connection.

Also, probably one of the most important pieces of advice, and one that many may not necessarily think of is that when you’re sending your applications for a job, make sure you contact the company/station/publication to which you applied and speak to the head person there.  Let them know that you submitted your application and let them know that you’re extremely interested. When I submitted my application for my current job, I searched the internet for the news director’s name and his email. I contacted him and he literally added me on LinkedIn the next day and called me that evening.

It doesn’t guarantee a hire, but what it does guarantee is being remembered in what could be a sea of applicants. Do everything you can to make yourself stand out.  It’s an INCREDIBLY competitive and cutthroat industry, so you have to do everything in your power to get where you want to be.