Herzog is Local12’s weekday morning traffic reporter and weekend anchor. (He was also once featured on Anderson Cooper's show for his "Dance Party Fridays.") He calls himself odd because he does not have a hardcore journalism background nor did he ever have to leave Cincinnati to find a job. Yet, here he is, working in news in the Queen City.
Through this interview, I learned many things about the news industry that I wanted to share with all of you:
1) News people are more approachable than you think. Before the interview, I got to sit in on the Saturday morning newscast. I was surprised by how friendly and unstressed everyone seemed. There was plenty of banter on commercial breaks and lots of laughter. I always assumed news people were busy, stressed and often Debbie Downers because the news is serious and often unhappy. But, literally, everyone was kind to me, and Herzog was very excited and willing to talk about his career and the industry.
2) You never know where your life is going to take you. Herzog started out pre-med at Xavier, but he realized in his organic chemistry class that he’d much rather be up and talking and telling stories, which translated into his Electronic Media degree. His college internship at one radio station turned into a news director position right out of college at its sister station. While at channel 64 as the weekend movie host, he made connections that eventually led to his “foot in the door” at 12. Moral of the story: figure out what you like and meet as many people as you can.
3) Make your market your home. Herzog said it probably helped that he grew up in the Westside because viewers could see him and recognize him as someone who was familiar with the Cincinnati neighborhoods and why some things were important to certain areas. So, get to know your viewers. Make connections. Find out what’s significant in each area and “earn the trust of the people who are watching you.”
4) Take advantage of your time in school while you can. Herzog said to really dig deep into your journalism courses. Understand the ethics behind reporting.
5) Realize journalism is a hard career. Herzog said to be prepared for weird hours and low pay. You’re not going to immediately get a job in a top market. Networking is really important, both for landing jobs and for creating a directory of sources, so make contacts whenever you can. With the digital revolution changing media every day, there are fewer jobs and more people fighting for them. Herzog said he was on the verge of quitting and going back to practice law when he got the call from 12.
