By Cassidy Adolf University of Nebraska-Lincoln Everyone has dreams, and Bridget Fargen, anchor for KOLN 10/11 Now, is no different. And though her career has taken her to a place she didn’t plan on, she has no regrets. “I just never turned down an open door because I never knew where it was going to take me,” Fargen said. Fargen, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate, initially wanted to be a sports reporter. Once she landed her first job at WJFW-TV in 2008, which was a half news and half sports, she expected more sports to come her way. Fargen found that was not the case. Fargen found that most sports departments only have three to four reporters, so she decided to go with the path that was in front of her. “News opportunities kept presenting themselves,” Fargen said. “I just never turned down an open door because I never knew where it was going to take me.” Fargen then became a weekend news anchor/reporter at 10/11 in Lincoln in 2010. Fargen, 31, then became the weekday evening anchor for the station. While she says that it wasn’t her initial dream, she feels very fortunate. “I’m getting to tell stories and hopefully make an impact on people’s lives,” Fargen said. One way Fargen is making a difference in the Lincoln area is by telling the stories of the people who live in the community. She has found that many people are willing to “reach out and work with the media.” Fargen tells viewers, “You are your eyes and ears in your community.” She urges the 10/11 audience to send what they see and hear to advocate for their neighborhoods and to make the news more pertinent to the community. Fargen also finds the input from the community important because it helps fuel the 24-hour news cycle. “If you have viewers who are wiling to share information and content with people, you have that much more,” Fargen said. Fargen finds the endless cycle to be a good and bad thing. Because of the nature of how news is distributed, by the time the evening news rolls around, Fargen said that there’s a high chance that viewers have already heard the story. Fargen tries to find a “nugget,” or a piece of information to tell a story in a different way. “Sometimes you can make an extra phone call,” Fargen said. “Find a new twist.” Fargen admitted that sometimes it isn’t possible to find a new angle, but she says it's still important to try to advance the story. While the 24-hour news cycle is about getting up-to-date information to the readers or viewers, accuracy and sound judgment are still just as important. Fargen said that accuracy has suffered throughout the news world because of the 24-hour news cycle, but as far as judgment calls, she finds that every story is different. “It’s about taking one case at a time, never apply anything across the board,” she said. Fargen said that balance is very important when making news judgment calls. When to give a warning to viewers about graphic content and how to show that content are among many questions that are asked before airing certain stories. “Don’t be afraid to make the wrong call,” Fargen said. Fargen acknowledged that sometimes it may not be right, but if the conversation took place, then it’s something to learn from. “There is always discussion in the newsroom,” Fargen said. Fargen acknowledged that working in a newsroom requires a lot of teamwork, and for a journalist to wear many “hats.” In larger markets, Fargen said that there are often many people assigned to the many jobs that produce news. Lincoln is a smaller market, so Fargen has to take on many responsibilities in order to deliver. “The viewer doesn’t care when the news open rolls,” Fargen said. Fargen said that it can be hectic at times, but it’s always important to make the right call to give the viewer what they need. As Fargen has grown in her work, she has some advice for aspiring journalists. “Don’t be afraid to take advantage of opportunity. Be willing to adapt and be flexible, and be your own advocate,” Fargen said.
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A note about the content: This site showcases the final projects of University of Nebraska-Lincoln editing students. Each semester, students pick a journalist or communications professional to profile. This is their work.
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