 |
|||
|
Sections |
Local newswoman finds niche in central Pennsylvania |
|
|
|
Reporter Tara Curtis worked all around the Northeast before settling in Central PA to pursue her passion of writing
By Carol Collazo Journalistic Writing Spring 2004 |
 |
||
|
HARRISBURG, Pa.─ Tara Curtis, reporter and anchor for Radio Pennsylvania Network, always felt that she was destined for bigger things than what surrounded her. Born on December 12, 1971 in Athens, Tenn., she wanted to be an actress. She remembers wanting her mother to move to New York City so she could become the next big soap opera star. Dreams of superstardom took a back seat at the age of 11 when her parents separated and she went to live with her father in Huntsville, Ala. Then at the age of 13 she went to live with her mother in Connecticut. Curtis said that moving from rural Alabama to urban Connecticut was quite a culture shock. It forced me to grow up fast, she said. She kept a journal which she says helped her better understand herself. This led her to think that if she could gain so much from keeping a journal, then why couldnt she write a novel or report a story? Even though she still longed to be an actress, she decided instead she would try to write. She said that it was nice to take a chunk of herself and put it on a piece of paper. Curtis attended the University of Connecticut, where in 1994 she earned a
bachelors degree in Journalism with a concentration in political science. She
married in 1996, moved to Massachusetts and worked in Rhode Island for
Metro Networks, doing traffic for the morning and afternoon drives for about six
stations. Next, Curtis worked in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. as News Director for the
WILK Network. In 1998, she made her way to Harrisburg, where she now lives
with her daughter Cassie. Curtis describes Central Pennsylvania as the ideal place
to raise a family.
Radio PA, Curtis current employer, is a statewide news network with about 60 affiliates. Some of the affiliates are news talk stations or non-commercial NPR stations like WITF 89.5, which is located in the same building as Radio PA. Radio PA reporters cover stories of regional and statewide interest to the affiliate stations. Curtis also produces a half hour public affairs program called Radio PA Roundtable, which runs in about 30 of the Radio PA affiliate stations. The show takes the biggest stories of the state and gives the reporters a chance to elaborate and really sink their teeth into a story. She explains that reporting in radio normally gave you 43 seconds or less to tell a story. Curtis favorite part of her job is that every day is different. Its not the kind of job where you know whats going to be going on at 9 a.m., she says. She has also appeared on television newscasts and says that doing television keeps her broadcasting skills sharp. She has covered the past three budget addresses and the governors inauguration. When working in radio it is just you and your voice, she says. Doing television is not just you, but a producer, camera man, sound people; theres a lot more people to consider. Curtis recalls being a media witness for an execution in the summer of 1999. She describes the experience as serial and says it was weird watching someone die in front of her. As a reporter, however, she could not have made an informed decision about capital punishment if she didnt see the process for herself. She recalls a story she covered once about some chemicals which had been dumped near a residential neighborhood, causing the residents to become sick. As she interviewed the mother of one of the sick children, Curtis fought the impulse to break down and cry with the mother. There are some subjects where you have to try hard not to let them get to you, she said. She believes that being affected can help you do a better job because you can relate to people more. A difficult aspect of being a reporter is the long demanding hours. Curtis says that sometimes you have to work 10 to 13 hour days covering a story. Contemplating the future, Curtis sees herself focusing more on her family. She plans on re-marrying soon and on having more children. She is currently working on completing her certification in elementary education. The more I work with children, the more I think to myself hey, I can definitely do this, she said. If Curtis had to give advice to aspiring reporters, it would be not to let people keep them from reaching their goal. She says to stay surrounded by mentors who can point you in the right direction. Most importantly, she says, be prepared to work hard for what you want because even the smallest job can open the door to something bigger. All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual authors. You may email comments about this story to: cdc189@psu.edu
|
|||