Manda Matthews Henry

Date of graduation: May, 2004
Employer: CNN
Location: Atlanta, GA
Job Title: SWAT Director/TD
Carolina Week Title: Director
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Carolina Week Testimonial: Carolina Week was what I lived and breathed each day of my Junior and Senior years in college. My biggest regret is that I didn't get into it sooner. This organization was the only reason I have a job right now. As a student who was responsible for paying tuition, I had no time for an internship. However, through Carolina Week I was able to build a resume tape and practice calling a show as a Director. The awards that Carolina Week won while I was the Director will always be included on my resume, because they indicate the strength of the program from which I came. Carolina Week introduces starry-eyed college kids who wish to be anchors to what it really takes to thrive in the business. This team of dedicated journalists learn what responsibilities each person must master to pull the product together.

As a Director, I learned how important it is to make what looks good on script look good on air. Now that I'm in the "paid world," I have gone from Weekend Director (as I was hired) to Morning Director, directed the 5 AM hour-long show. Instead of marking scripts in 30 minutes for a 30-minute-long CW show, I mark scripts for an hour-long show in 10-15 minutes. Instead of calling the show, I call cameras, punch the show, change my own chyron and clipstore (OTSs), and roll my own tapes. Different, harder, and not possible without my time at Carolina Week.

If you are interested in working the TV News, Carolina Week is the only place where Production and News aren't separate. It's the only place that allows you to package a story, and turn around to Technical Direct a newscast. It's where you learn what a team is, so you can teach your next organization that TV News is all about teamwork.