Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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This morning was one of those surreal days in the news business when a big story breaks while I'm on the air. I guess I shouldn't say it was "surreal" because this is, after all, the NEWS business. We're in the business of doing just what we did this morning - letting you know exactly what's going on, and where, when something dramatic takes place. But no matter how many times this happens, no matter how many huge stories we cover, it always feels just a little unreal when it's happening, like I'm watching myself cover the story, conduct the interviews, recap what we know so far.
The morning started out like every huge news day starts - normally - reading the wires, looking for stories, trying to understand the big issues of the day. And then Adam Thomas (our enormously talented executive producer) shouted in my ear, "Officer Shot at the U Med Center. Andrew's on his way. Andy's got a high speed chase! Hit breaking news!" My mind went into a strange adrenaline-laced news autopilot. I let go of any sense of control or planning or schedule and let Adam and the unfolding of events dictate what I say and what you hear.
Adam directs me from the editor's desk. He knows what aspects of the story have been confirmed at any given moment and which ones are still witness speculation. He has reporters calling him from multiple locations - Andrew Adams on the scene of the girlfriend's house, Andy flying over the high speed chase, Marc Giaque at the U Orthopedic Clinic where the corrections officer was shot and killed, Ben Winslow on the scene of the Arby's where the chase ended and the officers took the suspect down. Adam keeps updating me, tells me who to go to next, where they are on my board (I run the board for the morning show), where the reporters are physically and with what information.
We stayed on the air a little longer than normal this morning so Doug Wright could interview Mitt Romney. Oh yeah, in the middle of all of this Mitt Romney called for Doug. A day in the life of KSL.
