Three...Two...One...Action

On Sunday thousands gather inside Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia to watch the Eagles battle their latest opponent. Tuesday afternoon the mayor holds a press conference discussing tax issues. Friday morning a large fire engulfs several row homes on the north side of Philadelphia. In the news business no two days are the same.

For Todd Quinones ’96, a general assignment reporter for KYW3-TV Eyewitness News in Philadelphia, variety is the spice of life. "I have the opportunity daily to deal with a whole range of people and events. It gives me the ultimate kick," he says.

Every weekday at 11 p.m. thousands turn to Quinones to learn about the events of the day and each day holds something new. Unlike franchise reporters who cover a specific area such as health or business, general assignment reporters mostly cover local daily events. Arriving at work around 3 p.m. he is immediately handed a list of the day’s news. From there, Quinones is expected to review the list and come up with several story ideas for that evening’s broadcast.

The most rewarding thing about being involved with the media is having the ability to communicate information to people who care, he says. "Last week I covered the strike in the Council Rock School District. I knew it wasn’t a huge story but I also knew there were people watching, such as parents and students, who did care about what was going on and that means something," he says.

One of the most exciting days for Quinones was getting the chance to interview Dan Rather one-on-one. "It was during all of the anthrax scares. We went to New York and did the interview right on the set of the Evening News. I wasn’t expecting that and I’ll never forget it," he says.

An English/communications major, Quinones credits Albright’s liberal arts education for giving him the ability to cover very different subjects during his newscasts every day. "Having a liberal arts education gives you a broad understanding of everything and teaches you to think for yourself," he says.

Another key, Quinones says, is specific work related experiences. "When you’re in college and have the time you shouldn’t spend your summers working at the Dairy Queen. You have to get out there in the real world," he says.

During his sophomore year, Quinones interned at Blue Ridge Cable in Stroudsburg, Pa. "I found it really interesting and gradually realized I might want to do this as a career," he says. A second internship, after graduation, with WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pa. helped him to solidify those feelings. "I got the chance to see a very professional newscast run on a daily basis and I realized that I can do this," he says.

"I’m not stuck behind a desk all day and that is the ultimate perk of this job," he says. In fact, Quinones is nowhere near a desk during the day, and he’s a man with many hats.

Tuesday night he has a surgical cap on while he covers an event at the local children’s hospital. On Wednesday he dons his baseball cap as he interviews fans outside a Phillies game. And on Thursday he may be wearing a detective hat when he interviews police about a local murder investigation. Fortunately, all of the hats seem to fit Quinones perfectly.

- Amy M. Buzinski ’03