Answering Their Last Alarm - Katherine Chloé Cahoon

Answering Their Last Alarm

October 8, 2019

The first time I reported from Niagara Falls was a moving experience. The community expressed their gratitude for fallen firefighters and the sacrifices they had made.

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‘TIS THE SEASON! As I drove into Western New York’s Treetop Acres, Christmas trees extended as far as the eye could see against a backdrop of puffy clouds. When I got out of my car and unloaded my camera equipment to film a story for the news, it felt like I had stepped inside a Hallmark movie. Some residents have been coming to Treetop Acres for over three decades, beginning when the family-run operation opened in 1990.

As a journalist, I love covering holiday stories. Treetop Acres’ founder, John Fuerch, says most trees get snapped up the weekend after Thanksgiving. The tradition continues this year with new owners, Patrick Barczys and Liz Chatterton. Here is my report from when John and his wife, Vicki, owned the farm. The story got picked up nationally and was shown in a variety of states, including Florida, where the holiday forecast does not include snow, but the state’s residents still love Christmas trees! #TisTheSeason #ChristmasTrees #Seasonal #Favorites #ChristmasTreeFarm #TreetopAcres #Holidays #News #Reporter #Anchor #Journalist #Animator #VideoEditor

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Here is a picture from the first time I covered a Comic-Con as a broadcast journalist. To get into character, I dressed up as news reporter April O’Neil in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Now this outfit lives in the Halloween costume section of my wardrobe. At this time every year, I remember that fun experience. #ComicCon #TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles #Halloween #News #TVNews #Reporter #Anchor

ADVICE FROM PULITZER PRIZE WINNER: In my news career, I love covering small businesses. In the fall, town volunteers bring out their cornstalks and decorate city centers as was done here. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “Small businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of America’s GDP.” I have found that every small business owner has a unique story. This was recently reinforced in my journalism graduate program. I was honored to moderate a discussion with Alissa J. Rubin, senior Middle East correspondent for The New York Times. Alissa said, “There is always a story behind everything. Get into the details. Keep digging.” This applies to every aspect of journalism. Alissa is not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but a very caring person, who graciously met with us at midnight, her time, a few hours before catching a flight to Iraq! #Fall #Seasons #SmallBusinesses #ChamberOfCommerce #Advice #TheNewYorkTimes #AlissaJRubin #PulitzerPrize #Harvard #Journalism

Go ‘Dores! Watching Vanderbilt football defeat an AP No. 1 ranked team for the first time in Vandy history brought back fond memories. I loved attending the University and being on the Vanderbilt dance team for all four years. We were on the field cheering and dancing throughout every single game from the moment the players first ran out of the tunnel until the last fans left the stadium. #GoDores #VanderbiltUniversity #Vandy #Alum #VanderbiltFootball #Football #Season #Making #History

This is the story of a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 27 years at the notorious Attica Prison. While behind bars, he built a relationship with his daughter, who was just a baby when he was incarcerated, and became a famous artist. Today marks six years since Valentino Dixon was freed. His story is so complex that in preparation for creating this piece, I read hundreds of pages of court documents, journal entries and articles, and interviewed more people than I could quote. I am thankful for each of them. They all gave me valuable background on this story.

Thank you to Valentino and his daughter, Valentina, for sharing pictures with me to use in this report. #Inspiration #Freedom #NationalRegistryOfExonerations #Family #Artist #Art #Drawings #WesternNewYork #NewYorkState #News #Anchor #Reporter #Journalist #Animator #VideoEditor

Career Update: I am excited to be earning my master’s degree in journalism! Since this industry is rapidly changing and I am a television news anchor and reporter, I want to maintain up-to-the-minute skills. Media forms are merging. Many television news stations host podcasts and share written web articles to accompany on-air reports, while newspapers feature audio and video versions of their written stories. I realize that a journalist should be adept at all forms of media. So far in my master’s program, I have been taught by amazing experts, including four Pulitzer Prize winners, an assistant editor for USA Today, and a lifestyle expert appearing regularly on the TODAY Show! This program is akin to earning an MBA in terms of length and depth. I will keep you all updated on the process. #Update #Graduate #Program #Education #Journalist #Journalism #Anchor #Reporter #News

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