Aaron Berkowitz, SCSU JRN ’15, is a senior producer for WTNH-TV in New Haven.
Berkowitz graduated from Southern in 2015 with a B.S. in journalism with a minor in communication, focused on video production. Berkowitz has been involved in both the print and video sides of journalism. He prepared for his career by getting involved in campus media as part of both the Southern News and SCSU TV.
What is your job like at WTNH?
It’s a little bit of everything involved in news. As the senior morning news producer, I am working directly with the executive producer. We work with the photographers, the reporters, the on-air talent. We are getting information from police, emergency medical services, we really do it all. Everything to just help bring the news to TV that you guys watch every day.
What do you like about journalism?
I love journalism because storytelling is a part of life. Everyone has their own experiences that can be beneficial to someone else that didn’t know that other people could relate to them. The information that you’re offering, from gathering through these other resources and these other branches of government or first responders can be used to help someone. And that’s something that I believe in strongly. I think that we should all do what we can to help people
How did you get involved in campus media at Southern?
I had some friends who were doing SCSU TV. I was initially just doing the Southern News. I had the interest in writing and storytelling, but I just saw that I had a passion for video too, and I wanted to get involved in that. I saw that they were doing a lot of fun stuff on campus and I was just watching from the outside looking in. I was intimidated at first, because I didn’t really know what went into it, but then I just jumped in. I met some great people. They just were super welcoming.
How did Southern help prepare you for your job now?
Anything with Jerry Dunklee and Cindy Simoneau, I was just in there like a sponge. They’re really great people and they can seriously give you some steps up the pyramid, if you want to further your career in the journalism industry
What advice would you give to journalism students?
Be passionate. Be hungry. Listen to the people around you who want to help.
Understand that the industry is constantly changing and believe in yourself. You know you have things to offer that you can teach people who have been in the industry longer than you.
Everyone has a fresh perspective that people can learn from, so don’t be intimidated by someone who’s been here 20 years, because you might know something that they don’t.