Waking up this morning to the news of two journalists killed while doing the job they loved was such a shock and so sad.

I worked in television for 10 years as an executive producer and while the majority of the time I worked from the studio there were times I did work in the field. LIVE shots are a primary part of television news and bring the audience closer to the story at hand. There are always certain instances where a journalist in the field might be more at risk, but never would you think early in the morning on an assignment for what we in the industry call a “fluff piece”.

I can only imagine what it was like for those in that control room as they watched their co-workers killed

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on air and as that feed continued to come into the control room even after they cut back to the anchor for the viewers. I over my career did hundreds of LIVE shots and while I was always ready for a heckler or something of that sort I never would have imagined a shooting.

Even though I’m not in news anymore this story hits close to home as I have many friends who still are in the industry. The news industry while cut throat at times also brings about close relationships with your co-workers. Many times you spend more time with co-workers than you do with family.

This could have happened to anyone and moments like this make me stop and think how important it is to cherish the relationships that you have with your co-workers with your friends and family. You never know when your last day could be so its important to live each day to the fullest.

Big hugs out there to all my TV friends as you continue to work hard at bringing the news to the viewers.