By: Justin Gick ’16
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
To begin the New Year, my first article of 2015, I had an opportunity to interview NBC 10 reporter Nefertiti Jaquez. She has a very interesting educational and professional history. Ms. Jaquez shared that she grew up in Providence, Rhode Island.
Ms. Jaquez did not always want to be a news reporter. She actually went to school for law focusing on Public Policy and American Politics. One of her internships was at the local NBC affiliate in her home town where she fell in love with journalism.
What was the spark that made her realize she had a passion for news!? Ms. Jaquez spent a lot of time with one specific mentor who took her under her wing. She just knew when they were out telling human interest stories and helping the community, it was something she wanted to do. She also felt it gave her the ability to make positive changes, as well as, give a voice to those who do not normally have the means of expressing themselves or telling their stories. She said that after she graduated from Brown, she went right to Miami for her first job. As in any first, new job, there were already numerous challenges and pressures to face. Things do not always go well and definitely are not going to be perfect. It was very “green” in a large market. She said it was a difficult transition. If she was failing, she was failing in front of a larger stage because Miami is such a huge market. Before arriving at NBC 10, Ms. Jaquez worked at Fox 29 and an NBC affiliate in Houston. This inspired her to move to Philadelphia to Texas. She said our news is really different. She compares it to the NFL (where you are a player and are consistently being traded). At the moment she decided she was going to Houston, they gave her an opportunity to do more things and investigate more stories that she really wanted to do. For example, she was given longer formats and in depth investigations. Since she wanted the additional experience and chose to focus on these areas, she knew she had to follow this opportunity in Houston. She knew it was going to be very hard to leave Philadelphia, but she could not give up this amazing chance.
Next, I asked how Ms. Jaquez ended up at NBC 10. When she was deciding, she felt Houston was a great place and did not want to completely leave. They also did not want her to go. She felt that she had spent three years in Houston and had completed one of her goals. At this point she also was starting to really miss her family and the east coast. She explained that there comes a point in time where you have to say, “Where can I be? What can I do? Where will I be equally happy?” There has to be a balance.
The opportunity presented itself at NBC 10. She really loves the management there. There are great coaches, great leaders, and great bosses. It was the perfect fit and it worked out.
Ms. Jaquez was the only reporter allowed to train with FBI and Homeland Security Special Response Teams. She attended when they practiced for anti terrorism, drug smuggling, and many other drills. She had interviewed sources on the federal level and it was something she really had an interest in doing. She found a way where her team could be present without jeopardizing what they do on a certain level. She wanted people to know what Homeland Security and the FBI actually do each day. She thought it was a great way for a journalist to learn more about what they do. Most of the time, people have no idea what ATS is, what Homeland Security is in charge of, or the responsibilities of our FBI. She thinks that if they build their relationship, describe their hard work, encourage meetings, and acquire sources, it will promote those relationships to develop.
Ms. Jaquez enjoys going out on locations to report news. However, she points out that she sometimes gets made fun of… “people are usually like why are you not anchoring? Why aren’t you behind the desk?” What they don’t know is that she actually prefers being out with the public and really enjoys meeting people. It is a special opportunity to tell people’s stories.
Ms. Jaquez explained reporting live stories can always be nerve-wracking, no matter how long you’ve been on the job. When Shane Montgomery originally went missing, they did not know the whole circumstances behind it. There is a lot of pressure. She feels that because you get to know his family and how they are feeling, it is difficult. You know that these are parents looking for their child. There is a lot of pressure that comes with that story.
I was interested in knowing if Ms. Jaquez had to go out of state a lot when big stories come up. She said she has gone out of state to report about stories such as the Ebola outbreak. Depending on the story and the need, she has to report wherever she is called to go.
Ms. Jaquez is very busing. Technically, she is on call every second of the day everyday of the week. There is no concrete schedule in the news business. That is why she has to carry two phones, a personal and a work. It is always go, go, go! There are instances when you do not have time to think of questions or research. In breaking news situations, the news desk may send you to a house fire and all you know is a family has been evacuated. You do not know anything else…not even how many people made it, if everyone has been rescued, if there is still somebody in the house. You really have to just access the scene, figure out what is going on, and try to find the person who is responsible for addressing the media.
I wanted to know what advice Ms. Jaquez had for students who want to go into this field. She said you have to really want it. It is a 24/7 operation There are sometimes she does not get to see her family for Christmas. That is really hard, but because she loves her job, it makes it a little bit easier. You have to really love it, you have to be dedicated, and you have to really be in the know (ie. technology/social media). You have to test yourself. Ask yourself what aspect of news do you like? Researching, writing reports, and watching TV can give you a better idea of whether this is a job for you. You need to know if this is the kind of work you can commit to, dedicate your life to, and wake up each day with the passion. When it comes down to it, you have to be a skillful communicator, writer, and presenter. But most importantly, you really have to want it!
It appeared that recently, NBC 10 joined forces with Telemundo. It seemed new to the viewers because it was a gradual change. However, Ms. Jaquez shared that what a lot of people do not know is that they actually merged a couple of years ago. It actually is not new on a brand scale, it is only new to people here locally. Once Comcast bought NBC, they had decided that they wanted to acquire the local Telemundo here. There have been NBC affiliates and Telemundo affiliates that have merged over the last couple of years. This is new to us in Philadelphia. NBC and Telemundo always had a positive relationship. Both sides agreed that they would be stronger together using both English and Spanish. Some reporters (herself included) are trilingual. This is helpful in the case that she was needed to do something for Telemundo, she could easily report on a story in English and then turn it around and go live for Telemundo. This winter, Ms. Jaquez said you will start to see what the reporters will have, as she likes to call it… “new swag”!! Before you saw them with the NBC 10 jackets, hats, etc. but, this winter you will start to see them with new gear. The apparel will say NBC 10/Telemundo 62.
Ms. Jaquez would love to continue doing longer formatted stories. This would be a combination of what is happening day to day, but also more of a feature piece about here in the community. It may include what he or she is doing in the community. She feels that here are so many different levels with her personality. It is really important for her to express all of those things. She thinks in the next five years she needs to continue to be stronger and better in writing, as well as, continue to improve her presentation skills. She thinks by being better, she can tell people a story in a more unique and profound way!