IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE
My first radio broadcasting experience.
Believe. Persevere. Achieve.
I did my first radio live-stream broadcasting on January 27, 2016. It was nerve wracking, mind blowing and quite challenging.
Every time I listen to radio or watch television back then, I always dream of being the news reporter/anchor of that station and now it was a dream come true.
But just like with any other typical story, a week before the broadcast a lot of things happened. It was a roller coaster adventure. My heartbeat is faster than its normal rate and my hypothalamus is busy thinking where to find news and how to deliver it without eating words or my tongue being tied.
So, yeah, 2 days before the broadcast, I call it the “The day of Reality” I still don’t have a news that has newsworthy. I used the power of the modern technology or “google” to go to different sites in Bicol Region and find nothing at all. Then, I told myself, there’s still time tomorrow. Me - procrastinating again.
It was a cold, breezy Tuesday, a day before the day of reality. I go home early and wait for the airing of TV Patrol Bicol in our ‘not so clear’ television. My nose is bleeding because of the BICOL Naga dialect used by the reporters since I am from Sorsogon City. I have to take notes as fast as I can and try to record everything in my recorder. News gathering is not that easy as I think it is.
While listening to my record, I have to translate it word by word and ask my landlady of a certain deep Bicol term ‘cause I really don’t understand a thing. I have one news, but I am not satisfied with the facts that I gathered. I want something more, info that I will be confident to broadcast with a lot of people.
From a 30-minute brainstorming alone, I have decided to go to the nearest Barangay hall hoping to find news in blotter reports. It takes a lot of courage to talk to people whom we don’t really know, but I don’t have a choice it’s our job. I politely ask permission to have a copy of blotter reports but the officer in charge doesn’t want to give information because it is confidential. Then the strategy began, I asked questions which offered me a lot of information that will be useful in my news script. I asked him, he answered and I have news. I’ve learned that thing with my professor in news writing, thanks sir.
I took all the powers and energy in my entire body and mind before writing a radio script. It was quite hard since it is the first time, but it’s easy at the same time since it is shorter than the usual types of writing in journalism.
When I finished writing, the joy linger on my lips, I feel so satisfied. But it wasn’t the end of the story, I watched TV anchors in different big news networks, I tuned-in in different radio station just to have a little background on how they deliver news.
And the day of reality of being a student journalist that can go out of her comfort zone began. It was 8:00 in the morning the time of my 1st ever radio broadcasting. My hands and legs are shaking, while waiting for my turn there was more than 1000 butterflies in my tummy. “My turn, my turn.”
“Jazzelle Cayaban, nagbabalita.” It was a bit shaky at first but when you’re the one reporting and holding the big mic it feels good. And that’s the end of the story. Yes! I survived my first radio broadcasting without stuttering.
That day, the universe validated that my decision was right. I feel I was in a course that I can do for the rest of my life. Maybe I am on the right track.
I eventually delivered my first report and it was one for the books. I went home with so much joy, knowing that my childhood dreams come true. There was nothing sweeter than seeing your dreams come to life.
Today, I have been a news reporter for the first time. And I’m definitely not stopping here. There are still more goals to reach, dreams to curate, and moments to live in the outside world.
That was the first time and I’m looking forward for the next one. My mind, mouth and hand will never rest, until my good is better and my better is best.









