Aaron Baskerville: Education Through News (#109)
Storytelling with News Reporter Aaron Baskerville
Aaron Baskerville is what’s called a general assignment reporter for NBC10 in Philadelphia. You can watch his live reports weekdays at 4 PM, 5 PM, and 6 PM.
Aaron joined NBC10 in August 2017. His favorite part about being a journalist is telling a story that creates change in someone’s life. A native of the Philadelphia area, Aaron is most excited to tell the stories of his hometown.
To Aaron, story is what makes you care.
“Facts don’t make you care. The person in the story who’s compelling makes you care.” - Aaron Baskerville on the power of story
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Aaron Baskerville: Education Through News (#109)
The Goal of Story: Effect the Most Change
Aaron says his goal as a reporter—as a storyteller—is to effect the most change he can with his audience. One example is when he visited a boy in the hospital who was near death, and his mom wanted to bring him birthday cards for his birthday. Aaron covered the story, and viewers came through.
Within a few day, the boy received more than 10,000 birthday cards. He and his family were stunned. But then the child turned the tables, and is playing Santa for kids in that same hospital.
“Fast forward to now and this little boy is better… now he’s doing a toy drive and he got 3,000 gifts donated. He’s going back to the hospital where he was sick.” - Aaron Baskerville on effecting change with story
Taking Stories “Home” as a Reporter
From gun violence to children battling cancer (some win, some do not), Aaron and his fellow reporters and photojournalists face tough stories all the time. One in particular Aaron shares is a mom holding her 2-year-old daughter when bullets tore through the walls of her home and struck the child. Mom held her daughter, shot by random gunfire, as she died in her arms.
It can be tough to share these stories, but so important. They’re the stories that we can learn from and make a difference in the world. Facing these incredibly emotional situations day in and day out can take its toll on a person. Self care is critical.
“You see some messed up stuff and it’s tough to deal with at times. You’ve got to find your way to deal with it. The best way is to talk to someone about it.” - Aaron Baskerville on the importance of self care
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The Storytellers Network with Dan Moyle publishes every Monday at 7 AM EST.