Los Angeles: CBS and the LA Times

From the Studios to the Printing Press

After we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the LA Grand, we were off to our earliest start of the week so far. While one would think it was amazing to spend spring break in sunny California, that was just the beginning of what made our trip so enjoyable.

Our first stop was CBS on Thursday, and we were warmly received by our host and friend of Quinlan, Sean. After a brief introduction, we embarked on our journey through the CBS studios. As soon as Sean announced we would be visiting the set locations of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Talk, and Doctor Strange, there was a chorus of enthusiastic gasps! It was an incredible experience walking through what seemed like a ‘CBS town’, with rows and rows of studios. What added even more to the experience was being able to see a long line of eager women outside the set of The Talk. It was amazing to see the studio in full swing. After walking around CBS Town, we went for a brief tour of the CBS News building and were able to see the set of the newsroom for local news.

In our conversation with Sean following the tours, we learned about Sean’s passion for what he did through the numerous anecdotes he shared. It was inspiring to learn about his journey to CBS, and to see the dedication with which he approached his profession. This surely was an experience of a lifetime!

The CBS visit was followed by a memorable lunch of burgers from the famous In-and-Out. While it is a famous fast food joint and it was a challenge to eat in the bus, what made it even more memorable was the hilarious chaos that ensued while distributing the huge group order. I believe it is these moments of laughter that will be amongst the purest memories we will cherish when we recall the Ramble.

Our next stop was the Los Angeles Times. I was personally the most excited about this site visit, as I have always thought I would want to write opinion editorials for a major daily newspaper once I am older. We were able to see the huge printing press machineries, understand the process of how it was done and understand the amount of labor that goes into producing newspapers for one day. This was followed by a discussion with Tom, the advertising head. He provided us with valuable insights into the media and newspaper industry, its changing trends and offered us a lot of career advice.

Both these sites’ hosts emphasized on the importance of pursuing one’s passion, and not being afraid to re-calibrate our paths. My definite takeaway from these site visits was that one should never stop exploring, and always be open to accepting opportunities that help us expand our horizons. We never know what might bring out the best in us and make us shine!

 

Poorvi Modi (BBA '22)
Economics