Have you heard the news? Siena journalists are taking over the local airwaves.
Amber Fisher '25 and Tyanna Xavier '25 have a favorite downtown Albany bar that became their go-to spot senior year. Now that they've graduated, they still occasionally pop in for a post-work cocktail, but the experience is different. They're local celebrities now.
"This guy came up to me at the bar and said, 'Hey, I saw you on the news today. You were on TV," said Fisher. "And then Tyanna turned around, and he said, 'I saw you, too!'"
Fisher and Xavier graduated on the same day with their communications-journalism degrees, and then began their careers as news reporters for the local ABC affiliate, News10 ABC, within two days of each other in mid-June.
"I started on the 18th, two days after Tyanna," said Fisher. "On my first day, the news director said, 'Let me take you to your desk. Tyanna picked out this one, so I figured you would want the one right next to her.'"
Days later, the classmates turned desk mates made their live television debuts, together (above).
"The news director sent us both a long text at 8:00 that morning, and he said, 'Change of plans. I've got a fun idea. You're both going live at noon.' We got there at 10:30 and started to get ready," said Xavier. "It happened so fast, we didn't really have time to feel anything."
They shined in their debut, and they've "hit the ground sprinting" (as Fisher put it) in a top 60 media market. It's uncommon they'll cover stories together in the future, but that's okay. Often they'll be with Christian Hicks '25.
Less than two weeks after Fisher and Xavier were handed their News10 ABC badges, Hicks was hired as a videographer/editor. He'll shoot the news while Fisher and Xavier report in on it. Just a couple of months ago, they were covering campus news for Morning Brew, a SCTV show produced by students. And now...
"This feels like Morning Brew 2.0," said Hicks. "(We) covered a story together today. The equipment is just like what we used at Siena. It's all so familiar."
The one difference, Xavier points out, is that the deadlines come quicker. But, they feel prepared for it.
"In Siena's communications program, we learn from people in the field or who were recently in the industry. I just trusted what I was taught and ran with it," said Xavier.
"It's really just the program in general," Fisher continued. "From the moment I walked into a professional newsroom, I understood the terminology and how everything operates. We got the repetition at Siena that prepared us for this opportunity. The communications program showed us the true skeleton of a newsroom, without the speed."
Hicks agreed. "The best part of the major is the experience of the professors. Plus, they introduced us to professionals in the industry. Our professors also pushed us to seize on these opportunities."
Fisher pointed out that in the newsroom, the joke is that the station is "hoarding Siena graduates." It's not just in the newsroom. News10 ABC also hired Rylee Carpenter '25 as a multi-media account executive in May. Paige Snyder '24 has been doing the same job since last May. Why has Siena become the pipeline to 'Your Local News Leader?'
“We’re thrilled to welcome this slate of journalists to our team. Over the years WTEN has fostered an excellent partnership with Siena, meeting with aspiring writers and storytellers to discuss opportunities in the industry before they graduate. Given our proximity to Siena and the relationships with faculty, many of whom are former broadcasters, we know the quality of education and training Siena offers to students. The benefit for WTEN is having enthusiastic candidates who are already familiar with the market and understand the expectations at our station. Tyanna and Amber hit the ground running and have been welcome additions to our reporting team. Christian has a great eye for editing and photography, bolstering our strong group of videographers.”
Ryan Mott, News10 ABC News Director
