Rough.

Today was a rough day.
At WXYZ, I go out in the truck all morning and cover stories and get footage with Marlon. Its fun and usually interesting. It also makes me feel like a real reporter.
Today, we went to Pontiac to cover a shooting and homicide and when we got there... there was no lights, no tape, just 2 cop cars and 5 cops.
We were told very little information, so being the nosey little journalist that I am, I walked around the car blocking the one side of the street and the crime scene. Already being freaked out that I, the intern, was at a crime scene.. I wasn't expecting much, I mean maybe some blood a few evident markers, some more cops... but instead, I saw the body.
Yep, a real dead body. With blood. And no sheet covering him.
To be honest, it was a hard pill to swallow. Thank goodness I was with Marlon, he calmed me down and knew exactly what to say. Including "you have to move on," which although was comforting and very good in that moment... Seriously? Move on? This man, this empty body was someone's son, brother, maybe father, or husband. And now he is being treated like a piece of meat. He was being flipped around and moved around as if he was a dummy. He wasn't even covered by a sheet. Nothing. It was so unsettling.
These men, although I respect them very much, are so desensitized to the idea of death and it really bothers me. When I say desensitized, I simply mean that it felt that way to me, these men were doing this job and completing all necessary tasks with diligence as though he was just another dead body and it really bothered me. I could never do that. Ever and I give them credit.
This man was a person, he's not just a body to me but he was treated that way. It was just hard to deal with, and it was my first dead body so I guess I will get used to it. I don't know if I want to "get used to it"
Anyhow, then we went to a fire.
And that's news. Its as simple as that. You cover a story and move on. Its just a story. A fire. A body. A death. A shooting. That's it... just a story.
Although I love news and I feel so good about my internship and my major. I love journalism and all it entails. This was a great but rough lesson to learn.
I was surprised that I didn't cry on scene.. I did however cry to my mom and in the car by myself. Maybe that's how I'll get through the rough stories... maybe.
This is news. In reality, its a job. You do it and go home. You move on and cover the next story.
I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that yet. I guess I'll have to get used to it and do my job.
This may be tougher than I thought.