The Jason Salas Experience

A local high school student wanting to get into the media business interviewed me for a class project about journalism, inquiring about various aspects of my career and why I do what I do. It's always funny being on the other side of the media game. Here's a glance:

Name, Age and Title?
Jason Salas, 33
Interactive Media Manager, KUAM

What college did you attend? And what was your major?
- University of Guam (Marketing)
- University of Phoenix (MBA with Emphasis in Technology Management)
- I also did some independent study in music theory from the Jim Sutton Institute

What kind of jobs were you doing before this like interning for another company?
I've always had jobs in the retailing, marketing and technology fields. It's important to get a good feel at a young age for the type of industry you want to get into, so I tried to stay within those lines. At first, I wanted to get into advertising, but everything just gelled.

How long have you been doing this?
I've been a broadcaster now for 8 TV seasons, and I've been developing software for more than 10 years. I've held various marketing jobs since I was 14.

Why did you choose this career?
I came to KUAM as a web developer to evolve KUAM.com into a living online news product. Basically, to express everything the company did on the air hypertextually. Shortly thereafter, I started hosting a technology segment on TV, which eventually led to me filling-in for news as anchorman when the Iraq war started, and a few years later I started co-hosting our flagship nightly newscast with Sabrina Salas Matanane full-time. It's been fun because there's no room for me to get complacent - there's always a new challenge, new skills to master, a different way of delivering information to people.

What are some gripes you have about this job?
The hours can be brutal and we really don't have any days off and we're on-call 24/7, so this isn't your average 8-5, Monday through Friday job. You have to sacrifice a lot, but you also get afforded an entire world of opportunities to do some really meaningful, worthwhile work for the community. Also, the subject matter of the topics we report are often the types of things you really have to have thick skin to be able to deal with.

What is your typical day at work like?
It's never the same day twice, but we're constantly working on producing content for KUAM.com and gathering stories for the newscast. Everything's about showtime, so it's got to be right and it's got to get done. We may be out in the field, at the office or somewhere else. Whereas most people's work days get easier as they inch towards 5pm, our stress level crescendos as we get closer and closer to showtime.

Are you where you want to be?
Totally. I'm financially stable, I have a great job with people I adore, and I have fun working with technology in an industry that's constantly evolving and always in demand. I get to meet a lot of interesting people with genuinely interesting things to say and stories that need to be told. That people rely on me to let them know what happened in the world today is something I take very seriously and don't take for granted. I value that responsibility tremendously.

Did you always want to do this?
I kind of knew I'd be involved in "show biz" at some level. I've always had the ability to communicate, so in that sense, this is my dream job.

I know it's silly, but I must ask, do you still get a trip from being on television?
At first it was like that, but not as much anymore. I do still get nervous when we're presenting a really big story, though. It helps keep me grounded and focused.