Graduating in the fall of 2011, Logan Sherrill earned a degree in communication with concentrations in broadcasting and journalism. Since his sophomore year of high school, Sherrill knew he wanted to go into news reporting, and while still in high school, working for the yearbook and interning at a local radio station helped him develop a passion for sports reporting. Watching and reporting on high school football games every Friday night fed into his dream of working for ESPN and anchoring Sports Center.
“I liked taking pictures and just hearing what people had to say and putting pen to paper – sharing facts about other people, stories of their lives. I just liked documenting what was happening,” said Sherrill.
Sherrill is currently a news anchor at WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia, where he anchors the 4, 5:30, 6:30, 10 and 11p.m. newscasts. Offering a different atmosphere, the 4 p.m. newscast, 7@four, is a produced as a “light-hearted” lifestyle show featuring different local guests each day. While he still gets to cover sports occasionally, he considers it the best of both worlds. Sherrill has goals of eventually working in New York City anchoring news or hosting a morning show while growing as a journalist.
“A big goal of mine, that sometimes gets lost in the bright lights, is to just continue to be happy and love what I do by making others happy,” says Sherrill.
Sherrill said the most helpful tool at Western Carolina University were the professional grade facilities for both television and radio. The small class sizes also made it more of a personal setting with professors, offering students the opportunity to get their personalized advice, pick their brains, and maximize the time in the classroom. As soon as he walked into the Center for Applied Technology on a high school visit, Western was where he wanted to go. Having the type of technology that Western provides puts you ahead of the curve.
Along with all the outstanding opportunities WCU provided, Sherrill completed an internship at Star 104.3 in Asheville. He was called “Intern Logan” and got the opportunity to do fun bits on the air from time to time. He also got to participate in voice tracking and promotional events at remote locations, such as restaurants and bars. He considers the best experience of his internship to learn to be himself on the air and act natural.
Star 104.3’s Program Director, fellow catamount graduate Josh Michael, introduced Sherrill to a term called “puking”, when someone doesn’t use their real voice on the air and projects a tone that sounds fake. Sherrill carries this lesson with him today in order to sound as authentic as he can on the air.
Sherrill recommends students keep an open mind. He personally went into the communication major dead-set on being a sports reporter. However, he now considers pursuing news as the best decision he has made. Sherrill also recommends students push themselves to get involved during their time at Western. Experience is extremely important, and students should take advantage of the student organizations to help them in journalism, news reporting or whichever path students are wanting to take their future career.
He encourages those who are interested in news reporting to understand that being the face of the nightly news doesn’t happen overnight and to enjoy where the ride takes you. It’s a fun career that can be tough at times, but if you can learn to pull yourself away at times and enjoy other hobbies, it’s worth it.