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Emily Turner has broken into the once male-dominated field of sports reporting, writing a small part of Baton Rouge history.

A recent LSU graduate and former pitcher for the LSU softball team, Turner holds the rare distinction of being a full-time female sports reporter at a major Baton Rouge TV affiliate, WGMB/WVLA.

225: What’s it like to make Baton Rouge history?

Turner: I wouldn’t say I am the first female sports reporter in Baton Rouge history. While I may be the first to be given the official title, I’ve seen other female journalists covering athletics, including our very own Erin Cofiell. Nevertheless, it is like a dream come true for me to be able to stay and work here in Baton Rouge. I consider my time spent as a student-athlete at LSU the absolute best four years of my life, and I was by no means ready to leave.

Did pitching at LSU help prepare you?

The media did such an amazing job covering our team, so I was often exposed to interviews and the press. Being in front of a camera or speaking in front of a mob of people isn’t anything new. However it is different being on the other side of the mic. And there is so much more to the job than meets the eye, (like) how much work actually goes into a segment. Not only do you have to do your homework prior to reporting on a story, but if you are someone like me, a “one-man-band” as they call it, I have to shoot, write and edit my own packages as well. What people don’t realize is that reporters can spend hours upon hours on a piece that gets one minute of airtime.

What convinced you to apply for this position?

Actually, I don’t know if I formally applied. A framed photo with my autograph was going to be one of the many items auctioned off at the annual Jacques Doucet Charity Tournament. I was asked by several teams to come and play, but I agreed to play on a team that was in desperate need of females. Because I made a commitment to this team, I stayed around and played the first three games. Even though I was pooped, something in me told me I should at least attempt to make an appearance at Jacques’ tournament. As I was entering the facility, I was stopped by the ticket-taker, and he was not going to allow me in since I wasn’t on the roster. Just in the knick of time, (sports director) Chris Mycoskie pops in out of nowhere with a big box, tosses me a shirt and hat with the Fox 44 logo, and says, “She’s with us!” I enter the stadium and hang out with the Fox crew, and then I ran into the big guy, General Manager Phil Waterman. I thought he was pumped up because I would be his replacement in the circle, but in reality it was because he had been trying to contact me since I graduated about a possible position on his news team. He told me to come in the next week for an interview. They showed me around the studio, introduced me to everyone and then sat me behind the NBC desk in the studio and told me to read off of the teleprompter. I didn’t know how I would fare doing a blind read off of someone else’s script on a contraption I was very unfamiliar with, but I obviously did well enough to get the job—they hired me the next day.

Was broadcasting your goal all along?

I love entertaining people. When I was in high school I wanted to be an actress. When colleges recruited me for softball I’d fill out “aspiring actress” (on questionnaires). At LSU I pursued communication studies because it was such a broad field, and it would allow me to go in virtually any direction, once I found out what that was. Halfway through my freshman year, I came the realization acting really isn’t my niche.

What pointed you toward the local Fox affiliate in the first place?

My senior year of softball, Chris Mycoskie showed up to our practices frequently. I would always make it a point to go over and talk to him, and every now and then would inquire about a possible job opportunity at FOX. He would always tell me to contact his news director, and I thought that was just his way of politely brushing me off. Come to find out, he had mentioned my inquiry to his boss and they had been waiting to hear from me up until I approached them at the (charity) softball game.

What’s your biggest job challenge?

Shooting football. I have gotten pretty familiar with how to use the camera equipment, but being able to keep moving objects in frame is a pretty difficult task. And it is unfortunate that I am unable to take a camera out on my own on Friday nights for high school football highlights, but I am sure that with more practice I will be able to by the end of the season.

Everyone is understanding and so eager to help me learn the ropes. I can’t even express my gratitude towards our sports directors, Cole Wright and Chris Mycoskie, who go out of their way day in and day out to lend me a helping hand. I couldn’t have asked for better mentors.

How has your life changed with the job?

I’m used to starting my day at 7 a.m. I lifted weights early in the morning, I would go to class, have lunch, and then I would get ready for practice. I did all of that before 2 p.m. Now my day doesn’t start until mid-afternoon because athletic events really don’t take place until later in the day. It’s funny because I really don’t know what to do with myself when I wake up in the morning now. I still wake up around 7 a.m. I then have to figure out how to pass the time until I go into the station.

Is it hard to work in front of the camera?

I have played in front of millions on ESPN, and my first experience in front of the green screen was hands down the most frightening, nerve-wracking thing in my life! It didn’t help when Cole slipped me a stack of papers with my script saying, “This is just in case the teleprompter goes out.” I know it is just going to take time before I feel completely comfortable in front of the camera, but that’s a given.