When covering a Bloomington City Council meeting in 2017, Howard was reaching under the media table and hit his head on it. His facial expression is, well, interesting. WGLT student reporter Baylee Steelman was sitting right there, and her reaction was to put her head in her hands.

  That might have been the end of it.  But enter Howard’s WJBC Co-worker Sam Wood.  He posted a screenshot of the awkward moment on social media and captured Steelman’s attention. “I thought he was pretentious and messing with me.  But we got to talking and he asked me out for drinks.”
Drinks led to dating, which the two continued through Steelman’s ISU graduation in 2018.  Shortly after, both got jobs as producers at WSIL-TV in Carterville. 

  After about 18 months in Southern Illinois, they were both able to land new producer jobs north of the border, in Milwaukee: Sam at CBS58 and Baylee at FOX6.  That was early in 2020, and Steelman says though the pandemic has made them miss much of what Milwaukee is about, like the many music and cultural festivals, they have still been able to explore safely. They celebrated three years together in December 2020.

  The unfortunate incident captured on video is now a fond memory for the couple. Steelman says, “If Howard didn’t hit his head on that table, I don’t know if we would be together!”

In our continuing effort to help you get to know some of your fellow INBA members, we present another edition of "Meet a Member."  This time, we feature Baylee Steelman, who's been a part of our organization since she was a student.

Tell us about where you work and your current position.

I work at the southern Illinois ABC affiliate WSIL-TV3 in Carterville, just east of SIU Carbondale. It’s market #88 with Paducah, KY and Cape Girardeau, MO. My position is to produce the half hour 5 p.m. newscast. I also report, and produce the 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m. newscast when needed. This is my first gig after graduating from Illinois State University in May 2018, so I just surpassed nine months on the job! I’m very lucky to work 9-5 Monday through Friday (more often than not) as a newbie in the industry.

I was hired at WSIL under the Wheeler family. Five months after I started, we found out we were being sold to Quincy Media, Inc. We have several INBA members who work for Illinois’ Quincy stations. The station will be transitioning into Quincy Media for at least two years. You’ll see a new set by the time the changes are complete. 

How long have you been involved in INBA, and what keeps you involved?

I joined as a member of S-INBA. I was a candidate for the scholarship two times. What keeps me involved are our members. I love the conversations we have together and value the individual characteristics of our members. Seeing everyone’s faces during the conventions inspires me to keep going. Everyone’s passion is sobering, and reminds me why I’ve wanted to be a “news lady” since I was 13.

Do you see yourself staying in Illinois for a good portion of your career, or do you anticipate moving on at some point, and why?

I have somewhat of a rough draft of a life plan, but we’ll see how that actually turns out. I want to leave the state and experience new places eventually. I want to broaden my horizons, but I don’t want to leave forever. I’m very wary of moving out of state within the next ~five years because I will very much miss my family, and Chicago. I don’t know what I want immediately after I decide to move on from WSIL, but that’s okay. I have plenty of learning to soak in here. If I don’t know where I want to go and what I want to do, I think that’s a pretty good sign that I need to stay and be mindful of the learning I’m doing here in southern Illinois. 

What advice would you give to current students?

• Don’t burn bridges. It’s a small world in news. Shockingly small. People will find out if you did something horrendous.
• Be on time. Being late is stressful.
• Take care of your body and pack a healthy lunch. Don’t go out to eat every day. If you’re a producer, your butt is in that chair and you aren’t burning off fast food. Feel good, write good. And don’t forget to drink water! Get up and walk around, stretch, and meditate if you need to. Being inside all day is an unfortunate transition from walking everywhere on a pretty campus.
• Asking questions shows you care, whether it’s structuring a rundown, or planning interviews for a story and wondering who the best person is to talk to. If you’re new, your managers should know there’s a learning curve for you. It’s also essential for communication. The answers could help others, not just you.
• Transitioning into post-grad life is one of THE hardest things I’ve ever had to do. You have to take care of yourself. Try all of the restaurants, read about your community’s history, go for a drive, go shopping, and exercise. News is an emotionally laborious job. When you’re comfortable, try and make a work friend.  Clean your house. Cook. Get off of your phone!! Take breaks from consuming content. You are your #1 priority. Work will suffer if you don’t love yourself. Buy a plant. 

What's harder: going on a job interview, or this member profile?

Well, considering I’ve had the TelePrompTer go out for a whole newscast, had a show go off air because the transmitter was struck by lightening, and had two local stories break 10 minutes before showtime, I’d say this interview was pretty chill. I’ll chat all day if you’re willing.