When the police chase happened in Phoenix that resulted in a suicide airing live on FOX News Channel, journalists hopped on Twitter right away discussing their shock at what they had seen. As we began to talk about it, one wise reporter said, “It could happen to any of us.” So true, in so many ways.
Throughout my career as a producer, I was shocked at how few local television stations have continuous coverage plans and training to pull it off. Yes, I said training. You can discuss scenarios ahead of time. You can “practice” how you would handle different scenarios. There are some telltale signs of trouble. Early in my career, I was blessed to have an AND out of Miami, who had a lot of experience with continuous coverage. He sat all of us green producers down and laid out rules we needed to follow. These rules, helped me excel at continuous coverage everywhere else I went, regardless of the station’s policies (or lack thereof in most cases). So here are a few of them in case you are in a newsroom where continuous coverage is always a cluster because no one knows their roles.
Continuous coverage must dos:
- Two sets of eyes in the booth AT ALL TIMES
- Assign roles in the booth
- Always have a wide shot available
- Clear point person to make ethical calls
- Know your personal ethical limits
The single most important thing you need when boothing continuous coverage, is a second set of eyes watching content at all times. (This is the rule, that the majority of stations fought me on later in my career.) With all due respect though, this should not be the role of the director. That person is also extremely busy in the booth. Producers and directors need some sort of backup. If my EP or AND could not do it, I would pull a producer from a later or earlier show. I even used associate producers and editors. I needed someone to tell me if any of the live images changed, while I was talking to management or the anchors. I kept a notebook by my side, so the person could write down notes while I was in the middle of giving instructions. I needed instant access to that information no matter what.
Any managers reading this, your producer must have this. Make it happen!
Which leads to my next point, if there are two people in the booth, clearly define the roles. One person is the only producer that talks to the anchors and director, the other is in charge of figuring out what’s next. Both watch the live images coming in at all times and do not assume the other has seen any of it. Every time an image changes, write down which monitor it changed on in the notebook. The anchors and production crew need one clear, calm voice. This is easy to accomplish with two people in the booth.
Always have a wide shot available to take. Do not be afraid to go to the shot if your gut is telling you that what you are watching is about to go horribly wrong. Remember, there are other cameras getting the “money shot.” You can always show the video even a few seconds later. However, you cannot take it back if you show a man shooting himself in the head on live TV. Most local channels do not have 5 second delays. So, you really do have to be on top of it.
You also need to know what manager is the point person to make ethical calls. There is nothing worse than covering a standoff or police chase, getting hinky about the information you hear a reporter saying and then not being able to get a manager to pick up the #%@! phone. Before you walk into the booth, demand to know the point person. Make it clear, if things go south, you will know where to point the finger. I have even done this with NDs by the way.
Which leads to my last point: Know your personal ethical limits. There is always a fall guy/gal for a big screw up like the airing of a suicide during the police chase that happened live on FOX Friday. Know what you can live with while making decisions in the booth. One time I was told to take a live tight shot of a SWAT team during a standoff. The shot would’ve clearly made it easy to figure out where they were setting up. The ethical call was made by the ND: “Do it because it’s great TV.” There was no worry about the risk to those SWAT officers. I handed my headset to the ND, and said “It’s on you.” I was not going to put lives in jeopardy. That was not something I wanted to live with throughout my life and career. These were real people, with real families. You can’t take it back, if you make a horrid ethical call. Every journalist must remember that, from reporters and photojournalists on the scene, to producers in the booth, to the ND or GM making the ultimate calls. Know what your limits are and be true to yourself. Make sure your managers know what those limits are ahead of time. Have your personal continuous coverage plan, even if your station does not.
