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Time To Stand Up For EPs

I put this post up on LinkedIn and want to make sure it is here on the website as well. When I started this website 10 years ago the goal was to help with training. I still want to focus on that primarily but over the last several months I have felt called to also bring up important issues facing the TV News business as well. I hope the time is right for more to hear the calls and actually start to make changes many veteran journalists can tell you are long overdue.

Here is the post:

Now that we know producers can get some signing bonuses, let’s talk EP recruitment. Just this week I have seen EP job postings that state you will produce a newscast every day and still need to coach other producers and oversee the daypart. Can we just unpack this a bi

In order to really protect the brand and quality, executive producers need to oversee not do then check in between. It’s hard enough when they are the chronic backups for anyone who is sick or on vacation.

There simply is no way an EP can truly train, recruit, showcase, punch up daily writing, oversee coverage decisions, monitor live decisions, and protect the station’s newscasts and brand for quality and credibility and produce each day. That is like asking an assembly line manager to work the line at the same time. Things will slip through the cracks and the line will clog up.

For the last several years the job I get calls about the most where there are either no applicants or none qualified is EP. Setting up EP jobs so they can truly learn how to think bigger picture, attend management meetings and learn how to lead a shift is monumental for the future of this industry. These EPs are your future NDs.

It is cheaper to hire another producer or writer to ease the workload and invest in growing EPs in the long run. Your current newsrooms benefit. Your future newsrooms benefit.

To all the EP’s right now braving producing newscasts and leading dayparts especially those who sometimes are the ONLY EP for the whole newsroom, you are strong. You are courageous. You have a right to stand up and say when the workload is too high and ask some be delegated elsewhere. Do not forget you can be the future ND. So you need to try your best to pace yourself and advocate to protect your team in any way you think will work.

Working for you” takes on a whole new meaning with Flowcode use in TV news.

There’s a revolution coming to TV news and it might look familiar. QR codes are not new. They are everywhere. But an innovator in the space wants to improve upon existing QR technology, creating a new dynamic and standard in TV news. Meet Flowcode.

Every once in a while I am asked to take a look at an emerging technology or technique to increase a station’s digital saturation. In this case, I was asked to consider how QR codes could improve TV news. I thought the idea was brilliant and had incredible potential. QR codes are popping up everywhere and are being used in ways to make your life easier already. My first instinct was creating meaningful connections with viewers. But, the journalist in me soon took over and I wanted to learn more and check my hunch.

I thought about the constant struggle newsrooms face trying to directly connect with viewers. That is especially true now, with so many newscasts to produce each day. 4 hours in the morning, noon and then 3 PM until 6:30 or 7 PM. Oh, and don’t forget the late evening newscast of record as well as ever increasing digital content demands. Traditionally, broadcasting companies rely on ratings data companies like Nielsen and Comscore. Then, they call in consulting groups to get research information about who their audiences are and what they really want.

If you ask news managers, many will tell you that the research often feels flawed. The content topic suggestions and ratings gains do not always match what the research shows should happen. It leads to a lot of guessing when they try developing a brand and creating trust with the audience. Minute-by-minute audience viewing reports are also a guessing game. Between grinding out shows stations look for trends in those reports and hope to get it right.

These methods lead to a real mixed bag of results. A Gallup/Knight Foundation study found more than 80% of Americans say the news media is at least “very important” in providing accurate information. Good news, right? But then comes the conundrum: An Accenture digital consumer survey found TV is the only category of device experiencing uniform, double-digit usage declines. This is worldwide and in nearly all age groups. Accenture also found 87% of consumers use a second screen while watching TV.

The TV news industry understands this is happening. But how do you link up the TV newscast with the tablet in the viewers lap?

Consider this, 65 % of people who use a second screen have looked up information on a product in a TV show. Meanwhile, TV news viewers told focus groups around the world in a Reuters Institute study that they think news organizations rely too much on clickbait and sensationalism. Many said they felt news organizations wanted to trick or provoke them into watching. They also wondered who is tracking what they click on station websites. Study participants largely seemed resigned this is just the way it is, and it hurts trust. Other studies show audiences also express disdain at banner ads and sponsorships which may lead to a harmful reputation.

A Pew Research Center survey gives some hope though. 75% surveyed say confidence in news media has the potential to improve. The survey also shows brand loyalty isn’t what it once was. 63% of news consumers Pew surveyed don’t feel strong loyalty. Many say they feel local news can still work on directly connecting with the community more.

Cue the Flowcode option. Founder and CEO Tim Armstrong says his company has launched “next-generation” QR codes. No app needed. “It takes you directly there with no stopping off at any large internet companies” Armstrong says. This means much more security for the audience. Flowcode comes with privacy built-in to meet GDPR and CCPA standards. The direct link can help eliminate recent concerns being raised over QR code security. The custom design of the code also matches the branding of the station, which is helpful as stations grow their brand or continue to build on a strong brand in the DMA. Flowcode QR’s in targeted connection can even increase a station’s brand value.

Television stations have begun experimenting with QR codes to provide added content, especially during weather events with encouraging results. Take a look at this roundup of ways QR codes are starting to be used at local stations. Innovative starts for sure. Flowcode is starting to partner with major broadcast groups including Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Broadcasting. Driving as much as a 50 percent increase in app downloads. Also darn smart. eMarketer projects 99.2 million QR code users by 2024. That’s up 28 million more from 2019.

As the TV news industry grapples with how to reach their audience directly Flowcode also offers data science and analytics. The TV industry can push for options to figure out why an audience turned off at 10-minutes after the hour, instead of simply knowing that they did tune out at that point. It offers a way for stations to find out if the audience will watch more long form content on OTT platforms. There is also the opportunity to sponsor content without the anchors having to actually say the name of the sponsor. All ways to prove a station has heard what the community wants to learn, values the time taken to watch, and is eager to meet the audience directly where it is. That includes holding a phone or tablet and lounging on the couch while watching the news. Yep, that’s working for you alright.

The “News Nightmare”. What to learn from recurring bad dreams.

Mental health is a growing concern among TV news journalists. Old time journalists often were told to grit it out, suck it up, understand the stress and anxiety of the daily deadline pressures and, frankly, awful crime stories are part of the job.

Surviving as a journalist should not mean constant suffering though. Yes, part of the job is seeing horrible crime scenes, covering stories that showcase the dark parts of humanity in stark terms, and uncovering corruption. Yes, journalists know that goes with the territory. But that simply doesn’t mean stations and broadcast groups should just tell staff to handle it all on their own.

I keep saying that journalists are the commodity broadcasters sell. You must realize the people covering the news are the company’s most precious assets. No journalists, no newscasts = no revenue.

Top News Talent, which I just recently co-founded, hosted a discussion on Clubhouse on mental health. Specifically the recurring dream many producers have that they cannot get their newscast done on time. This is the start of many discussions we hope have to help raise awareness that journalists in TV news do take their job home with them. It impacts their personal lives as well. From this discussion, with therapist Matthew Nordin, we learned some very valuable lessons.

These dreams can be a sign that the journalist needs a mental health break. Maybe it’s a mental health day. Maybe more.
Recurring dreams can signal that you’re struggling to cope with something you covered, wrote about or the circumstances in your newsroom.

For those of you having these recurring dreams, some crucial takeaways:

There are coping mechanisms to help you distance yourself a bit from the daily stress. A big one Matthew mentioned is “soft belly breathing.” It sounds too simple, right? But it’s based on science. Your mind is powerful enough to use this simple technique to reset your stress levels in a powerful way. Here is a video showing you how to belly breathe. And an audio version and interview.
If you ignore the dreams, the stress usually increases. There is a risk of developing actual PTSD.

Journalists and managers also need to be aware of secondary trauma. Let’s define it in simple but crucial terms: by covering traumatic events regularly, the journalist also becomes impacted by the events. Over time this can lead to PTSD if not addressed early and often. Partner this with newsrooms that are understaffed, work hours that make it hard to sleep at night (overnights), keep a regular sleep schedule (covering for sick calls on different shifts), and 10 hour shifts on average with little to no breaks, and the journalist is already more prone to anxiety overload.

Companies offer EAP programs. This allows anywhere from 4 to 6 visits with a therapist, for free, depending on your company’s plan. A crucial thing here, when you call to set up the visits, know your station, your boss and your parent company do not know you are seeking therapy. Some employees really worry about this. It is truly anonymous. When you call to use this valuable benefit, have your health insurance card handy so you can ask them to look for a therapist who also takes your insurance in case you end up needing more than the standard sessions alloted. If that is not possible, ask for some names, then you can look them up. Matthew tells us Psychology Today is a great resource to check out potential therapists. From here you can find out if they take your medical insurance for after the EAP alloted sessions.

Matthew also told us there are ways to get therapy and not have it cost a fortune if you do not want to use your medical insurance or you cannot find a therapist who takes your insurance. This is key, the services we are listing here, link you with therapists that essentially donate their time to give back, in a sense. They passionately want to help more people afford therapy, Here are the two links to these services: https://www.opencounseling.com/ and https://openpathcollective.org/.

A last note to individual journalists: PTSD can set in within a month of suffering trauma. So if you cover a story that really seems to impact you more than most, it’s preferable to not wait and see what happens. Get counseling quickly to try and prevent PTSD from setting in. That said, Matthew points out that if you’re already a mindful person who’s really in touch with your body and emotions through yoga, meditation, etc. you may not need a therapist. This is where knowing yourself and your limits are really important.

For managers and broadcast group leaders, try and create an environment where staff can tell you the stress of the job is getting to be too intense, before it gets to the point the person must quit their job. Ask regularly, how staffers are doing. If you can bring in counselors not just when something tragic, like a school shooting, standoff or death of a staff member happens. Offering a chance to talk with a counselor more regularly, can help immensely. It also could show that you value mental health and might lead to more staff telling you if they need help. If you can advocate for more mental health coverage, including HSA $ for mental health treatment or mindfulness coaching, you not only prove you care for your staff, you have a powerful recruiting tool.

As for those anxiety dreams we all seem to have? The first step is making your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep. UC San Diego created this great infographic on how to achieve this.

Matthew also provided this amazing list of resources to check out, that can help with many aspects of our lives. After all, journalists are first and foremost human as he eloquently points out.

More to come. 🙂

Why Can’t Journalists Want To Make Good Money? Let’s Take A Closer Look At The Expectations Broadcasting Groups Need To Let Go Of To Survive As An Industry.

For months, articles have been posted on LinkedIn and publications that report on media, about the growing decline of applicants for TV news jobs. I have written quite a few myself and touched on something important that needs to be said in more blunt terms, so it hopefully resonates better.

Journalism can be a vocation that warrants, even commands good pay. From the time I entered J-School, aspiring journalists were told this is a calling. This is a vocation. This job is hard and you will pay your dues and you may never make a lot of money. But you will love the job. There is nothing else like it. Or is there?

A lot of outlets allow you to tell stories, research issues, explain concepts to communities and most importantly help you advocate for others. The vocational element of journalism is not the top sell anymore. Read that again. This calling is rapidly losing appeal. There are other outlets that can and will feed journalists’ souls.

Broadcasting companies push this it’s a calling, vocation attitude. It’s a reason given for not being able to pay well throughout newsrooms. It is time for broadcasting groups to understand that several generations’ worth of the workforce, don’t agree. They want good pay and feel the training they got warrants the money. It is also easier than before to look up and understand the huge pay differences between newsroom employees, station managers, and the executives telling you, not to push too hard on the money, it’s a calling and privilege to be a journalist. I am asked all the time if that is true, shouldn’t that apply to the executives as well? In addition, many stations are making good money, even though the pandemic. Journalists understand this. They know there is potentially more money available, but the corporate level is not releasing as many funds as it could. One of the most common reasons given is because the company has to research and create digital platforms. While true, there is a missing link that needs to be stated clearly.

Executives need to understand, the commodities that make the company profitable, are the journalists. They to a large degree are the product, because their critical minds, fact-finding training, and ability to boil down complex material so the community can absorb the information is what the executives sell. Journalism has to be done well, to make it viable long term. Cheapening the product has led to issues with credibility and frankly relevance. Put it on any platform you want. If the product is weak, it will not sustain anywhere. Discerning minds are the most precious resource a newsroom has. Invest in the brains of the room.

Going to more digital products makes sense, but you still need skilled professionals with the ability to share information in a relatable way. In fact that commodity is still absolute. The platform is secondary. So it is frustrating to see the same issue happening with digital producer pay. Many make even less than the TV content generators. Yet this is the platform of the future. Please explain the logic?

Journalists should not be shamed for asking to make a livable wage and rewarded for the training they received. In fact, it’s time to do more comparison research to see what other content creators make and raise producers, reporters, and digital content creators’ salaries. The initial sting is going to be cheaper than the cost of letting this issue continue to fester. Journalism has suffered enough. Credibility is too at risk.

Journalists can and should want to make good money. They take on a lot of responsibility and sacrifice a lot of time with their families. Being a doctor and a politician are vocations too. But you do not see people in these roles struggling to pay their bills each month. It’s time to pay journalists their worth, recognizing this reality instead: Journalists are experts, skilled, highly marketable, and extremely important to a well-functioning society. Let that role reflect more in their pay. The pandemic has created an opportunity to restructure. Why not start to design these changes now?