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Want to stand out as an assignment editor? Ask to write copy

Clearly from the title, this article is aimed at assignment editors. But all journalists will do better at their job, if assignment editors focus more on writing. Yes, writing. They set the standard in most TV news rooms for source building and digging up exclusives. No one can complain about their workload when watching assignment editors hard at work. It’s no secret they are the glue that holds newsrooms together. That’s why assignment editors looking to really make their mark in this biz, need to write some of the news they find.

What many of us journalists forget is that assignment editors, by being the main information gatherers each and every day, really set the tone for how all of us write the news. After all, we write based on their notes in the assign queue. We ad lib based on information they share with us on the phone. We even depend on them for who is interviewed on a variety of subjects. One could argue that assignment editors have as much influence on the structure of newscasts as management does.

So why does that mean that assignment editors should write news copy, whenever they can? Because as veteran news writers know, practice is how you really learn to clearly decipher the facts necessary to write solid copy. You quickly figure out if you really understand a story, when you sit down to write it.

Since so many journalists hop into the queue for information, the way assignment editors write already bleeds into news copy. Think about it. I guarantee you rip off phrases under the slug file, especially if you are not a hundred percent sure about the facts and the assignment editor is too slammed to explain. It’s classic C.Y.A. mode. If the information comes into question later, you can say, “But that’s exactly how it is written in the assign queue.” Again, if I had a dollar for every time a journalist uttered that phrase!

By writing some news copy, assignment editors get a better understanding of what elements you truly need to write clearly and concisely. It should also help streamline the process, so the already stressed assignment editor is not getting phone calls asking to explain what’s in the queue. And when the calls do happen, the assignment editor may better understand why.

So assignment editors, if you want to really show off your stuff, write about some of it! You just might make other journalists in your shop stop and truly pay attention to what you have to say.

Dress for Success: Your clothes define your credibility

Hey, it’s no secret, part of the fun of being a TV reporter or anchor is the great clothing you get to wear. It is fun to dress the part! But nowadays many outfits worn on air send the wrong message.

Before you start griping at me with “Hey the world is getting more casual, so should we!” hear me out. What you wear really defines you as a person and a journalist. For cold hard proof, I suggest you follow agent Micah Johnson from MediaStars on Twitter (@TV_Agent). He often throws in fashion tidbits. Recently, he tweeted about EMMY judging and had journalists debating fashion for two days. I talked with Micah about the fashion faux pas he sees on demo tapes and the dangerous consequences for your career.

Micah’s first point: Credibility. Think about the people you meet. You judge those people based on appearance. People are visual and therefore make decisions visually. Micah says, “Your wardrobe defines you, period.” So when you are putting together your demo, remember your clothing describes, “Who you are, who you perceive yourself to be and who you hope to be.” A case in point is Micah’s Twitter image. He wears a suit in it. Imagine if that picture had him in cut off blue jeans and a Hawaiian shirt. Would that make you think he could place people on the major market or network level? The same goes for you when you are on the air. Your appearance adds to your credibility in both doing your daily job and when you are job searching.

Your demo helps you showcase who you are and who you can appeal to. Think about that for a moment. Your ND’s and GM’s probably urge you to appeal to the key demos. That’s not just 25-35. The people watching the news that can afford to buy the products in the, oh so crucial, local spots are probably 40 plus. Is that sleeveless sundress you are wearing appealing to that age set? This audience is not impressed with casual dress. Even if they are starting to come to work in more polo’s and khaki’s themselves.

So what do those viewers like to see? What types of outfits make you look like a star that’s going places and too good to pass up? Micah says women should always wear bright colors and pastels. Royal purple, reds, and deep blues are vibrant and attractive to viewers. They are power colors. Remember many news sets are dark. If you wear a dark suit, you then look like a floating head. Not attractive or powerful.

We didn’t forget men. The key for you is tailored. That doesn’t mean you have to buy an expensive suit. It does mean you need to spend money getting that suit tailored to fit you. Another key, if you anchor, have the coat fitted for tailoring while sitting down. That’s how the suit will be worn most of the time. Also remember the trick William Hurt showed us during the classic TV news movie, “Broadcast News.” Sit on your coat tails for a great looking fit while on set. “That’s not just Hollywood trivia, there’s truth in that tidbit,” Micah says. What about reporters hoofing it out in the summer heat? Micah says suck it up and wear the dress shirt. His advice: A trick police officers use to stay dry when wearing their very hot uniforms and/or bullet proof vests: Baby powder and an under shirt. When you get out of the shower in the morning, put on baby powder, then a cotton under shirt, then your dress shirt. The baby powder helps wick away the sweat. Then the undershirt absorbs any sweat that makes it through the powder. It may be a little warmer than normal, but it won’t show and you’ll look the part of a professional, credible broadcaster.

Speaking of suits, when asked about fashion, plenty of women mention they hate blazers, and like wearing dresses. My favorite FB comment says suits are “so 1995.” Micah says don’t blow off suits as old school. The key is getting the tailored look, and blazers are a great way to do this. Like with men, you don’t have to buy top designers (heck most of us can’t afford it!). But you do spend money having your clothing tailored so they fit your figure. Again, if you anchor, have the fitting done while sitting down. As for sleeveless, Micah says avoid it unless you have arms like Angelina Jolie, back when she played Lara Croft in “Tomb Raider.” Remember, you want the people watching your demo to see you, not just stare at your arm flab.

His final suggestions, avoid big earrings, big necklaces and bright red lipstick. Yes, they are in the fashion magazines. But, you are not going out clubbing. You are delivering important information and actually want people to see and listen to you, not stare at your gigantic jewelry or eye popping lips. Credibility just does not mix with these things.

Still having doubts and don’t like being told what to wear? Ask yourself a key question: Am I a kick ass journalist going places? If the answer is no, then blow off this advice. But if you want to make something of yourself, remember dressing sloppy makes you look like you don’t know what you are doing, or what you want to accomplish. Dressing well, makes you look like a star!

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Thanks to Micah Johnson, with MediaStars. Check him out on Twitter @TV_Agent for all kinds of juicy morsels about TV news.

Why criticism over an ND’s personal Facebook page impacts you

Last week, many TV news watch groups tweeted an article about an ND being criticized and then apologizingfor something he wrote on his personal Facebook page. Now he has resigned.

The facts of the case itself are compelling, but let’s go beyond to the larger issue. This is a personal FB page. This is the leader of a newsroom being criticized. Again, it points to the fact that in some newsrooms management itself is not clear on what is or is not acceptable online. If an ND didn’t think twice about these comments on his personal FB page, can he expect the same of his staff?

This reminds us, how very public the internet is. Many of us think our FB pages are being read by friends only. In actuality, the internet is extremely voyeuristic. People love to read what others have to say, even if they don’t know them. It’s is a large part of the appeal. Not everyone is simply curious. Some have axes to grind. Remember: (a) Journalists are not always held in high regard and therefore are scrutinized more and (B) Journalists are sometimes held in very high regard but not given opportunities by the public to make “honest mistakes.” We are expert communicators right?

The other interesting element is that the news director says he did not realize how “poor the choice of words were.” Remember, opinions can put you in hot water. This is especially true if you are a journalist who is expected to “know better.”

Finally, this story makes you stop and think about social media policies within companies. Many still do not have one. That actually makes it easier for journalists to face a backlash even for their non-work sites. What’s happening with this ND is a good scenario to bring up to your bosses and ask how a situation like that would be handled where you work. It might offer new insight into management’s views on internet use, period. After all, media companies are reading about the criticism of this ND’s comments on his personal FB page. It could serve as an example to help mold future policies all of us must live with.

Faking the present: When what’s happening now, really isn’t

A morning producer recently posed this question: What do you do with the phrase “police are looking” from the previous night’s copy? Do you keep the phrase present tense? Immediately other morning producers jumped in stating you need to write present tense. No question TV news is designed for the here and now. But let’s get realistic for a moment. In early morning and late evening newscasts, the expectation that all the news is here and now is not possible for multiple hour shows. The biggest offenders perpetuating this idea that everything is all new and all happening right now are Newsies. Too often during morning and late evening newscasts, I hear “false present” tense. The anchors always look uncomfortable reading this “faked” tense because it is not natural. Viewers get that everything you tell them is not happening right that minute. They just want you stop pretending it is. Harsh? Not when you spend time with non-newsies. If I had a dollar for every time I was asked “Why do you news people have to act like something is happening right then when it’s not?” well, I would not be writing this article. I would be sipping Mai Tai’s on a tropical beach, fulltime!

So what’s the work around? First, let’s look more at false present. Popular examples, “the President authorizes a bill”, when showing video of him signing it the day before or “the Olympics start in London” when they actually started the day before. Just because the video shows the signing or opening ceremony doesn’t mean it’s happening at that moment. Viewers know when events like that happened. This is also called headline speak and it is frustrating to hear and read. So why is it drilled into TV journalists to write in present tense and only in present tense? Because that is an easy way to try and force you into sticking to what’s new in a given story. Yes, if you are putting a story in your newscast there should be a new element that you can explain in the first sentence. Yes, use present tense if you possibly can. But remember, viewers do not watch every day and they do not watch every newscast. You must include enough “background” so they have a clue what you are talking about. Use past tense when providing the background, when appropriate. This is especially true if the story is a follow up from the day or week or month before. Often, I hear headline speak in these type of follow ups as well. Journalists leave out the verb in these “follow up” sentences. You get weird, title like, descriptions such as “the July 9^th shooting”… or “the mill fire.“ Unnatural and uncomfortable.

Now let’s look at the phrase the producer brought up: “Police are looking.” Unless there’s been a mass murder or a police officer was shot, odds are police are not actually out physically searching for the people responsible at 4:30 a.m. You can keep this present tense if what police were looking for is still relevant later that night or the next morning (i.e.- they really are still on the street actively looking). Write it this way instead: “Police hope to find…” or “Police want to find…“ That would still be true and you are not emphasizing an act that isn’t really happening at the time of your newscast. There’s also nothing wrong with showing video of the search and saying “Police looked for 3 hours, with no luck yesterday. They hope for more leads today.”

The big takeaway here is that every sentence in your copy does not have to be present tense. Conversational writing changes tenses naturally. When you tell someone a story, you provide background information for context. I guarantee when you do, you use past tense, because that’s when the background information happened. The “write present tense rule” doesn’t mean deny past tense completely, no exceptions. It is a generalization. Remember the reason behind it. Focus on new. If you do, while still providing context for the stories, you will legitimately focus on the present, while not denying the past.