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The 3 b’s to win over your News Director.

A producer recently Tweeted me asking for an article on how to build a relationship with News Directors. Frankly, I could write a book on that subject! But there are some basics easily put into a short blog. First, you need to know, access to your ND varies greatly depending on market size, how many other managers exist in your newsroom and your ND’s temperament. There are some fail safes though that will help no matter your situation. We call them the 3 B’s:

Be subtle
Be consistent
Be loyal

Before we spell out these 3 b’s, let’s give you some insight into what ND’s often think. Simply put, up to half the newsroom is “on board” helping out day to day, the rest are not loyal or don’t seem to pull their weight. (Trust me on this one, I’ve heard many ND’s say it!) That second group appear to fight the ND on everything by being argumentative. The ND gives a critique and the person throws back reasons why it’s “the newsroom’s fault” something wasn’t done. Then comes the “high maintenance” label of being difficult or too needy. This is especially true if you have valid points that, though probably unintentional, showcase the ND’s problem areas in the newsroom or even management style. No one is perfect, including your ND. We’re not saying you need to be a “kiss ass” and do whatever the ND wants all the time. We are not saying your opinion isn’t valid. It’s all in the delivery, which we will spell out in a moment. The ND will have people on staff that they count on for their own gut checks from time to time. You become one of those people with patience and by showing loyalty. This all begins by being subtle.

Being subtle means being the person that sits back and listens to what the ND asks for. Take, for instance, a staff meeting where the ND spells out the news philosophy of the shop. You don’t raise your hand and ask a bunch of questions. You want to hear not only what the ND says but his/her reaction to the flood of questions and instant critiques. Once that’s completed, process what the point of it all seems to be. A day or two later, drop by the news director’s office and say something like: “So I was thinking about the meeting and want to make sure that what you are expecting is ‘XYZ’.” Let ND answer and then thank him or her and walk out. Then try and do what was asked of you. After a few weeks pop your head in and ask for a critique. Yes, you will likely get an honest answer that could be disappointing. Most ND’s recognize that asking for critiques is not the easiest thing to do. The willingness to do so will show respect. Now this is key: Don’t ask for critiques all the time, just when there’s a philosophy change or change in your job assignment. People constantly asking for critiques and therefore validation are considered high maintenance. Remember the first B is to “Be subtle.”

Now that you have a clear idea of what the ND wants, execute it and “Be consistent.” Strive to do it every day. Keep your head down and just do your job. The ND will notice. You may not get a lot of pats on the back. But that doesn’t happen often in TV news anyway. If you screw up one day, the ND may give you the benefit of the doubt if you’ve built this relationship. You just might set yourself up for a promotion or at least an opportunity to ask for better assignments during your next review. Consistently doing your job is another way to show loyalty.

That leads to the third B, “Be loyal.” Before you start shaking your head and thinking to yourself “I’m not a kiss ass” know this: That’s not what showing loyalty is about. Loyalty doesn’t mean planting smooches on backsides. It means not going into the ND’s office and throwing fits when you just got royally screwed over. That doesn’t mean you have to become the news room doormat either. If something happens that puts you in an awful position, go in and ask for advice. If the ND throws something back at you like “How would you fix it?” have a possible solution ready. Spell it out, then accept the critique. Thank the ND for listening when you walk out. You need to do this even if the ND is a screamer. (click here for more on how to handle bosses that scream.) Showing loyalty means knowing your ND is going to screw up occasionally and you aren’t going to rub salt in the wound. You will forgive it and move on in the best interest of the station. If you see a situation that might really cause a problem, like a potential ethical issue, call the ND and give him/her a quick heads up. Don’t call screaming about how you don’t appreciate being in this position. The ND doesn’t care about your feelings. You are replaceable. (Never forget that.) Stay humble and try to work with the ND.

News Directors can be very inaccessible and very hard to read. You may never know if the ND likes you or thinks you are a hunk of junk. But, all ND’s appreciate loyalty. All types of ND’s will eventually notice if you make effort to just do what’s needed and try not to cause extra headaches. The 3 B’s will benefit you, even if you can’t tell right away. ND’s have given me good references throughout my career simply because I always tried to give them what they needed.

You exist to hold my tripod: How to make peace with the photographer that hates reporters.

Throughout my career I heard this phrase uttered by photographers when discussing reporters: “You exist to hold my tripod.” It was followed by a laugh and shaking of the head. There is a lot behind this phrase that many reporters and news managers don’t stop to think about. It’s especially true now, with more stations turning to one man band and backpack journalists. Without photojournalists, there would be no TV news. The video, together with sound, is what separates us from other news mediums. Yet many take for granted the photojournalist that is putting a lot of physical effort and artistic ability into his/her work. In many shops photojournalists do not get much recognition from management. It all goes to the reporters and anchors.

Being the reporter thought of as only good enough to hold the tripod is frustrating. But a good journalist can consider many perspectives, right? Whether you like it or not, you are going to be assigned to work with photojournalists who have this attitude from time to time. They exist in every shop. Murphy’s Law dictates you will be assigned to this angry photojournalist whenever you have a great story that you hope will be good enough to keep for your resume.

So in the interest of peace and understanding, let’s look a little more at why some photojournalists feel this way. In truth, there are many reporters that think photogs are their servants. They refuse to help carry gear. They boss the photojournalist around and tell them to get specific shots, rather than gently asking. And they often do this in front of someone being interviewed. This treatment is humiliating. Think about the time when a ND calls you in and asks how you could ever have written something so dumb? You know how it feels. We’ve all been there. Showing respect is crucial. Also, because there is a lack of training in newsrooms, often a seasoned photojournalist gets stuck working with newbie reporters. All of us are clueless when we first take news jobs. We are a pain in the butt and a potential liability as we get our TV legs. Add in a know it all, “I can conquer the world” attitude and a seasoned photojournalist legitimately wants to not only hand you a tripod to carry, but shove it where the sun doesn’t shine!

So enough psychology of why, let’s talk survival skills. The tried and true way to develop a positive working relationship with these seemingly impossible photographers is to show them some respect. Yes, you will often want specific shots taken in the field. So, let the photog know what you are thinking and ask them to help you out, rather than tell them to get a shot. Then ask for input and tell them you would love a few more shots or more natural sound to go with the shots you need if the photojournalist sees a good opportunity. Ask the photojournalist’s opinion, often. This person is a huge asset for you, even when it can be a bitter pill. These articles spell out why and what to do if the photog is really hazing you. (see Photog is a reporter’s best friend and Thank you sir, how to handle newsroom hazing)

Do whatever you can to get the photojournalist involved in the story. Again, at end of each interview ask if the photojournalist has any questions for the subject. Some of the best perspective on a story can come from the true observer. (There is no truer “observer” than a photog watching the story play out through the lens of a camera!) When you shoot your standup talk to the photographer about what you are thinking of doing and ask for help making it work visually.

Most of all, don’t give up. Keep showing respect even if you think you are only getting insults in return. Remember the psychology of why. These photographers often care, passionately, about the video and sound they are gathering. They want their hard work appreciated by someone, but they have been burned, often. Be patient, compliment when appropriate, and show respect. With time that photographer will turn into an asset and you will be glad to hold the tripod for him/her!

Meet my conscience: The importance of setting up gut checks.

Recently in Chicago, there was a drive by shooting. A freelance photographer got an interview with a 4 year old who mentioned when he grew up he was going to have a gun. The sound bite aired. Trouble is, after that bite the child added that he wanted to become a police officer. The police officer part did not air during a morning show at a local station. The breakdowns in ethics in this case are numerous. Did the photog get the parent’s permission? Did the person who wrote the vo/sot watch all of the interview before writing? Why were the boy’s words taken out of context? Why air sound from a 4 year old at all, especially in a vosot? This wasn’t a perspective piece. It was a quick pacer story. This is not an isolated case of something that is clearly dicey, ethically, ending up on the air. Recently a station in Bristol, RI admitted it aired video from a golf tournament without explaining the video was a staged reenactment.

Ethical issues like this do happen and some would argue they are getting more common as stations grind more news out. A recent RTNDA/Hofstra University study shows nearly 35 percent of stations added newscasts in 2010. With more news churning out and smaller staffs to accomplish it, more ethical mistakes will happen unless there are systems of checks and balances as well as continued training on how to effectively write under intense deadline pressure. Sometimes even the news managers are so tied up just trying to churn out the news, they cannot truly serve in a supervisory role. University newsrooms cannot replicate this type of environment. It is simply too dangerous to do while also teaching the basics of being a broadcast journalist. But once you get your first job you are often thrown in, and there may not be set checks and balances to review your work. For example, in several shops where I worked there was not an EP overseeing shows. In fact there wasn’t a news manager at all during several shifts. There was no one with clear editorial control. You would write, the anchor would rewrite then, maybe, an associate producer would rewrite the copy again. In other shops there was a manager (usually an assistant ND) who was ostensibly overseeing the daily mix. But that manager was so swamped you could go all day without seeing the person. Even if there is not a set system of checks and balances at your station, you need a personal one. That means setting one up yourself, and leaning on fellow staffers.

So let’s talk gut checks. In each shop I set up a relationship with several co-workers where we could give quick calls and exchange thoughts on issues that would come up. This usually was not someone with the same job as I had in the newsroom. I wanted someone with a different perspective and different crunch times. Remember it is easy to armchair quarterback, but when you are standing in the pocket with a nasty linebacker bearing down, you just want to get rid of the ball! As I mentioned, often there was no EP on staff to help oversee and check my work. Other producers would think more like me or possibly have bad habits like watching raw video only until they heard a “good” sound bite, then starting to write without watching the rest of the video. As a producer I leaned on my anchors for help. If a story just didn’t feel right, or children were mentioned, I asked for a gut check read from an anchor that I trusted. If the anchor was an attacking type personality, then I went to veteran reporters in the shop instead. I even had my associate producers and editors watch raw tape and tell me what stood out as possible ethical issues on sensitive stories. Notice some of the people had more experience, some less. All of us had enough ethics training that someone’s gut check would go off.

Reporters, your photogs are a great resource you probably have already considered. Here’s another great resource, anchors. They tend to have a little more free time to brainstorm with you. If you are lucky enough to have an EP on staff, lean on him/her. That person is paid to help you gut check. Don’t let him/her off easy. Call in. If you do not trust your EP, or there isn’t one on your shift, lean on the anchors more. Depending on the time of day, your producer is also an asset.

It is also critical that you set up a person with final say on rewrites. If there’s no EP, then a producer or veteran anchor should have final say. This should be clear to everyone who copy edits for the newscast on your shift. That includes reporters. That way if a fact error or ethical dilemma comes up there is a clear cut person who either makes the call or is in charge of contacting management so the bosses can make the call.

What if you do have an EP or assistant ND on staff monitoring things during your shift? Set up a gut check system with other staffers anyway. No one is perfect and managers are often pulled away or distracted by other duties. It is good to have other staffers to lean on in case you feel like the manager is too distracted to help. In the end, if you wrote the story you will be held accountable. If you end up making an ethical mistake, and we all do at one time or another, you need to protect yourself by being able to say you took steps to check your work. This should not get the other staffer you consulted with in trouble. At least that never happened with me. If I wrote the story, I was held accountable. Showing you made efforts can make the difference between a stern scolding or suspension or being fired. These gut checks will also help you grow as a journalist by seeing other perspectives and staying on your toes. So ask someone to be your other conscience and return the favor. As you can see from the examples at the beginning of this article, our industry needs more gut checks.

Shooting Sizzling Standups

I recently got a chuckle out of the “Gary Vosot Vain TV News Reporter Reel” on You Tube. The cadence, type of voicing, and formatting are dead on. You watch and laugh because he does a great job of poking fun. But you should also realize that many actual TV news standups really do sound like Gary Vosot’s parodies to viewers. Standups are a big seller for reporters and stations. So I want to let you in on a few easy techniques so you don’t get a chuckle, unless you really want one.

You probably already know the basic rules of “why” you use a standup in a story. But, it’s always worth hearing again. We all need reminders from time to time to keep our awareness and skills sharp. So, here are a few of the basic rules to keep in mind for when you include a standup in a story:

As a bridge from one distinct thought to another
As a bridge from one location to another
To impart information for which you do not have video or sound
To flow into or out of a particular sound bite
To show that you were actually there during an important news event (i.e. – you travel to a distant location to cover a big event or breaking news)

Are there other reasons for which you sometimes include a standup? Yes. Should you always include a standup? No. Sometimes a standup can actually distract from good storytelling. Remember, the story is not about YOU, it’s about the subjects you are covering. However, the reality on this last one is that many stations essentially require you to include a standup. Many of us hate this kind of rule. But there really is some sound logic to it. First, your station is paying you to be on TV, so they want to see you. Also, there is a LOT of research that shows TV news viewers tend to gravitate to the stations with talent they like and identify with. Therefore, a big part of your job is actually being seen on TV and doing your part to build these kind of “relationships” with your station’s viewers. Don’t forget, the more visible you are the, more well-known (and hopefully liked) you will become with your station’s viewers and in your community. This helps build job security. So, if your station requires standups, just do them. But, make them sizzle. Make them memorable. Make them work for your stories, your viewers and your career!

The tendency of most reporters is to just pop in front of the camera, stand there, and talk for 5-10 seconds to satisfy the need for a standup. We all do it from time-to-time. But that does not mean that it’s the best thing. I think we would all agree that the better the visuals and sound in a story, the better and more memorable the story, right? So, why should the same thinking not apply to standups? Try to make them as visual and memorable as possible.

How do you do this? My first rule when I want to jazz up a standup is to shoot it in multiple parts. But make sure there is a reason. For instance, if you’re going to do cut with a camera turn, try to make it reveal something. Here’s an example:

“The robbers then took off running down this sidewalk… they made it to about this spot

(TURN/CUT) before they ducked through the door of this old boarded up storefront. (TIGHT

SHOT OF PULLING DOOR KNOB) (COMING THROUGH DOOR TO INSIDE) But when they got

inside… the place was not empty like it probably looked.”

Just like you and the photog should be thinking visually about the b-roll in your piece, you should also be thinking about the visuals of your standups. Look for different angles. Look for nat sound to put in the middle of your standups. (Nat sound grabs/keeps viewers attention.) Heck, you can even look for VERY quick sound bites to put in the middle of your multi-part standups.

Don’t forget when you are trying to come up with an interesting standup that you have a visual expert as a partner in the process. Brainstorm with the photographer you are working with to come up with visual and creative approaches. When I ask a photog for ideas, I often get a common question in response: “What are going to say in your standup?” I like to think of things in a different way. The visuals and sound are what drive great stories. So, again, why shouldn’t they drive great standups? I usually come up with a general idea of what I want to do with my standup as we’re working a story. But I wait to “write” it until we have come up with a good idea for the visuals. Let your visual standup drive the verbage you use. Learn to do standups this way and your stories will be better.

Another of my personal rules: Don’t shoot a standup until you know where and how it’s gonna be used in your story. This is very important. Write a shell of your story, either in your head, on paper or your laptop/smartphone. At the very least write up until the point where you want/need your standup. Ever seen (or shot and used) a standup that in hindsight just did not seem to make sense in the piece or seemed like it was put in just to be put in? The technique I’m laying out here is how you get around that. Do it and your standups will always have a reason to be where they are in your stories and they will never seem meaningless.

Finally, have fun! Now, I don’t mean put a goofy, smiling standup in the middle of a serious story. (Remember Gary Vosot!) What I mean is that you should have fun with the creative side of standups. Make it a challenge to outdo yourself. If you are in a newsroom that values good photography, editing and storytelling, then have some friendly competition with your fellow reporters. And again, when your story airs and it has a finished standup that you are proud of, find your photog and tell them how much you appreciate their efforts to make it that way. It’s your face on TV but it’s the team that creates standups that truly sizzle!