Know Your Newsroom – Page 19 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Story tell or make a meter point? How to do both.

Timing a newscast is tough. There’s no other way to say it. Even experienced producers find themselves banging their heads against the wall during some newscasts. Especially when you want to encourage your reporters to turn compelling packages that tell stories instead of just spitting out facts. A tweet I recently saw by a producer made me concerned though. It said that good storytelling beats out making meter points. Here’s the deal: If you don’t hit meter points, you can and likely will blow your ratings. Then you, the producer, will lose your job. But it should not come to that because you can do both. Storytelling should not cook the clocks. It should set the clocks so you can maximize the team effort and boost the ratings. Here’s how.

Timing, one block at a time

Hide some pad
Write accordion copy
Segment it out

When I timed newscasts, I treated each block as a mini-show. That means, as all producers are aware, that you must have elements to help you stretch and elements you can dump to save time. I did this first with hidden pad time. I would round up the time for the cold open or the teases to buy a little wiggle room. I would add a few seconds to any chat time designed within a block. I even rounded up my commercial break times so I would have a few seconds to take if I needed.

Then I wrote a vo/sot/tag or two that could stand without the bite if I needed. Just script it with that tag as a third page so you can quickly kill the bite. I also would add an extra fact at the end of a vo, that the anchors could use to transition with (see Anchors don’t have chemistry ) that I could easily dump. I called it accordion copy. I could have the anchors read it all and make time, or I could chop a section and the story still made sense and I made up time.

Segment out your work when appropriate. This includes the story telling from reporters. For an explanation of how to do this read “Produce it up ” Here’s a quick summary. Have the reporter give you an interesting element for your intro, and some additional information for the anchor tag. If you can, make that anchor tag a vo or graphic with a line at the beginning that could stand alone. This way, if the package comes in long, you have a quick way to make the time up. The anchors read the first line of the tag and the graphic or vo is gone. I tried to segment out one story per block, where I created interesting elements over several script pages. This made the newscast look different, gave me a creative edge, and helped me have an easy way to make up time without giving up important content. If I was in a timing pinch the viewer still got the facts, just not some of the flash.

All of the above mentioned scenarios are ways to story tell. Remember, reporters don’t get all the dibs on storytelling. Reporters should be encouraged to tell interesting stories instead of reporting facts. Producers also need to emphasize the big picture, especially for those reporters that tend to chronically go long and turn in stories late. You know, the ones who then say they “can’t help it, they are storytelling.” Field crews should let you know if they are going long early enough for you to make a plan. It’s basic respect for the overall product. If you get stuck with a chronic “late and longer,” the tricks I just shared should still help you story tell without cooking all of the clocks.

Producer driven, doesn’t mean absolute power.

The trend in the TV industry keeps moving more toward the concept that “content is king.” In fact in the “2011 State of the News Media Annual Report,” trends show that in many markets managers consider newscasts appeal to be the brand more than the anchors. This means more newsrooms are turning into so called producer driven shops. Producers are becoming more of a commodity. With that comes more power. I even know of newsrooms in recent years where on air personalities took double digit pay cuts, while producers only had pay freezes. You can hear grumblings, “Yep it’s good to be the producer.” I also have seen some of those producers develop diva tendencies.

As a former producer it is nice to see producers get some long deserved respect for all the hard work. The job is a grind with a high burnout rate. Producers should be rewarded and compensated for taking on such an intense job. That said, you still need to form smart alliances with your coworkers. Especially reporters. In “Hey she got more time,” we explain to reporters how to think more like a producer. Now it’s time for producers to think more like reporters. Here’s why: When news managers decide “content is king” this ups the ante on producers to provide fresh elements in newscasts. In other words, with more attention placed on what you put into a newscast comes a price. You, the show producer, need to break news. You need to have fresh angles while on the line churning shows. You need to story tell even when the content is not presented in a reporter package form. (see “Produce it up.”)

Producers, the point is without your reporters solidly behind you, your newscast and you will fail. The crews provide the great nat sound for your local vo/sots. Reporters and assignment editors provide insight on how to source build if you are clueless. And don’t think that you won’t be expected to break news because you sit in the newsroom all day grinding a rundown. I worked in many producer driven shops and, in one of them, I was required to break 3 stories a week as a producer. Yes, that was on top of putting together my newscast and being unable to leave the newsroom to have lunches and shake hands with potential sources. How did I pull it off? I learned from some great reporters and assignment editors.

When content becomes a larger focus than showcasing anchor personalities, producers lose leeway for making mistakes. Mistiming a show and blowing a meter point can become a fire-able offense. I worked for one management team that did not allow us to go 15 seconds past a meter point. 15 seconds leeway is not easy to pull off, even when you are a seasoned producer. This means you cannot afford to have reporters miss slot. You cannot afford to have reporters turn in packages under or over time without your knowledge. The weather person cannot go long. Seeing my point here, yet? Producer driven shops actually make producers more dependent on other positions in the newsroom performing at a high level, for producers to also keep their jobs.

This leads to a big revelation for us control freak producers. Life doesn’t flow like a rundown. Commit that one to memory. Life doesn’t flow like a rundown. Time and again I witnessed producers that just could not roll well with change, especially late in their shift. Reporters were berated. Anchors were screamed at. The assignment desk was attacked mercilessly. You are paid to execute plans. You are told to make sure certain types of content runs at certain points. You hold your breath and hope to make the meter point to the second. On any given day the reality is, you will get about half of what you need to make your newscast sing.

You are paid to make it work even when you are handed a pile of crap. Lashing out at reporters and assignment editors that are not giving you the content you hoped for is a quick way to guarantee they will not go the extra mile to give you content the next day. If you want a newscast with killer content, and you don’t want to find all of it yourself each day, you need to cut your reporters SOME slack and hear them out when you are told certain angles just aren’t there. Sure there are some reporters you can count on more than others. Remember to not burn your stars that try to never leave you hanging. Those reporters are smart enough to know they are a big asset to you and can start pitching their ideas for other newscasts. This is especially true in mid to large sized markets.

So how do you think like a reporter? First have a frame of reference that stories don’t just appear in an hour. Be cognizant of drive time for field crews for example. If you want to tease a story that takes 2 hours for the crew to drive to, late in the day, then get creative about the tease and leave the crew largely alone. Don’t start calling to make sure the angle you want on a story is really happening, two hours after the crew walked out the door. That is, unless it is a late breaker and you have no choice because you are about to go to air. Be prepared to be flexible and move reporter pkgs around in the rundown if you must. Design a backup lead in case yours falls through. Field crews must be flexible all day long. Producers need to do the same, as much as possible. No, this doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards for content for your newscast. But it may mean you have to turn more of it yourself on a given day, if the crews are struggling. Do not berate the assignment desk or field crews over story ideas people come in with and belittle them by calling them “stupid” etc. If you do, expect major backlash! The thinking is “If you’re so great think of the ideas yourself.” I have been in plenty of editorial meetings and watched many reporters say, “I have story ideas but you won’t like them so tell me what I am turning today.” Suddenly you are in a very uncomfortable position.

Lastly, think about what it’s like to be left out to dry as a reporter. Do not leave field crews hanging, waiting to go live, without any clue when this will actually happen. Give crews time cues. If you must float them say “floating you.” There is little worse than standing in front of a camera, ready to go, and just hanging there wondering when you are actually going to be on. It is excruciating! I knew producers that would routinely get breaking news, then leave field crews sitting in ready position, for 20 minutes or more, without a word spoken to them. Then suddenly they would hear, “You’re up!” and the anchor is pitching.” IFB is going in and out. The field crew is thoroughly confused and caught off guard on camera! When quizzed about these tight spots the producers would say, “You should just be ready for when I say ‘Go!’” This is so unprofessional. It takes no time to say, “floating” or “stand down, need a few minutes.” Making your field crew hang in the balance feels like the heart pumping wait you endure when a package feeds at the last second before it is supposed to air. You hold your breath. You take a chance and you pray you don’t screw up and pitch to a story that isn’t cued up yet. Your adrenaline is gushing and it just plain stinks! You know how that feels don’t you? No reporter wants to be taken live looking like he/she is clueless to their surroundings. Just before air, even the most seasoned reporter has his/her adrenaline pumping, ready to go. Be respectful of what it takes to stand motionless and stare straight into the camera to cleanly go live. Give updates. Make sure the crew knows you are ready to go. Always remember, you don’t have absolute power. The best leaders respect and build up the people around them.

The anchors don’t have any chemistry, can a producer fix it?

This can be a complex problem, that everyone involved needs to help fix. Truthfully, the bulk of the repair is often placed on the shoulders of the producer. When you watch a newscast and the anchors just don’t seem to relate to each other, there are ways around to ease the tension.

Creating chemistry

One anchor begins, where the other leaves off
Talk through chat opportunities
Play on anchor’s interests

Again, this article is from a producing perspective. Anchors, we will talk about how you can build camaraderie later. Let’s begin by helping anchors play off of each other, through scripting. These are tried and true techniques to showcase the anchors together in a way that you can control. The techniques incorporate two shots. Traditionally producers are taught to use two shots at the beginning of blocks, to start off teases, and to pitch to weather and sports. The use of a two shot is so much more important though. It provides a conversational bridge when subjects are related. To really boil it down, you can use a two shot to build your team when switching from the tag of one story, to the intro of the next. It shows the anchors working together. This requires conversational writing. (read “So Cliché” and “Rule the Word” to make sure you are doing all you can to write like people talk) Here’s a scenario with anchors “JOHN” and “BETTY” to make it clear:

(JOHN/1 SHOT-TAG)

YOU HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 2013 TO APPLY FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT REFINANCE PROGRAM.

(JOHN/TURN TO TWO SHOT)

WE ASKED AROUND TODAY AND A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS ARE REALLY CONF– USED ABOUT HOW TO APPLY.

(BETTY/STILL ON TWO SHOT)

AND WHO TO APPLY WITH.

AFTER ALL… THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T HAVE A SET OFFICE FOR REFINANCING YOUR HO– USE.

(BETTY/TURN TO DOUBLE BOX)

SO TODAY JOE SCHMO CHECKED… TO MAKE SURE YOU WOULD KNOW WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO BRING.

JOE IS IT A CONFUSING PROCESS?

This copy provides a mini, controlled conversation between the anchors. The anchors quickly transition to the next part of the story, there is an opportunity for limited ad lib (when the anchor says government doesn’t have a set office for refinancing your house, the other anchor’s mic can be up so he/she could say, on the fly, something like ”it sure doesn’t”) and the anchors are working together to get the answers viewers want. I often used two shot transitions like this to build team. Then, I single anchor pitched to weather or sports more often. Those two anchor pitches to weather and sports almost always appear forced. You have to do one token 3 shot pitch to build team somewhere. But that doesn’t mean do it every time you take weather, especially in an hour long newscast.

When you do have opportunities to chat to build team (like the pitch to weather) ask the anchors to plan it out for you. Have whomever actually pitches to weather go to the meteorologist to ask about what’s first in the forecast. Yes, it is easier for you to just throw a line in, since you talk with the weather person anyway. But the point is to help the anchors build relationships. The hope is that going in to ask that question before the newscast will lead to a conversation so the anchors continue to find ways to relate to each other.

Here’s another technique to help with chat: I used to write only the words “ad lib” in at least one tag per newscast (usually on a lighter story) to force the anchors to talk to each other and come up with a plan for chat somewhere in the show, other than weather and sports. I made sure the anchors looked at that script well before the show. The rest was up to the anchors to hash out. If I had awesome video, I would take a two shot coming out, with at most a factoid in there, so the two anchors would have to talk to each other. This often helped break the ice a bit.

It can be also very effective to have one anchor read a story about a subject the other anchor really likes. Then you go to a two shot at the very end of the tag. It can make for a great ad lib opportunity. I had an anchor that loved Halle Berry. (Anytime he said her name he would actually blush!) So sometimes I had the other anchor read the story about Halle Berry, then say the last line of the tag on a two shot. I did that just so we could catch the other anchor blushing a bit. Even if they didn’t ad lib, the look between them was priceless! His co-anchor would smile and roll her eyes as he blushed. It was a very human, relatable moment. This is another reason why it is important to learn about your anchors and their personal interests (see “How to get inside your anchors heads and write in their voices”).

The most important thing to keep in mind when trying to create chemistry, is keeping the moments of interaction brief. Again, that doesn’t mean avoiding two shots. It means using two shots more as a transition in the middle of news blocks, and less as a way to chat and possibly fill time in places like weather and sports. As the anchors get used to playing off each other, the chemistry often starts to jell. You just have to give it time and some gentle nudges.

Why photojournalists should put together photo essays even if your station doesn’t often air them.

Okay, I can hear you talking to your computer screens now, calling this idea (and me) crazy. Photojournalists hoof it all day, bust their butts, are exhausted at the end of it and don’t need more work with no reward. Hear me out though. This is meant to help you keep perspective.

Perspective on what? Why you hoof it all day, bust your butt and work yourself to the bone. There is an art to your craft. Artists need time to just create. I am not saying turn a piece every week or month. But when a story really gnaws at you and you shot the heck out of it and only a small part of your great video was used, save the video and turn a photo essay. Even if you will probably get a “No” answer, give it to an EP and ask where it could air. Put the piece on YouTube. Show it to your spouse or your favorite reporter. Send a link to the photojournalist that inspired you to become one yourself. Post a link on the SurviveTVNewsJobs Facebook page. Experiment and take ownership in having a piece that is just yours.

Too often nowadays TV news is a grind. You churn and burn and it feels hollow. You end your day wondering, “Did I make a difference at all?” Great pieces can and do come along that keep the fire alive, but sometimes you get in a rut. This is a way to keep you focused. It is a way to remind you, and the reporters you work with, that TV is worthless without your video and audio. It helps you push yourself to improve your storytelling. It can also lead to other opportunities. I know a great photographer with many Emmys who was able to prove he could also write and associate produce, in part, by putting together well thought out photo essay pieces. It also feeds the artist in you. We fellow TV journalists need to see your perspective in this way sometimes. It helps us remember the true power of this medium too. So please, turn an occasional photo essay, for all of us.