Producing – Page 7 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Why don’t you show us how it’s done then! The result of on set rants in the booth.

So now we know that anchors often resort to onset rants, when they are super frustrated and feel there is no other outlet. Anchors, we get it. Other journalists understand some of these issues are hard to take, but it’s time for you to see what impact that moment of weakness has on the rest of the team.

First, the producer. Let me clue you in on a little secret, producers tend to be control freaks, who place a lot of their self worth on their work. Their biggest points of pride, the writing and flow of the newscast. The writing is their stamp, on the newscast. So when you the anchor make fun of the writing, right or wrong, for many producers it is a deeply personal insult. In some ways it is the same as viewers sending scathing critiques of your clothes, hair or delivery. It takes awhile for many producers to understand that the writing has to be a team effort. (see “How to get inside your anchors heads”). Anchors can say the critiques are not personal until you are blue in the face, most producers never buy it.

The producer is also the team leader, especially in shops with newscasts that are more content driven rather than personality driven. So when you make fun of the writing or complain about how it made you look, you are essentially calling out the newscast leader as a fool. That is how it feels to the producer, and the production staff. Again, think about this. I personally know of only one anchor, foolish enough to call out an AND or ND in the middle of the newsroom. Producers are a type of manager as well. Show enough respect to talk to the producer one on one.

That said, producers read “I can’t believe that aired again!” and understand, anchors usually do not go off on the set unless they feel they have no voice and that any suggestions in the past were ignored. So, if the anchors are constantly calling you out on the set, it can be a message. You don’t respect us, and therefore we don’t respect you. As the leader of the newscast, you have to try and make amends. It is important that you not only allow critiques to happen, but actually acknowledge them and make changes at times. You are fallible. Everyone is fallible. Recognize it, grow from it, and allow yourself to self reflect. Leaders help those around them rise up. Are you doing that or serving your own self interests? Spell out to the anchors, that you will really listen to what they have to say. If you go against their advice, say why. One more thing, solid leaders also admit when they make mistakes. If you can set that tone, chances are the people around you will too, and all of you will grow together. Set up basic trust, that is crucial especially during breaking news. All of you need each other.

Anchors need to consider another thing before ranting on the set. It undermines your authority with the production staff as well. No one wants to sit and hear someone being criticized openly. If you can say that about the producer, what do you say about the production crew behind their backs? It causes a sense of superiority that is not appropriate. Production crews and producers are fully aware of how much they impact your success. Never, ever, forget that. Every time you sit on the set, you are placing your fate in many hands, no matter how talented you are. Do you really want them collectively saying “Why don’t you show us how it’s done then?” They will monitor how long you take to do your hair and makeup, they will help managers figure out if you take three hour dinner breaks, even on big news days. In other words, if you regularly rant on the set, you better be the hardest working journalist in the newsroom EVERY SINGLE DAY, or you will have a host of enemies waiting to watch you get yours. It is just the truth. A producer I used to work with purposely used words her anchor struggled to pronounce in copy, and especially during breaking news, just to trip the anchor up. She was tired of the on set rants. I watched a production crew, purposely call up a mic line early to catch an anchor in a rant, on live TV, just to make her shut up. I have also seen producers lobby together to request that anchors be fired, because the on set rants became too much to take.

News is stressful. We all have moments of weakness. But when those moments happen on set, they are not easily forgiven. They create the “us vs. them” mentality that damages so many newsrooms and so many newscasts. Anchors, stop those rants. Producers, give anchors a forum to talk with you about concerns, and really listen and learn from the information. Make it your pledge for the new year. You will be shocked how much better all of you perform when you set aside the ego, and focus on team.

That term is suspect: When to use the word and when to avoid.

By now most of you know we have a cliché list of words and phrases you just should not use. “Allegedly” is one of the very worst, and we explained how to get around it. Now let’s talk about another very overused, and obviously misunderstood term: “suspect.”

By definition “suspect” means: “to think (a person) guilty without having proof.” It is a term police, lawyers and judges use. Viewers get the essence of it, quite possibly more than most newsies. I say that because when you watch an a-block in most newsrooms around the country, you hear “suspect” being used, in a way it should not, constantly.

Here’s a common example, when describing a convenience store robbery with surveillance video. “Here you see the masked suspects approaching the counter with guns and demanding cash from the register.” Um, no. “Here you see the robbers pointing guns at the cashier.” The people with the guns, who then take handfuls of cash from the register are not “suspects.” They are the people who did it. Police may not know their names yet but, you can see in the video, they are the “robbers.” The people in the video are guilty, the video shows proof. You see them committing the criminal act.

Now here’s what to do, if the person is not wearing a mask. As we explained in “Getting around allegedly” if you see the person doing it and police confirm that’s what happened, simply attribute it. “Police say you are watching a man rob this store.” “Suspect” is not going to help you here. The man is seen holding the gun. State the facts. Attribute to police.

Inexperienced writers, if you are unsure, exercise caution. These concepts take a while to grasp. Remember, you must attribute. Words like “suspect” do not really protect you. Saying for example, “Police call Joe Schmo a suspect.” can still create problems. You can say police have identified a suspect and not show a face or say a name. Remember, unless the person is a public figure, the name is less important to viewers than the fact investigators are moving forward and possibly solving the crime. The safest bet, is to wait to say a name until there are charges. Once a person is arrested, they are no longer simply a suspect. So saying “Suspect Joe Schmo is charged with.” is not a protection. The term suspect, has to be used clearly, not as a crutch phrase.

Why generic video is a killer for TV news.

Yes, the title of this article is a strong statement. TV news is up against some large hurdles, the largest being making sure your newscasts and stories actually have impact for the viewer. If they don’t, viewers leave. Generic video creates an instant disconnect. That’s why I defined it and talked about ways around in Show it, explain it, and that’s why I am dedicating a second article. It is important to understand that this common crutch really kills credibility.

If viewers watch a story, and the video doesn’t make sense with the words two things happen: The viewer gets confused and misses half of the story, and the viewer starts wondering if the person reading the story knows what he/she is even talking about. Think about it, would you do a presentation for a group of people and not use the correct power point diagrams? Would you notice if the graphics don’t make sense and become angry that the speaker keeps flashing them up anyway, just so there is something on a screen? This is how generic video comes off to TV news viewers. It is confusing, and frustrating.

Viewers want to grasp what you are saying and showing to them. Video and sound help imprint it in their busy minds, so they actually remember what was said, who said it and what it meant. That is too powerful a tool, to just write a story, and hope the video makes sense. You must know what your images are, and relate the facts to the video. Otherwise you are telling viewers to go elsewhere, because your station is clueless.

So if you want to stand out on the job, and as a journalist period, show video, use sound, and explain it. Vow to never put a piece of video into your package or your newscast that you don’t reference in some way. It’s time to say goodbye to generic video.

Why Producers Should Be Active on Twitter (In Much More Than 140 Characters)

A news producer’s job is never done. Trust me, I am one. How do we both engage the anchors and keep our newscasts looking fresh and relevant to an audience who has had access to the internet all day long? I’m about to suggest a method that will initially make many of you cringe.

Add Twitter to your repertoire. It will make you a better producer who can come up with story ideas faster and have a better grasp on what people in the “real world” are talking about at any given time.

Ok, now that you’ve read that twice, done the gratuitous spit take, and asked the screen (or your fellow producers, for that matter) how on Earth you will have time for that in an already slammed day, I’ll explain. Again, trust me: I jumped into the Twitterverse about 3 years ago now. I have no on-screen presence, so no one knows me. Yet, as of this writing, I have 2100+ followers – more than any of the on-air talent at our station – and it has helped me come up with stories, angles, sources, and scoops that have eluded reporters assigned to those beats. Believe me yet? Then let’s get started.

Step One: Get on Twitter

For some reason, most TV producers are technophobes. We may work with computers all day, but few of us know how they work, and I believe that lack of knowledge leads us to be late adopters of any new technology. In my shop, I’m the Go-To-Girl (outside our online department, that is) when it comes to social media. For anyone reading this, I will direct you to this very readable article from Mashable to set yourself up accordingly. Instead of reinventing the wheel; we take someone else’s wheel and put some shiny new spinners on it!

Step Two: Start with the familiar

As with anything new, I’m going to suggest that you start with something familiar. For a producer, that’s a press release. A number of government organizations, non-profits, and other groups use Twitter as just another venue to distribute the traditional press releases. Not ideal for them, but their lost opportunity is still our gain. Recognizing this is one of the first steps toward using Twitter to make your day more efficient.

Take 30 minutes or so per day for a week or two and find the Twitter feeds of all the major newsmakers in your area. For example, I’m in North Carolina. My governor has a Twitter account. So does my DOT, where I can get all the info on closed roads, and upcoming road hearings and construction projects. That’s news your viewers want to use. All the major universities near me Tweet their news, and so do a number of state agencies. All of a sudden, some of that stuff that’s cluttering up my inbox, I can read while I’m on Twitter. There’s one major difference, though: The press release in your inbox is a static document. The Tweet is dynamic – people highlight the parts they find pertinent, they comment upon it, and the forward it to friends. This gives you insight into what’s really important in a news release, instead of just the headline.

Once you start collecting a number of similar sources, create lists. That makes it easy to check the updates without them getting lost in your information stream. That may seem pointless now, but the more successful at this you become, the more you’ll need these tools to sift through the information so nothing important slips through the cracks. I use HootSuite to make that happen, but some of my co-workers swear by TweetDeck as well. Others use the original Twitter interface. Bottom line, get organized now before the data overwhelms you.

One more thing before we leave this step – follow your competition! It’s just like watching their newscast or reading their website, and I guarantee they’ll follow you when they see you becoming active online. Get their main account, then look for their individuals, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Think twice before interacting, though. Take commenting slowly, and with a grain of salt, unless you know them personally. Also be aware, your management may frown upon actual interaction with the “Other Guys” beyond just following them.

Step Three: Start the conversation

Now, Tweet something. It’s that simple. When you go to a Meet up group, the only guaranteed way to get people to start talking to you is to start conversation with them. So begin. Start small – after all, you’re still looking for your voice. Tweeting a tease for your newscast is a good start, but make sure you’re not all news, all the time. Have a conversation with the general public. Ask open-ended questions that people are encouraged to answer. Post random musings or some of those funny things you overhear in a newsroom. Don’t do anything stupid, like posting where your spare key is hidden or that Fido the Guard Dog is all alone at your house tonight.

For the numbers-based producers among us, when starting out, I’d try to go 60%-40% news-non news tweets. As you start to develop an audience, drop back to 40% news (including news organization retweets) 30% non-news, 30% interacting with people and retweets of actual people. These are just guidelines, though, for people who feel better with rules to follow. In the end, let your gut reaction be your guide.

A few examples from my last few days:

My boyfriend asked me, could haiku fit in a tweet? Yes, with space to spare. This falls into random… Doesn’t require an answer, but people will anyway.

The National Honesty Index says redheads are more honest than blondes or brunettes! Woo hoo Gingers! (I am one – I can say that!) This is part of me being me online… not quite random but not overly informative either

Read @jgravleyWRAL to get the developments on Butch Davis releasing his personal cell records This tweet doubles as relating news AND relationship-building… SCORE!
Get your whooping cough vaccine! A baby in Forsyth County is now the first 2012 pertussis death in NC – @WRAL at noon to find out where the shots are Blatant news tease, but it doesn’t read like one. You get something out of it even if you don’t watch the news

Which brings me to something to watch out for – when you do tweet news teases, be sure to offer substance in the tweet itself. Don’t make the whole thing a tease, or people will stop reading your stream. I’ve read many a news station tweet that is aiming solely for the gratuitous click-through, so they say something to the effect of

“Let us know if this is the way you think the logo should look” followed by a link to their website.

That makes me, as a reader, feel a little used. I would suggest changing it to something like this to make readers feel engaged:

“The state DOT has three options for the new construction zone sign. You can vote for your favorite on our website (same link here)

See – don’t you feel better knowing what you’re clicking? More satisfied? Thought you might. On to step 4 – the other half of the conversation.
Step Four: Find some listeners

So far, we’ve followed institutions, and we’ve started talking. Now it’s time to make sure people are listening. Some of the organizational accounts you’ve followed have probably followed you back, and that’s a start. However, taking Twitter to the next level means finding humans and acting human online. This is where real life interactions come in. If you know someone in your area who is big into Twitter, ask them for a few people to follow. Once you get to know them, ask those people for more suggestions.

Pay attention to the #FF (follow Friday) recommendations that go by – a number of people will qualify their posts so you know what you’re getting. For example, #FF TV Edition, #FF Raleigh Socialites, #FF Coworkers, et cetera. Check out the ones that are in areas you’re interested in learning more about – if you don’t like them or they aren’t useful, it’s okay to unfollow them later.

Resist the urge to follow anyone and everyone in an attempt to “collect” followers – try to stick to people who are saying things you find interesting, whether it’s about work or your hobbies or a celebrity who interests you. Once you find these people, actually read their tweets. Respond. Interact. Soon you’ll be someone who is on their radar screen, and you’ll move from feeling like you’re “talking at” people to actually “conversing with” them.

There’s even something to learn from all those organizational account I asked you to follow. Some of them use Twitter as a press release clearinghouse, others actually get it. They use their 140 characters wisely to draw you into their organization or the story they’re selling that day. One of our local universities does a stellar job with this – They send out their typical press releases via email, but when they boil it down to put on Twitter, they find the “why you should care” element and sell it well. While I am honored they believe journalists can make sense of some of the highly academic language, we often skip interesting things farther down the release because we miss or just can’t find the “Why we care” factor. Twitter can help you tease that out, both in picking stories and in writing them.
These are the steps that just make Twitter an enjoyable experience. Now, it’s time to step up and get your news cred out there too.

Step Five: Before you click that Retweet button…

As you start reading posts, you’ll find a few things you want to share. Twitter makes that so easy – a few clicks and boom – retweeted to all your followers. Before you make that set of clicks, though, pause and ask yourself:

1) is it really interesting or really funny? Or are you just putting another LOLcat out there?

2) Where does it come from? My rule of thumb is that any news organization that my station respects enough to call by name on the air, I’ll retweet without worries. So just like we would say “A Washington Post investigation reports…” I have no problem retweeting content from the Washington Post. Same for AP, CNN, BBC, and NPR – add to the list as you see fit for your area. On the flip side, I’d stay away from retweeting any other content from major media in your own market. Independents organizations are ok in my book – they may even thank you for it – but no helping out the local newspaper.

3) Is it on my site already, or can I get it on my site so the link I post drives the traffic there? If you see a funny story on the wires and want to tweet a link, check your station’s site first. If it’s not there, ask your web folks if they’ll put it up. If your station is serious about social media, they’ll appreciate the fact that you thought of driving the traffic to your own site rather than MSNBC or Yahoo News.

Step Six: Adding a Link

It’s worth a paragraph or two here to talk about link shorteners. Links can take up valuable real estate in a tweet, and the shorter they are, the better. I’m lucky enough not to have to worry about it – our company’s dedication to social media included unique URLs that can be shortened so that all that appears in the tweet is www.wral.com/{unique story ID number here} . Talk to your online division to see if you have anything similar.

If you don’t, this is the argument for using a management website such as HootSuite or TweetDeck for your interface. Both have link shorteners built into their tweet page – just copy, paste, click “shorten” and voila – an owl.ly or a bit.ly link takes the place of the mumbo jumbo you started with.
Step Seven: Live Tweet something

Next time you have breaking news, start live tweeting it. If you can, use a hash tag that makes it obvious you’re local, such as #ncwx or #RaleighTraffic. Each situation calls for a different approach, but here are a few I’ve found to be most common:

In a weather situation, send out updates on where the storm is, who needs to watch out, and when viewers share, retweet their descriptions and images! Put out the all-call on the broadcast for people to send information via Facebook and Twitter, then use that information liberally (once it’s confirmed!). I would also recommend reminding people to do so WHEN IT IS SAFE. You’d be surprised what some people will do to get their 10 seconds of cell phone video on TV.

For a developing situation, a verdict being read in court, anything with background or multiple layers, try to keep the tweets coming. You don’t have to send an update every 30 seconds, but as developments come into the newsroom and get confirmed, send ’em out. Keep your writing to a headline-style – it’s easier for people to see that you’re in “news” mode. Have your station’s hash tag on things where you can, and always wrap it up with a recap, a drive to the full story, and if possible, what you’ll have on TV in your next newscast. An example:

Jury finds Jason Young guilty of first-degree murder in death of pregnant wife #YoungTrial
Young convicted of beating his pregnant wife, Michelle, to death in their Wake County home in Nov 2006, leaving 2 yr old daughter at scene
Young could face death penalty, sentencing phase starts after lunch recess #YoungTrial
Young’s mother crying in courtroom as judge polls jurors on murder conviction #YoungTrial
Jury convicts Jason Young of murdering his wife. Full recap on @WRAL.com, Amanda Lamb talks live to his wife’s sister @ 5p on @wral

If there’s a bad accident, tweet the crash then the detour route. If there’s a big announcement, tweet the highlights. In most scenarios, be sure to take the time to sound a little more human when you send these out. If your news copy would say “breaking news in West Raleigh where an accident involving a tractor trailer and two cars has blocked Hillsborough street” then the tweets should say:
Wreck blocking eastbound Hillsborough Street at Dan Allen Drive – avoid the area for a half hour or so.
If you need to miss the Hillsborough/Dan Allen trouble spot, try 440 to Western Blvd, turn rt on Pullen to get back on track
Tractor trailer rolled over a car on Hillsborough Street, and everyone survived – check the pics on wral.com (put a real link here to the pictures instead of a generic website tease if you can)

Overall, live tweeting an event is the fastest way to get your news chops out there and have people recognize you as a conduit to the TV news. This usually ends in new followers and builds your personal online brand as a go-to person for news in your area. Which leads me to my last step:

Step Eight: I’m gleaning info – now what?

Twitter can be a veritable gold mine of information, story ideas, tips, and filler stories. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the challenges of what to do with that information.

First, do not report anything that comes from Twitter as fact! Treat it as scanner traffic or something you got from a dispatcher. Best case scenario, in the case of viewer pictures of weather or car accidents, be SURE to say in your copy “We received this picture from a viewer via Twitter- they say this is the scene right now in blah-blah-blah.” It doesn’t absolve you from legal responsibility, but it does protect you in some cases. Otherwise, treat it as background knowledge that you can use for questioning authorities but do not run with it to air unless you have a second source.

There’s really only one exception to that rule: authorized, official Twitter accounts. I mentioned above that our state’s Governor has a Twitter account. So do both of our state Senators. We have had the discussion as a station, and decided to consider anything tweeted on those accounts to be official statements from those offices, we just write it into the script that instead of issuing a statement, the officials tweeted. So in the midst of the Rep. Todd Akin controversy, even though we never received a press release with the statement, I had a script in my 5pm newscast that read:

North Carolina’s Senior Senator has joined a growing number of Republicans calling for Rep. Todd Akin to remove himself from the Missouri Senate race. This afternoon, Senator Richard Burr tweeted: “Congressman Akin’s comments were offensive, outrageous, & wrong. I urge him to do the right thing & withdraw from MO Senate race now.”

Neat, eh?

This new community is also ripe for helping reporters find story contacts – just tweet what you need! Or for getting an idea what they think is news-worthy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sent the tweet “slow morning meeting today – anybody got a story idea for me?” People are usually quick to respond, but I don’t recommend sending that one out until you have a significant following. Finally, your newsroom management may be on board with the idea of social media, but when you make the argument “This is trending on Twitter” or “It’s hot online, tomorrow it’ll be old news,” you may get some strange looks, or even pshaw’d at times. It happens to all of us. Keep trying to make your case. Eventually, you’ll break a story or build up enough times when you were right that they will start to listen. Cut them a break – chances are you were a bit of a Luddite too before you started this process.

There you have it – a brief overview of what I’ve done over the last few years to cultivate the community of followers and leads that I have on Twitter. It’s a community that has brought me story ideas, direct tips, interviews, and ideas from seeing what other people are talking about. It has given me that extra story to fill the 5 o’clock news, or a glimpse into what’s going viral so we can be on the front edge of the wave and show it to you now, instead of tomorrow when it feels old. It’s a place for an exchange of ideas that will help you think a little faster the next time you need a plan C for a story that falls through. It’s how playing on the Internet can actually make you a better producer, if you put in the work. I’m @sbeckwral – let me know if you see results.

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Stephanie Beck is a producer at WRAL in Raleigh. Has been there since 2001. She spends her free time traveling to dance West Coast Swing (like in her Twitter profile picture) with her boyfriend and watching Dr. Who and anything Sorkin. Stephanie has been known to contribute to the number of cat photos on the net, but Calypso and Fritz do not have their own accounts. She attended UNC for BA and MA. She is always looking for the next way to engage her audience. Stephanie is one of the most followed local TV news producers on Twitter.