Category: Management Issues

When the interview really counts: Why you must connect with the Assistant ND.

News Directors get all the attention traditionally when it comes to job interviews and station identity.  They set the agenda for the station and have the most connections to help you in the future right?  Not always.  Over the years I have learned that getting along with the assistant news director can be even more important for several reasons.

First it’s a simple matter of exposure.  You will barely see the news director. That person is just too busy any given day.  That means when it comes to review time the person who will weigh in most heavily about you is the assistant news director.  Also, this is the person you will go to first when you want time off, a different shift, have an ethical dilemma, personality conflict issue with a staffer, or are considering asking for a promotion.   If you don’t see eye to eye with the assistant news director your stress level will easily double on the job.

Now, because you spend more time with the assistant news director, you must remember this person is the key influencer about you to the news director.  The AND’s opinion carries a lot of weight.  Yes, news directors can and sometimes do disagree with the AND’s view.  But why risk a potential personality clash with a person that plays such a key role in determining your reputation?

Remember an AND’s reach goes way beyond the newsroom.  Since assistant news directors spend a lot of time recruiting potential employees they are the true networkers for the station.  They are constantly talking with people you want to impress in other markets nationwide.

Assistant news directors are also “in training” most of the time to become NDs.  Very few are happy just to sit in the number two position.  Most are waiting for their big chance to take control of a newsroom.  If you get along with a real up and comer, this person could catapult both of your careers, as much or more than the ND him/herself.

So now that you know what’s at stake, here are some techniques to figure out if you and the assistant ND will get along.

  • Talk news philosophy
  • Ask for the AND’s role models
  • Do a background check

When you interview at a station you always need to figure out the news philosophy.  It is key, and must happen.  (See “Interview the Station” for ways to do this.)   But when you ask questions about news philosophy, you need to really quiz the assistant news director.  Here’s why:  Just because the news director wants a station to go in a certain direction doesn’t mean the assistant news director agrees.  This can be especially true in chronic 2nd, 3rd and 4th place stations.  Often there are philosophical debates raging all the time about what the station’s news philosophy should be.  The assistant news director is usually much more hands on in the day-to-day coverage decisions than the news director.  Time and again I sat in newsrooms where the news director clearly stated one news philosophy, and the assistant news director executed a different news philosophy.  I know that sounds crazy, but it happens A LOT.  You need to make sure you can roll with both news philosophies if that’s the case.  Sometimes you have to try and placate both the ND’s and AND’s expectations on a story.  If the ND starts taking a more hands on approach you need to be able to change your work to reflect that news philosophy.  Same is true if the AND expects a different news philosophy.  If the two of them differ greatly, you need to decide whether you want to walk into a situation where you are constantly caught in the middle and being asked whose side you are on.  You will end up in battles of will between the top two newsroom managers.  You will feel like you cannot win, no matter what you do on any given day.  If you get in this situation, it can be better to execute the AND’s news philosophy because he/she runs day-to-day operations in the newsroom.  You cannot execute that if you don’t know what the AND wants.

Another way to make sure you and the assistant news director will jibe is to talk about your favorite news people during the interview.  Ask who the AND’s mentors are and why.  You will learn a lot about how this person ticks.  Ask if the AND knows some of your favorite journalists and see what the reaction is to those names.  You want a shared connection to start building a relationship if you decide to work with that particular AND.

If you have mutual acquaintances call those people to get more perspective.  Just remember the AND will call also.  Be on your p’s and q’s.  You do not want the mutual acquaintance to say you thought the AND was a jerk, but you are trying to be sure.  If you do not have mutual acquaintances then you really need to contact staffers at the AND’s former stations.  We explain how to do this in The Station Called. The Job’s Yours. Now What?

Remember the AND will be the most influential in your day-to-day existence in a given newsroom.  If you are like oil and water, it will mean you either lose a job or get an ulcer waiting for that AND to move on to greener pastures.

 

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It’s GM’s agenda and you are stuck covering it “as news.”

We promise this situation will happen to you. It happened to us at several stations, in small to large markets.  General Manager walks into an editorial meeting and says “So what are we doing to cover such and such, ( fill-in the blank, new road widening project,  special session by legislature,  tax incentive package for a new industry in town etc.) since our viewers the tax payers are getting screwed.”  The news director gives a blank look followed by the lifted eyebrow smirk, then stares at you, “So how will you cover that story today?”

If this happens, say you are going to make some calls and get out of the room pronto.  Better yet, grab your photog and get out of the building while you make those calls! Why?  You do not want the GM to start going off on specific players and agendas for the story.  You do not want specifics on how this story should be told, and exactly what the tease will say.  That way, if it is the GM skimming headlines and misinterpreting reality, you won’t end up having to tell him/her.  Without specifics chances are you can find some small nugget to package.

Next, call the newsroom mega brain.  You know, the walking, talking, human factoid! This person can save you hours of stress and research.  Do the necessary ego stroke and get the person to give you background information on this subject.  You need time to work sources for a backup in case the story falls apart.  The “human factoid” usually can at least provide the name and number for a player in town who will give you insight on whether the GM’s “news” really is “news.”

Do your thing, work it and try to find an interesting character or bit of video to showcase so you can get by.  If there’s just nothing to the story give the basics, then try and include a little subtle perspective in your anchor intro or  tag.  Managers tend to play in that copy more anyway.  This way, if the story is taken out of context and the GM gets a call, it will more likely become management’s problem instead of the reporter’s failing.

If you cannot find a nugget to package, and there’s simply nothing to the story, offer to write a vo or vo/sot and let your manager know early.  That gives management time to derail the GM situation well before the newscast airs.  It helps if you can offer an interesting alternative story the manager can have you churn out instead.  Sometimes management will then take the GM “news” burden off of you and have an anchor front it somewhere cool on set. You are off the hook, and the GM still feels heard without the station blowing a weak story out of proportion.

If you are told to package a story and say certain things in a tease you don’t like, try and do a subtle rewrite.  Also, know this happens to everyone from time to time.  Chances are your credibility is not ruined.  Those in the know in town realize you got stuck “being the good soldier.”

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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