Survival Kit – Page 14 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Writer’s Block. Ways to inspire at crunch time.

My brain’s favorite time to develop writers block was sweeps, when I was slamming copy before the newscast. (Sound familiar? Who’s with me?) It’s not an ideal time to stare at the screen and hope the words just come. So how do you get around that blank screen and blank mind? These techniques just might spark some inspiration.

Keep some of your favorite writing in a folder

Great writing, inspires great writing. Keep a folder with your favorite teases, vo’s and other nice writing handy. This can be stuff you wrote or something a mentor wrote. The point is, by pulling out the folder and reading some of these beauties, you might just get inspired. The techniques you notice in these scripts might trigger ideas.

Look at how other producers or reporters wrote the story, with goal of making yours different

Most of us thrive on the thrill of competition. Hopping into another rundown and looking at how a different reporter or producer wrote the story naturally sets off the “I can top that!” instinct that’s innate in most newsies. It often helps you quickly brainstorm a different approach or angle and, next thing you know, you bang out a bunch of good copy.

Get up and walk around

A change in scenery can really refresh your mind. Get up from your desk or the live truck and walk around. Get the blood rushing to your brain again. The longer you sit, the more comatose you feel and the less you think. You know the drill. A quick walk often gets everything moving again, including your news brain.

Eat a snack.

Keep a little something around to munch on. I know we are all calorie conscious. So, it doesn’t have to be chocolate. In fact, something crunchy, can be a good distraction as well. Often when you reach for the snack you realize you didn’t eat lunch. (Again, sound familiar?) You can’t write well when you are out of fuel.

The most important thing to do is not panic, especially if the writer’s block hits when you are really slamming on deadline. If none of these tricks work and you are down to one story, see if someone else can throw in a first line for you. That can be enough to get the ball rolling and finish the script. Bottom line, you will get the work done. You have to!

Own the night. Finding and executing stories night side.

This article idea came from a reporter on Facebook who recently moved to night side. If you have ever worked this shift, you already know what he asked. How do you find stories, much less break news, night side when everyone you’re calling wants to just go home for dinner and offices are closed?

No doubt generating solid content can be challenging on a night where there is not a big event planned, a huge story that easily carries through or breaking news. The biggest key to “owning the night” is recognizing you will need to give up a little of your off time to build sources and set up stories. When you first begin as a night sider this will be a little time consuming, unless you’ve already worked in the same city for a while and have sources. But, once you build up some sources (read “Cultivating Sources” if you need help building up sources), it will not take that much time to call and make your checks. In fact, in some ways, it can be easier to see if a story you are hearing about really is sound, than it is for dayside reporters. Remember, day siders have to try and figure out if a story is legit when people are eating breakfast, getting the kids to school and running late. You can make calls as they come back from lunch and are often tying up loose ends and actually have some time to talk. So, eventually, it will be easier to get the info verified quickly. You just need to figure out who to call on your beat.

Speaking of beats, act like you have one, even if there is no formal defined beat system in your shop. By that I mean, figure out what types of stories management bites on at night, and source build around those topics. (see “How to Pitch and Pull Off Stories in Producer Driven Shops” for more on how to do that) You just don’t have the time to source build in every section of the DMA on every subject. Pick a couple of subjects and areas of the DMA and stick to that at first. It will help you. Just make sure the veteran night sider hasn’t already built up a rapport with the same agencies and sources, so you are not double calling and confusing the agencies.

Try and work a day ahead if you can. Forward looking stories about an upcoming hot button issue in town, or a major event, you will probably cover in a day or two can be great “fall backs” on a slow news night. You can informally set those types of stories up ahead of time.

When I managed PM newscasts, my go to night side reporters, usually called the desk around lunchtime to see if an assignment editor had heard of anything that might pop that night. Then the reporter would make a few calls and come in with a solid story idea. I often got calls on my way into work from reporters who had checked with sources to feel out interest on potential stories they could pitch when we got to work. This was a great help as well. I could say, “Set it up.” or “Look for something else.” early in the process. It took all of us just a few minutes, and often paid off in the end.

This may sound obvious, but another station in town used to routinely “break” interesting crime stories a day ahead of us. We eventually figured out that one of their night side reporters would stop and pick up police reports (now you can usually just check them online) on their way into work. That person then knew anything that happened after a typical 9 a.m. check by a dayside reporter. The other stations didn’t check until the next morning either. So this station ended up with constant “exclusives,” “first on’s” etc. until we figured out the trick. It’s proof that simple moves can pay off big time for night side content.

My final suggestion is to buddy up with a dayside reporter. That person may know of three people you can begin to call in the early afternoon to build sources. Sometimes day siders get tips as they are coming off of their shift. If that reporter knows you are willing to get calls before you come into work, you might get the tip call instead of it just going to the assignment desk. But make sure you pay it forward. If you hear rumblings of something good that might pop in the morning, shoot off a text to that day sider. Having each other’s back only helps.

Those are some tricks to “own the night.” If you have more suggestions, please send ‘em so we can all learn.

Getting around allegedly

This one word, is the biggest no-no you can write in TV news other than an actual fact error. Why? It does nothing to protect you legally. Saying something “allegedly” happened or a person “allegedly” did something is only calling attention, to the fact, that your facts are probably unclear and you may not be able to defend your statement.

So how do you get around the word “allegedy” or the phrase “the alleged?” Here are some simple ways.

Avoiding “allegedly”

Attribute information to source
Do not name names
Name person with the specific charges

So let’s spell these out for you. When police tell you a place was broken into, or a man confronted a clerk, or the clerk fired a shot at the man and missed then the man ran away, write it that way. These facts often end up with the term “allegedly” or “alleged” in the sentence descriptions. Same thing if you have security video of the actual robbery. Don’t say: “You can see the alleged robbers in this security video.” The guys with the guns in the video are the robbers. So you should say it: “You can see the robbers holding up the place in this security video.”

How about this one? “An alleged break in at a store in Mayberry today.” Sound familiar? Did police call it a break in? Was something actually taken? Do you have video? If you can say yes to these questions then the break did not allegedly happen. It happened for real. So you should say: “A break in today at a store in Mayberry. This video, released by investigators, shows you (describe what viewer sees).. ” If you know the answer to police calling it a break in, but do not know if anything was taken and there is no video, then write: “Police say someone broke into a store today in Mayberry.” See the difference? Police are calling it a break in. You are taking their word for it a bit, right? So state where you got the information. Another way to attribute both scenarios is “Police need help finding out who broke into a store in Mayberry today.” Again, you attribute.

When police tell you a man confronted the clerk, the clerk shot at the man, and then the man ran away, you do not need the word “allegedly” either. Often you will hear copy that reads, “The man allegedly confronted the clerk.” Or “The clerk allegedly shot at the man but missed.” And lastly “The man allegedly ran away.” No, no and no. “Police say a man confronted the clerk.” Or better yet if you have surveillance video: “Watch the man confront the clerk. Investigators tell us (and provide a detail about the exchange).” As for the clerk firing a shot and missing, “Police say the clerk fired a shot and missed.” If you have video of it: “Investigators shared this video where it looks like the clerk shot at the man and missed. “ (If you are still nervous about declarative statements.) And remember, the man who broke in, is a man. He is not a “suspect” if we don’t know his name, and police haven’t declared him a “suspect.” But during a break in a person doesn’t “allegedly” get away or run away. A person does get away or run away, unless you know there’s been an arrest. Then the person arrested becomes a “suspect.”

The next most common reason why “allegedly” is used, is because you have a name and want to use it. When you really stop and think about it, the majority of stories do not need to name names to be highly relevant. It is most often the action that is interesting, not the person. You can call the person, “the man” or “the woman.” You do not have to use a name even if you have it, especially if charges are pending. Usually the story is what interests viewers, not the name of the person, unless it is a public figure. The person who shot other people in a parking lot, is not an “alleged” shooter. Again you should say: “A man shot some people.” or “A woman, shot some people.” The term “alleged” shooter doesn’t work.

If the person is charged and you want to name names, use attribution again and list the charge. “JOE SCHMO is charged with burglary tonight” or “Police charged Joe Schmo with…” If you use a name, have a charge by it. It just protects you.

So there you have it, ways to get around “allegedly” and “the alleged.” Here’s to never seeing those words in news copy again!

Why you need your own continuous coverage plan, before something happens.

When the police chase happened in Phoenix that resulted in a suicide airing live on FOX News Channel, journalists hopped on Twitter right away discussing their shock at what they had seen. As we began to talk about it, one wise reporter said, “It could happen to any of us.” So true, in so many ways.

Throughout my career as a producer, I was shocked at how few local television stations have continuous coverage plans and training to pull it off. Yes, I said training. You can discuss scenarios ahead of time. You can “practice” how you would handle different scenarios. There are some telltale signs of trouble. Early in my career, I was blessed to have an AND out of Miami, who had a lot of experience with continuous coverage. He sat all of us green producers down and laid out rules we needed to follow. These rules, helped me excel at continuous coverage everywhere else I went, regardless of the station’s policies (or lack thereof in most cases). So here are a few of them in case you are in a newsroom where continuous coverage is always a cluster because no one knows their roles.

Continuous coverage must dos:

Two sets of eyes in the booth AT ALL TIMES
Assign roles in the booth
Always have a wide shot available
Clear point person to make ethical calls
Know your personal ethical limits

The single most important thing you need when boothing continuous coverage, is a second set of eyes watching content at all times. (This is the rule, that the majority of stations fought me on later in my career.) With all due respect though, this should not be the role of the director. That person is also extremely busy in the booth. Producers and directors need some sort of backup. If my EP or AND could not do it, I would pull a producer from a later or earlier show. I even used associate producers and editors. I needed someone to tell me if any of the live images changed, while I was talking to management or the anchors. I kept a notebook by my side, so the person could write down notes while I was in the middle of giving instructions. I needed instant access to that information no matter what.

Any managers reading this, your producer must have this. Make it happen!

Which leads to my next point, if there are two people in the booth, clearly define the roles. One person is the only producer that talks to the anchors and director, the other is in charge of figuring out what’s next. Both watch the live images coming in at all times and do not assume the other has seen any of it. Every time an image changes, write down which monitor it changed on in the notebook. The anchors and production crew need one clear, calm voice. This is easy to accomplish with two people in the booth.

Always have a wide shot available to take. Do not be afraid to go to the shot if your gut is telling you that what you are watching is about to go horribly wrong. Remember, there are other cameras getting the “money shot.” You can always show the video even a few seconds later. However, you cannot take it back if you show a man shooting himself in the head on live TV. Most local channels do not have 5 second delays. So, you really do have to be on top of it.

You also need to know what manager is the point person to make ethical calls. There is nothing worse than covering a standoff or police chase, getting hinky about the information you hear a reporter saying and then not being able to get a manager to pick up the #%@! phone. Before you walk into the booth, demand to know the point person. Make it clear, if things go south, you will know where to point the finger. I have even done this with NDs by the way.

Which leads to my last point: Know your personal ethical limits. There is always a fall guy/gal for a big screw up like the airing of a suicide during the police chase that happened live on FOX Friday. Know what you can live with while making decisions in the booth. One time I was told to take a live tight shot of a SWAT team during a standoff. The shot would’ve clearly made it easy to figure out where they were setting up. The ethical call was made by the ND: “Do it because it’s great TV.” There was no worry about the risk to those SWAT officers. I handed my headset to the ND, and said “It’s on you.” I was not going to put lives in jeopardy. That was not something I wanted to live with throughout my life and career. These were real people, with real families. You can’t take it back, if you make a horrid ethical call. Every journalist must remember that, from reporters and photojournalists on the scene, to producers in the booth, to the ND or GM making the ultimate calls. Know what your limits are and be true to yourself. Make sure your managers know what those limits are ahead of time. Have your personal continuous coverage plan, even if your station does not.