Survive Your Job In Television News – Page 59 – An Honest Guide To Journalism Jobs

New Boss: Sucking up without being obvious.

Many TV stations, like many football programs are constantly changing the “coach.” If the ratings don’t go up quickly the news director is gone. That means a new chance to be fired, since the new boss will want to make an impact right away. First impressions truly can make or break your future at that station. So let’s talk star power.

All managers have one thing in common. They want staffers that do not whine. They want people that can change and adapt quickly. To prove you can do this, research the new ND and see what type of news philosophy was implemented at their last station. Did the place do a lot of consumer news? Did the station cover a lot of breaking news? What was the turnover like? Calling and asking for an long time reporter or photojournalist to dig a bit will be helpful. You want to ask what the ND liked to see from the staff. What kind of story ideas got the ND excited. Try and find out if your new ND is a big football fan or has kids or a dog. Now you have a leg up.

Listen to the ND during the first few story meetings. See if the ND is getting excited over the type of stories you heard he/she will like. The ND will give you clues about where the place is going next pretty quickly with offhanded comments. Most people don’t listen. They should and you will. Next, adapt story ideas or input about newscasts to the trends you notice from the ND. After a few weeks try and catch the ND for a minute and request a critique. Don’t say “hey did you watch my show/package. etc. that day.” Just say: “I am checking in to see if you have any critique for me on what you’ve seen so far. I am looking forward to taking my work to the next level with you.” The ND will probably say he/she needs a few weeks. That’s fine. You just want the early impression to be that you are hardworking and eager to adapt to this person’s style.

Now let’s talk personal connection. Remember you have intel on the ND’s personal interests. Use it to make a human connection. Let’s say the ND is a big football fan. When you see ND in the hall or at the end of a meeting ask what person thinks of some headline, “How about that new recruit? What about that last play in the last game?” You get the idea. Don’t linger. Listen to the response and walk away. You don’t want to force it.

You also need to make deadline and not complain about anything for the first several months; even if you are getting screwed on vacation time. Stay out of the office and let other people seem difficult. The ND is overwhelmed the first few months and doesn’t need to deal with any “little” issues. Fair or not, your vacation time qualifies as little.

If you are in a meeting with the ND do not be the first person to run out of the room at the end. Organize your papers, take one more sip of coffee, do what you need to linger a minute in case the ND starts small talking. This is a subtle way to start building a connection without seeming obvious.

Remember ND’s are looking for employees who are loyal and willing to work hard. So when you are asked to cover an extra shift or work late, do it without complaining. You will get a chance to occasionally say no after the ND has been there awhile. This is a way ND’s test to see if you are a diva or a battle tested, nose to the ground journalist. We watched it time and again. Staffers turned down shifts or complained about working late and the ND made a quick judgment call that the person was lazy and didn’t appreciate the job. It was usually downhill from there.

The key in all of this is being subtle. This is like dating. Give the ND a taste of who you are, express some interest, but do not overdo it. The people constantly in the office putting out will end up being the ones the ND takes advantage of and overworks long term. The hard workers that stay out trouble survive and end up with some time to breathe. You will keep the ND interested in seeing more. That’s what you want.

The ultimate tease challenge: the daily update on a recurring story.

If you ever wondered why you see producers sitting at their desks mumbling to themselves, then pacing in a hallway, this is it. Teasing the story that seems like it just won’t end. The rising flood waters waiting to crest, the trial that drags on forever, the storm damage cleanup that is so important to cover, but looks the same each day.

These are stories that, after a while, management and producers must debate on whether to tease at all, or does the viewer just expect the coverage to be there and watch for something else. While that debate rages, producers are often faced with a looming deadline and overnights that say they get a spike when coverage of that topic airs.

So what do you do when there’s no obvious unique element? Look beyond the obvious. Sometimes you need to come up with an interesting sidebar tag that would have viewer benefit. This is the time to search Twitter and tweet your sources for interesting tidbits that you can fact check and possibly add to your coverage in some way. You can also call a buddy who’s not in the business and ask where the coverage seems to be lacking for the story. They might have an idea you never thought off that would make a great vo/sot or even an outboard package. Also, have reporters keep an extra eye out for interesting character development that you can turn into an interesting tease.

Anchors are a great resource in this difficult time. They often are approached by people with interesting questions you could answer as an added element to your coverage. It’s a great tease option because it enhances your anchor’s credibility, with a viewer benefit. You asked and we got the answer for you! It engages viewers who often feel we talk at them instead of to them.

If there really is nothing interesting to tease about the ongoing story, talk with management about whether you can move the tease out of its traditional place, like the end of a block. This is a great time to do stealth teases (see article “You’re Hooked“) in the middle of the a-block for example. You can put the anchors on a two shot and have them say something like, “Hey, in 5 minutes we’re going to get an update on the trial. I hear (reporter) has (a quick line with the gist of the pkg).” Then go on with the newscast.

The one thing you want to avoid at all costs is the tease that goes something like these “Up next the latest on the Casey Anthony case.” or “We have the latest on cleanup of the tornado damage in Joplin.” These are the ultimate throw away lines and will cost you credibility with the viewer. Keep in a mind that viewers expect you to have the latest on a big story. That’s the reason they are tuning in. They believe in your ability to cover the ongoing stories. Don’t let them down by trivializing it with only a “coming up, the latest.” It makes your station seem callous and sloppy. Viewers are taking this story seriously. You need to as well. You don’t have to have a wow factor each day. A simple headline in a tease is okay. It helps viewers know when they will get the daily update. Taking a quick hit with a live reporter also can work, but coordinate with the reporter ahead of time to make sure he/she doesn’t give away too much. Viewers think it is cool if you check in live on something, it shows immediacy. Have the anchor say something like, “We’re hearing court is about to wrap up right now, (Reporter) interesting day?” Reporter says: “Yes, in fact we had something just happen that we will tell you about in two minutes.” You aren’t exaggerating, you are not giving the story away, you are showcasing a live ongoing event with immediacy. Again, viewers love feeling like they are in the moment. Another way to consider this along similar lines: Teasing these kinds of stories is like teasing weather. Some days the information is huge and you need to blow it out. Some days there’s not much to it, but you want the viewer to know you always have their best interest in mind, even on a sunny cloudless day. You want to shoot straight and build credibility for the times the teases are easy to write, because what you have to share is fascinating. Do these things and the amount of time you spend mumbling to yourself in the hallway, will begin to shrink!

Is there such a thing as… too in your face?

“60 Minutes” and later tabloid journalism began the push for ”in your face” confrontations between a reporter and a person considered caught red handed. Now it is the norm for investigative reporters to use ambush interviews after laying out tons of evidence against a company or person who may have crossed the line. Don’t get us wrong, these interviews can be very effective in this type of package. What’s interesting is how the concept is bleeding over into everyday news coverage more and more.

Case in point, the Casey Anthony trial down in Orlando. We won’t spell out the details of the case because everyone in the news biz has some idea of the trial and surrounding media circus. We are taking a closer look at recent headlines about an interesting walk shot into the courthouse with reporters, photojournalists, and attorneys. In case you missed it, watch the video courtesy of WESH TV and the Orlando Sentinel. “Courthouse Confrontation” Make sure you let the video play out all the way to the end. There is a lull, but in the end it gets interesting again.

Now look at some of the headlines on the internet after the walk shot you just watched. The Orlando Sentinel called it “ A Bizarre situation with reporters…” The Florida News Center headline read, “Anthony attorneys are annoyed by Orlando media.” Now consider the News Blues headline, “Orlando reporter harasses Casey Anthony attorney.” See a common link? In all of these headlines, the sympathy characters were the attorneys, not the journalists.

Now, let’s consider why fellow TV journalists should care that the reporter gets little love in the coverage of the walk. It’s an example that shows when there are confrontations, the public tends to sympathize with anyone but the journalist. Yes, there are some exceptions especially in investigative reporting. But, remember, we are talking about general news coverage here. The reporter is described as the aggressor and gets less sympathy in coverage of a situation like this.

Partner this with the fact that, increasingly, news managers are trying to differentiate coverage by “being more aggressive” and you have an entirely new set of ethical issues to consider. There’s also the matter of there now being so many cameras around that your actions can easily go viral on the internet. The incident we just linked you to above did, and quickly too.

So here’s what you need to consider when you get into an intense situation.

What is your stations news philosophy?
How far is too far? (i.e. – What is management’s threshold?)
Will you be typecast? (Will it hurt your professional image?)

Your station’s news philosophy must come first because it is the best gage you will get on how far you can take questioning and still have management’s backing. Some newsrooms are very against confrontational interviews. Some thrive on them. News philosophy also determines how you phrase everything you say. For example, some stations encourage the use of slang to try and relate to the viewer. Some are completely opposed to it and would be horrified if a reporter used a word like “jerk” in this type of setting. Some want action no matter what. They want you to yell. Others define that as highly unprofessional.

Which leads to our next point: You need a clue as to management’s threshold. Managers cannot and will not give you black and white answers about this type of situation for legal reasons. You can get good reads though, by discussing scenarios ahead of time with a boss. The video of this reporter covering the Anthony trial can also be a discussion point with a manager. Ask your managers what they think of the situation and try to talk it out.

Take another look at the video of this walk scene and consider your personal reaction to it. This is a good opportunity to gut check whehter you are being true to your view of what being a journalist is all about. In this day and age, you have to worry as much about the next possible boss reacting as you do your current news director. There is so much turnover, you need to be true to yourself in these situations. Many times I saw reporters act in a way that seemed very unlike their journalistic style. When I would talk with them later, I got the same answer each time: “I thought that’s what the ND wanted me to do.” Most ND’s will push you and tell you to be “aggressive.” Most bosses also understand that “aggressive” for one type of person is different than for another. Remain true to your heart and your carefully cultivated professional persona. You do not want video of your out of character attempt to impress the ND, to go viral on the internet. It will live forever in the digital world and may come back to bite you one day with another ND. Even if only the other stations in town see you doing an ambush type interview, this is a small biz. The other ND’s in town will soon know how you act in the field. Often ND’s considering hiring you, call your competition to learn more about you and see if you are a commodity. Keep that in mind. You are trying to impress all the ND’s in town every day. The only way to do that and not go crazy with stress is to stay true to your personal limits on what’s acceptable. You do not want to be typecast as something you are not.

One final thought: if something like this happens to you in the field, call your immediate manager right away. This is very important. You want to give management time to come up with a reaction before they start getting calls. We suggest calling your boss even if you aren’t the TV station directly involved. Just witnessing and recording the whole thing, could mean your ND will get a phone call. The last thing you want is your ND or GM getting blindsided, by something you knew about, then having to “save face” for you and your station because of an ambush style interview, no matter how common they’ve become.

Throw me a life line, I’m being hung out to dry, AGAIN!

If you’re an anchor, it’s one of your nightmares: A producer in over his/her head and constantly providing no instructions during a crisis in a live show. But simply yelling at the producer and then complaining to management doesn’t fix the problem.

First you have to understand the stakes. Producers are hard to come by. The burnout rate is tremendous. Producers also tend to be able to move up in markets quickly with very little experience. Like it or not, anchors are becoming on the job trainers for producers in many stations. Problem is many anchors don’t know enough about the fine points of producing to be a true help.

We want to bridge the gap a little bit so anchors can shine brightly on air, and turn into valuable assets, even without a lot of support. As an anchor, it is crucial that you are considered easy to work with and supportive. Your producer is a key player, so you need to build a relationship even if the person is not that great at their job.

Here are the main things most green producers really need help with, but may struggle to admit to an anchor:

Knowing how to write the way an anchor speaks.
Timing the show.
Handling breakers.
Making split second decisions in the booth.

Now let’s help you help the producer. When you get a new producer you need to have at least a little patience and give that person a couple of weeks of producing shows. See what the producer does really well. Then compliment the producer on those things. This is crucial because many producers fear anchors are out to get them. You need to begin the relationship showing you will be supportive and fair.

After that conversation you can start to rewrite copy here and there. When you rewrite, let the producer know why you did. But do it after the newscast. The producer is too slammed to pay attention before the show airs and they definitely don’t have time during breaks in the newscast. Do not rewrite everything then hand all the rewrites to the producer to figure out why. One anchor I know would switch the copy into lower case and let the producer know. She then explained she did that so the producer could see some of the phrases she would naturally use in conversation. This is an easy, and non-combative, way to teach a producer your conversational style. If there are a lot of grammatical errors, just let the producer know you are doing some rewrites because the producer seems behind and you want to help. Again, a rewrite in lower case signals what you changed to the producer so he/she can look back later and catch the grammatical errors. If those grammatical errors keep happening, give the producer scripts with the grammatical errors you fixed after a newscast. Tell the producer you know he/she writes a lot, and you just wanted to show common mistakes you are finding so he/she can keep them in mind for the next show. Speaking of help, if you see a script that you know the green producer will mangle or perhaps get the station sued if they write it, either write it yourself and have an EP look it over for legal reasons. You can also ask the EP to just write it and offer to do something the EP usually does.

Now let’s talk timing. This is very hard for producers and in fairness an anchor should not have to worry about it. Unfortunately, many producers learn everything, including timing a newscast, by trial and error. Often the EP’s, who are in charge of monitoring the producers “issues” won’t be able to spot the producers specific timing problems. As the anchor who sees it every day, you can easily spot timing trouble trends. When you do notice your producer mistiming the same spots over and over, let the EP know. This will help them guide the producer and also makes you look like a real team player who is watching out for the good of the newscast.

Handling breakers and the resulting split second decisions is also a struggle for producers. The producer has several people asking (and also telling!) him/her what to do at once. For the anchor, it can be hard to get the producer on the phone because the assignment desk and EP call constantly. So, if you possibly can, use top of screen messages to ask the producer when to do the breaker and how you should do it. (i.e. how long should you talk, is there video or a live shot, or a pitch to a reporter?) Also you can usually print out top of screen conversations later if needed. This can help in several ways. It allows you to show the EP that you are not attacking the producer if that person is particularly thin skinned. It also helps you check with the EP to see if you are phrasing questions in ways that let the producer quickly assess and respond. Finally, if you are ever called on the carpet for performance when these crises arise, you have concrete evidence that shows you were trying to be proactive.

If the producer still doesn’t give you clear instructions, talk about it after the show. Spell out what you need so the producer knows next time. Going straight to the EP may not help. EP’s may not be able to explain what you need as clearly, because they usually are in the newsroom funneling everything instead of in the booth watching the producer. If the EP is in the booth and everything still ends up a mess, ask to talk with the EP and producer after the show and have them explain what was happening on their end. Often talking it out, allows the EP or producer to see where the disconnect happened without you having to spell it out.

Finally, make sure you are very involved in the newscast throughout your shift. That doesn’t mean sounding off on what you think about every single story the whole time. But you should check in with the EP and producer to see if they need any help. Ask to write some stories. Offer to research extra elements that can be added for flavor at the end of a story. Offer to call and check on a reporter or two and see how they are doing. Being an anchor is not just about sitting around tweeting and waiting to read what others write. Those things are important. Preparing to deliver the scripts with breathing exercises and some down time before the show is also important. But it’s not enough. You need to be involved with the newscast and its contents. Bottom line, the more familiar you are the better chance you have to cover up your producer’s inadequacies on while you are on the air. Taking this kind of ownership makes you a key ally for the EP and upper management. It does not mean you will be stuck with a weak producer, it means you will be known as a team player and a leader the newsroom does not want to lose. You also will deliver your copy in a more meaningful and authoritative way because you truly own the newscast. Your hand was in it all the way through. So shine bright!