management – Page 3 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Get Real: Key Interview Secret

Here’s some really interesting insight into what managers look for when interviewing you. They want to get to know YOU. They want to know why you do news, what your hobbies are and if you have ties to a particular area. They love to call me and talk about why they were drawn to a particular person when narrowing down their candidate pool for jobs.

Recently I was really struck by a news director’s comment about a potential producer. “( ) never got real with me. I heard canned answers. I want to know ( ).” I think we all forget this sometimes. ND’s want to hire someone they really like, believe in and want to be an advocate for. That requires making yourself a little vulnerable during an interview and giving a hiring manager a taste of what makes you tick. Think of it this way, that ND or AND will have a direct impact on your success or failure. If you two do not click and connect on a personal level to some degree, you could lose a key advocate.

Despite what many think, ND’s often take the fall for their employees (see “Taking Ownership” for an introduction into what that’s like) if they believe in the person. They will go to bat for you time and again. So when ND’s are interviewing you they are looking for someone they can mentor and help. ND’s really do love playing a role in helping someone launch their careers. Many think that part of leading a newsroom is helping the staff grow and make the most of themselves as journalists. They may not always be tactful. They may not always make it obvious. But most are trying to groom you and love bragging out your success later. So get real during job interviews. Say why you went into news. Say what you love most about your job. Explain your favorite types of stories and why. These answers might not only help you land a great new gig, they might also gain you an advocate throughout your career.

The One Criticism You Never Want To Be Told

It’s a fact of life, in news, that your work will be criticized a lot. It can be hard to take, but you must if you want to succeed in the business. However, there is one criticism you never want to be told: That you blame others for your mistakes. If you do, you will quickly be labeled a complainer, trouble maker and bad at your job. You cannot afford to have this label.

So what do you do to get around? For starters check out our recent “Take Ownership” article. Next, do not complain, about how the newsroom runs, to other staff members. I recognize this is a tough one, because news people are infamous for their after hours gripe sessions. It is VERY hard not to engage in the complaining and you may even feel alienated at first. But believe me, it is worth it to not get involved. Remember a key staffer will be at the gripe sessions: the newsroom snitch. Any complaints you make will be reported, and if you directly complain about how others are doing their jobs, and that it’s keeping you from doing yours, I guarantee that it doesn’t matter whether you have a valid point. You will be labeled a complainer who passes the buck. Also, there are many times your coworker is not your friend, says a few more generic complaints to get you rolling, then uses your words against you later in front of management. End result: You look like a complainer.

Blamers do not get as much leeway. They do not get a benefit of the doubt. If you are known for passing the buck, management will build a file on you quickly and work to get you fired or banished to the one shift no one wants, so that you hopefully just go away.

The final thing you can do to avoid this horrible label is this: When you have a complaint in your mind, think of proactive solutions you can help implement. That way if you get cornered at the station party or management backs you into a corner with an intense line of questioning, you can try and deviate the attention away from you and toward a solution that builds team. If my EP just disappeared when I had to make key decisions, and I got called on the carpet, instead of saying “Joe EP is never around to ask.” I would say, “I think I need to go over potential pitfalls in my rundown a little earlier when Joe EP is less busy.” This raises the issue that Joe EP is not around, without me calling the person out as slacking off. If management asks “Where is Joe EP?” say “Not sure, at that time of day. I just try to execute what I am asked as best I can.” Let the managers duke it out. Meantime you look like a solution finder instead of the dreaded blamer.

If you sense you are already labeled the complainer, stop your gripes immediately and have a clear the air session with your immediate supervisor. Look that person in the eye and say, “I am here to help this newsroom by doing my best each day. I want you to know I am glad I am here and will do all I can to help.” Then do what you are asked and keep your mouth shut. You can turn this reputation around as long as you do not let it linger long. It is worth the extra effort, remember being labeled a “complainer” can be a career killer in this ever competitive business.

How To Deal With Conflicting Messages.

Unfortunately many newsrooms struggle with clearly defining their news philosophy. This can be very confusing and frustrating for the journalists in the trenches. So how do you survive when your ND, AND and EP all have different philosophies?

The first step is looking at who has the most hands-on influence on your work each day. If your EP is next to you in the trenches all day, and the AND and ND only sometimes step in, do what the EP asks. If you call in to the AND for script approval each day, do what that person expects. This will not protect you every newscast, every shift, but it will lessen your being in the middle of conflict.

If you are executing what that main manager asks and another manager steps in and asks you to change it, it is ok to say “I can do that, but (EP/AND/ND) asked me to do this. Which should I do?” If the person now asking you to do something opposite outranks the other manager, do what he/she decides. But you should mention to the lower ranking manager that you changed it specifically at the other manager’s request. Most of the time, the lower ranking manager will acquiesce. If you are told to change it back, tell that manager that you need management to come to a consensus on this issue. You really do not have a choice. If the manager just storms off, do what the highest ranking manager asks. Make sure you document what happened in case you are asked later.

If you are called in to the news director’s office and asked why your reports or newscasts are not meshing with the stations news philosophy, do not lose your temper and yell that everyone needs to get on the same page. (Yes, it is true, but remember from the “Taking Ownership” article, you still have to be a team player and leader even when you are put in extremely unfair situations.) Instead, say “Can you please define that philosophy for me in a sentence or two, to make sure I am clear on it.” Often the ND will then say what the philosophy is. Say “thank you for clarifying. That will help me bring up specific coverage questions as we design our coverage each day.” Then try and get the hell out of the office. If you cannot get out, and are asked “Now I want to know why you did not understand that?” simply say that there are some conflicting messages but you will do all you can to be true to the news philosophy just defined to you. Again, try and get the hell out of the office.

The one thing you must do no matter what is document when you are told to execute different things. Try and show a pattern. That way if you get a bad review and truly feel you are in danger you can use this information to try and show that you are getting conflicting messages and need clarification so you can fully do your job. A response to a review that includes documentation like this does get serious notice.

If you are brought in to the AND’s office and you and the EP are grilled about why you are not executing certain things, stay quiet as much as possible and let the EP handle it. After all, this issue is really between the managers. You can only do so much. If you are pushed by them, it is o.k. to say “I want to give you all 110 each day. I need a consistent message to do that.” Then, leave and let them have it out.

The biggest thing to keep in mind, as frustrating as dealing with these mixed messages can be, is that you can survive it. Most of the time, managers are more at risk in a “confused” newsroom than staff. If your EP is rebelling against the AND and ND, a time will come that the EP pays for that. Same with an AND who wants to work against the ND. Just do the best you can and try and let your frustration go, with the knowledge that the odds are in your favor and that you will end up best off.

Smack Down! How To Handle An Email Lashing From The Boss.

If you work in TV news, and have never received a harsh email from your ND or AND, then you have not been in news long. Since no boss is around you 24/7, chances are you will be emailed a strong critique at some point.

These can seem out of the blue, especially if you have a really “with it” EP or a protective AND. They often stop the (expletive deleted) from rolling down hill. Yes, it is true, most of the ND’s rants do not actually get to you. So when one does it can be disconcerting and downright unnerving. But that smack down can also be a big opportunity for you, if handled correctly.

So let’s talk scenarios. Morning crews tend to get these email “lashings” the most often, because frankly, email is often the only way to reach you if the ND has a lot of meetings that week. So you work your tail off, and come in the next day to find a scathing email listing all the ways your performance stunk the day before. As much as this stings, you have to look for whether there is something the ND wants you to implement immediately. Sometimes the ND spells it out for you. Other times you have no clue. Either way, implement the changes you can realistically implement, then after the newscast sit down and read the email again for deeper perspective. Did the numbers tank? Is the big boss in town? When’s the last time the morning crew and the ND sat down and talked philosophy to make sure everyone is on the same page? Truth be told, these zingers do not often truly come out of the blue. Most of the time, they are actually a signal that you and the manager involved are not getting or making time to “check in” and see that everyone is on the same page.

After you get a scathing critique, the best thing to do is come up with an action plan to change things, then schedule a meeting to make sure the boss likes those changes. This can also mean that you should stay late a little more often so you can potentially take 5 and visit with the ND occasionally. It is harder to send a scathing note when you actually see the person regularly.

Night siders if you get a nasty note, take the time to go in and talk it through with the boss. When I say talk it through, I mean ask for specific things the ND expects from you, then listen and say “O.K.” Do not go in angry ready for a fight. Whether you agree with the critique or not, you need to make sure that you are implementing what the boss needs. Be ready to explain why you made the decisions you did. You could be asked. Often there are simple misunderstandings that are easy to correct.

The most important thing to NOT do in these cases is share the note with the entire shift and turn it into a massive gripe session. Morale is a touchy thing in newsrooms anyway. If the ND sent this as a mass email, try and stay out of the complainers box, and get to work on making any changes you need to make with your performance. The more you sit in on the gripe sessions, the harder it will be to remain objective and glean constructive criticism out of the email. The easy thing to do, is gripe and give up. The smartest thing, is to try and turn the critique into a positive and push yourself.

One final note: Sometimes the ND has just hit his/her limit and uses these emails to get frustration out. There is no agenda, no loss of confidence in you. The ND simply ran out of places to vent, and you were a convenient target. If that is the case, do not demand an apology. Should your boss be more mature than that? Yes. But, truth be told, you probably take your bad day out on someone else some of the time as well. We are human, it happens. As long as it is rare, let it go. This is a relationship you need to foster. Sometimes that means being the bigger person, even if you rank lower. Do it with grace and humility and chances are the boss will return the favor. Don’t know about you, but I was always happy to know that I could have a bad day and the boss would have my back, because I had his/hers in the past.