producer – Page 7 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Faking the present: When what’s happening now, really isn’t

A morning producer recently posed this question: What do you do with the phrase “police are looking” from the previous night’s copy? Do you keep the phrase present tense? Immediately other morning producers jumped in stating you need to write present tense. No question TV news is designed for the here and now. But let’s get realistic for a moment. In early morning and late evening newscasts, the expectation that all the news is here and now is not possible for multiple hour shows. The biggest offenders perpetuating this idea that everything is all new and all happening right now are Newsies. Too often during morning and late evening newscasts, I hear “false present” tense. The anchors always look uncomfortable reading this “faked” tense because it is not natural. Viewers get that everything you tell them is not happening right that minute. They just want you stop pretending it is. Harsh? Not when you spend time with non-newsies. If I had a dollar for every time I was asked “Why do you news people have to act like something is happening right then when it’s not?” well, I would not be writing this article. I would be sipping Mai Tai’s on a tropical beach, fulltime!

So what’s the work around? First, let’s look more at false present. Popular examples, “the President authorizes a bill”, when showing video of him signing it the day before or “the Olympics start in London” when they actually started the day before. Just because the video shows the signing or opening ceremony doesn’t mean it’s happening at that moment. Viewers know when events like that happened. This is also called headline speak and it is frustrating to hear and read. So why is it drilled into TV journalists to write in present tense and only in present tense? Because that is an easy way to try and force you into sticking to what’s new in a given story. Yes, if you are putting a story in your newscast there should be a new element that you can explain in the first sentence. Yes, use present tense if you possibly can. But remember, viewers do not watch every day and they do not watch every newscast. You must include enough “background” so they have a clue what you are talking about. Use past tense when providing the background, when appropriate. This is especially true if the story is a follow up from the day or week or month before. Often, I hear headline speak in these type of follow ups as well. Journalists leave out the verb in these “follow up” sentences. You get weird, title like, descriptions such as “the July 9^th shooting”… or “the mill fire.“ Unnatural and uncomfortable.

Now let’s look at the phrase the producer brought up: “Police are looking.” Unless there’s been a mass murder or a police officer was shot, odds are police are not actually out physically searching for the people responsible at 4:30 a.m. You can keep this present tense if what police were looking for is still relevant later that night or the next morning (i.e.- they really are still on the street actively looking). Write it this way instead: “Police hope to find…” or “Police want to find…“ That would still be true and you are not emphasizing an act that isn’t really happening at the time of your newscast. There’s also nothing wrong with showing video of the search and saying “Police looked for 3 hours, with no luck yesterday. They hope for more leads today.”

The big takeaway here is that every sentence in your copy does not have to be present tense. Conversational writing changes tenses naturally. When you tell someone a story, you provide background information for context. I guarantee when you do, you use past tense, because that’s when the background information happened. The “write present tense rule” doesn’t mean deny past tense completely, no exceptions. It is a generalization. Remember the reason behind it. Focus on new. If you do, while still providing context for the stories, you will legitimately focus on the present, while not denying the past.

Course correct! How to patch things up with the boss

When I recently published the article “New manager, new rules,” several people tweeted they needed that advice a little earlier. New boss, burned bridge? There are ways to try and rebuild.

If you really think the two of you are not seeing eye-to-eye, sit down and talk with the boss. Don’t go in and say we are not seeing eye-to-eye, what should we do? Sit down and say you wanted your new boss to have a few weeks to get settled and would love to know this new manager’s expectations. This gives the person a chance to say what he/she wants from you, and what you are, and possibly are not, providing. It is better to know what the expectation is and take a lump, than keep analyzing and guessing and potentially accumulate several strikes against you. Listen to the manager’s insight and try and do it. After a few weeks ask if the work you’ve done is more along the lines of what this manager wants.

Do some research and find out what this boss implemented in other places. Then try and proactively do some of this. Let’s say, a manager is known for segmenting out story elements. Start implementing some of that in your own work. Face it, if this person has a reputation for some of these techniques, he/she will try them at your station. You might as well support it. Showing you embrace new ideas always helps build bridges.

Most of all, understand that this new person is trying to figure out everyone and everything. All stations run a little differently. Even if this manager has snapped at you, most realize it is better to work with the people who are already there than try and push them out. Show you are willing to be a team player and it just might work out, despite a rocky start.

“Yes, that’s your assignment. Now do it and like it! “ Assignment Editors: Behind the gruffness.

Take a moment and think about the most colorful characters in the newsroom. For me there are two groups, photographers and assignment editors. We’ve decoded some photographer behaviors in “You exist to hold my tripod.” Bottom line, photojournalists are incredible information gatherers and because they see the facts in a visual way, they make TV news what it is today.

The hardest job inside newsrooms, that all of us love to take for granted is assignment editor. The people who do it are the “whipping posts” for managing editors, assistant news directors, producers and reporters. Photographers usually get their assignments this way and love to grumble as well. Yet, as I look back on my career, I see that the strength of an assignment desk makes or breaks a newsroom. It truly is the tie that binds.

So why are assignment editors so, well, intimidating (or even irritating)? Being everyone’s whipping post is one start. They also tend to really have a grasp on the market and the stations strengths and weaknesses. Heck, when you think about it, that’s their primary job. Yet assignment editors are often not really given a voice in crucial decisions. They actually understand drive times to various places. They understand that the PIO in city A really hates the station UNLESS you call and say XYZ. And they also understand that live truck 13 really does suck! In many cases they try and warn us know it all producer and manager types. They try and give reporters gentle nudges on how to handle a particularly ornery mayor. Do we listen? If the answer is no, then we have a very irritable assignment editor on our hands. Chances are you are going to be yelled at, have papers thrown around the newsroom and hear curse words in interesting sequences you never would have thought possible! Think about it. If you were told to make the ship run smoothly, then saw the iceberg, warned and begged everyone to listen, then watched the boat slam into the iceberg, you would be a tad pissy as well.

A few secrets about assignment editors for you: If you stink at or just don’t get how to source build yet, befriend a veteran assignment editor. They source build as well as most investigative reporters. And they don’t get to leave the station. Heck, most barely get potty breaks. Also, be clear reporters, assignment editors are not your personal secretaries. You need to make the calls to get the information. If you are behind or overwhelmed talk with an EP first about whether an associate producer can help you out. And, yes, I am serious. The assignment editor has you, all the other reporters on your shift, the planning producers, the reporters on the next shift and usually at least one manager asking them to make phone calls. That’s in addition to calling their contacts and listening to scanners and reading 5 million news releases to make sure the station isn’t missing something important. And, if the station misses a big story, it is usually the assignment editor that gets reamed for it.

Producers, your assignment editor can help protect your show from technical disasters as well or better than the production team. He/she knows intimate details about the live trucks, signal strengths, how to get around a lazy person in master control, when to humor an ENG engineer and lots of other very useful stuff. Beyond that, they know which crews are great at cranking out work and which ones need a constant swift kick. If you have a story that must make slot, period, make sure the assignment editor is well aware ASAP. If you see the assignment editor is in the weeds, answer the newsroom phone. Help out. There is nothing more excruciating than trying to take down information while hearing phones ringing all around you. Think about the times when every reporter feels the need to call in for script approval all at once. All of them need it “RIGHT NOW!” to make slot and you can only read/listen to so much at a time and actually comprehend what’s going on. That’s what it’s like being an assignment editor for at least half of every workday. Cut ‘em some slack!

Managers, when an assignment editor walks into your office and shuts the door to discuss a potential issue, stop what you are doing and listen. Most of the time, this person is saving you from potential disaster. If they do, throw them a bone once in a while. Have a favorite meal dropped off for lunch. Buy them a latte. Write a thank you note for all he/she does and throw it into his/her mailbox. Everyone should remember to say thank you once in a while. The strength of the assignment desk plays a huge role in whether your station is #1, #3 or worse. It can set the tone for morale in the whole newsroom because the desk has direct contact with all the key players every day.

So, when you get an assignment that just plain sucks, don’t kill the messenger. The assignment editor is following orders. When you are told do it and like it, remember that’s the mantra these guys/gals live under every day. They often take more crap than the rest of us, and then turn it into gold.

How to repair producer/director relationship

A frazzled producer recently asked for advice dealing with his director. Their relationship was strained. The director was starting to question this producer’s calls in the booth, and at times making calls instead of checking with the producer to see if they were on the same page. This is not uncommon. Directors are in charge of making sure the show looks clean and at times will make quick decisions while live. Your director “taking over and calling the shots” is not all bad, if you have established protocols you both agree on for certain situations. (See Right hand/left for more on how the two of you can compliment each other, by showing mutual respect.) If the director is taking over to the point where you are unable to make key decisions that could impact content making air and/or it’s affecting you timing your show, then you have a problem.

The key is to nip that kind of issue in the bud right away by sitting down and talking about it. I would usually ask the director when we could meet and discuss how the newscast is going in general terms. I wanted the chance to talk before a show aired, not right after when tensions are high. You need to be clear headed so you can both listen and figure out what needs to be done. Also, go into this type of meeting knowing the director will have criticisms and hopefully suggestions to help things run more smoothly. Keep an open mind and really listen. Relationships require some compromise. You need to be aware that directors have a lot of pressure on them as well and share your desire for a clean show. The way you two define “clean” and make decisions can vary. You need to explain where you are coming from in a non-argumentative way.

Another crucial thing to set up is a nightly discrep. meeting with your director. This used to be required in most newsrooms, but with cuts in OT pay and longer working hours, many shifts now blow off these meetings. This is a big mistake! Ideally you want the entire staff to weigh in on these meetings. If you cannot because of OT issues etc., then meet with just your director. But make sure you meet. You need the daily dialog, face-to-face, to actually talk about what went right and wrong in the newscast. And, by the way, email does not cut it. You need to look each other in the eye and talk. This helps you learn how the other person thinks so you can find common ground and set up protocols. I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it really is to have a daily meeting. Find a way, period. Make sure the meetings are short and sweet. Suggest you each come to the meeting with one thing you liked and one you didn’t. If there was an issue during the newscast, talk solutions for the next time it comes up. You can do all of this in 10 to 15 minutes. You really can. That is a small sacrifice of time to really create a solid working relationship. Tell your director that. Most will not only agree, but be happy to meet.

Finally, make sure even when you are really ticked about a call the director made you remain respectful. Your director is a professional and likely extremely passionate about his/her job too. Openly respect that level of dedication. It will only help you both grow and your newscast get better.