producing – Page 12 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Making the most of the holiday shift.

It’s inevitable that you will work most holidays. That doesn’t change with years in, for most journalists either. So here are some secrets to making the most of the holiday shift.

Last year, Matthew Nordin wrote a great survival guide to getting through having to work the holidays. This article will look at ways to make the day easier once you are “at the office.”

Set up a potluck
Look for fun trivia
Be flexible

First things first, everyone should get to celebrate in some way. Set up a potluck. Have everyone bring something in and enjoy a meal together. Do this even if the station provides a meal. Just switch it to appetizers or desserts. Be sure and have the food ready, first thing at the start of the shift so field crews can eat and go. Often the food from the station arrives after field crews have left, so they miss out. The potluck at least gets them some food. This is a great time to enjoy your coworkers a little, when things are not so crazy. It also gives you a little something to look forward to. After all, we newsies love good food.

Look for fun trivia to sprinkle in all those vo’s about the local parades and celebrations. There are often cool stories about a strange happening one year, or how much food is being dished out. It is neat to throw those tidbits in as talking points throughout the newscast. It also fills time, when you have a big news hole and little to say.

Be flexible. Breaking news can happen, so if you are asked to stay an hour late turning a pkg on the accident in the middle of the reindeer parade, don’t grumble. Also, if possible, talk to management as a group about staggering shifts, so everyone can get some family time. As long as the newsroom has some hands on deck all day, there should not be an issue. Producers, don’t demand a ton of live shots. Try and let as many people as possible head home when their pkgs are in. If you’re concerned about reporter presence in the newscast, have them shoot look-live standups. If you are the one stuck staying for breaking news, remember, next year you will have a better shot of being the first in and first out, IF YOU DON’T COMPLAIN. The producer and assignment desk don’t get the luxury of leaving early. They don’t feel sorry for you, and shouldn’t have to. If you gripe, you can bet your odds of drawing the short straw again next year, will go way up.

Those of us that have worked MANY holidays, (so many you lose track) realize there is a camaraderie that’s built around “sucking it up” together. I have fond memories of working holidays as well. And then when your comp day comes around, you get to relax and do whatever you want. A sweet freedom, many who only get set holidays off can never understand. So, smile, stay positive and make the most of it!

That term is suspect: When to use the word and when to avoid.

By now most of you know we have a cliché list of words and phrases you just should not use. “Allegedly” is one of the very worst, and we explained how to get around it. Now let’s talk about another very overused, and obviously misunderstood term: “suspect.”

By definition “suspect” means: “to think (a person) guilty without having proof.” It is a term police, lawyers and judges use. Viewers get the essence of it, quite possibly more than most newsies. I say that because when you watch an a-block in most newsrooms around the country, you hear “suspect” being used, in a way it should not, constantly.

Here’s a common example, when describing a convenience store robbery with surveillance video. “Here you see the masked suspects approaching the counter with guns and demanding cash from the register.” Um, no. “Here you see the robbers pointing guns at the cashier.” The people with the guns, who then take handfuls of cash from the register are not “suspects.” They are the people who did it. Police may not know their names yet but, you can see in the video, they are the “robbers.” The people in the video are guilty, the video shows proof. You see them committing the criminal act.

Now here’s what to do, if the person is not wearing a mask. As we explained in “Getting around allegedly” if you see the person doing it and police confirm that’s what happened, simply attribute it. “Police say you are watching a man rob this store.” “Suspect” is not going to help you here. The man is seen holding the gun. State the facts. Attribute to police.

Inexperienced writers, if you are unsure, exercise caution. These concepts take a while to grasp. Remember, you must attribute. Words like “suspect” do not really protect you. Saying for example, “Police call Joe Schmo a suspect.” can still create problems. You can say police have identified a suspect and not show a face or say a name. Remember, unless the person is a public figure, the name is less important to viewers than the fact investigators are moving forward and possibly solving the crime. The safest bet, is to wait to say a name until there are charges. Once a person is arrested, they are no longer simply a suspect. So saying “Suspect Joe Schmo is charged with.” is not a protection. The term suspect, has to be used clearly, not as a crutch phrase.

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!

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!