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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 pitch, and pull off, stories in producer driven shops.

I got a huge response to our article about decoding producer driven shops. (If you missed it, check out “Producer driven doesn’t mean absolute power”). So now let’s talk about what kind of stories managers want to showcase in producer driven shops. First let’s summarize what makes a newsroom “producer driven.” It means a heavy emphasis on content. Anchors are considered advocates for viewers. Reporters are educated witnesses. Producers must have a deep understanding of the audience, its wants and needs. Producers tend to have more say in choosing content and set the tone for the “feel” of a newscast. In some ways anchors are showcased more in producer driven shops than in more spot news type of newsrooms, because they are given a more interactive role with content. They ask more questions and are often required to turn franchise pieces with hard edges. Because content is king, reporters actually play a huge role when showcasing coverage. But for some reporters it can seem like you have little say in what you do, because producers and managers often “map out” the coverage each day. So let’s decode how those decisions are made.

First and foremost, producers and managers are looking for segments and themes to weave throughout the day part. This showcases advocacy and emphasizes community involvement. From the time you pitch your story, you need to be thinking about the big picture. Reporters, this means not holding back any interesting elements when you pitch the story in the editorial meeting. It is important to explain how the anchor can pitch to your story with some sort of interesting information and/or visuals. Do you know someone who could do a studio interview after your package that would provide interesting perspective? This means you really have to understand the story you are asking to cover. You cannot just scan a headline and hope you “get a pass” in the meeting. You have to be able to take the story beyond a newspaper headline. Producers in content driven shops tend to read multiple newspapers. Managers also try to be very in tune with what’s happening. They will be familiar with most content you bring up. Showcase how your package will advance the story. You need to explain why a viewer would watch your story rather than the other stations in town. And don’t forget, this also means you cannot save all the “good stuff” for your live and package scripts when you actually produce the story later in the day.

Before you think you must come in with an Emmy award winning “big get” each day, understand, there are many ways to think big picture beyond finding daily exclusives. Exclusive elements don’t happen every day on every story. Try and relate the content you are pitching to the key audience the station wants. Will it appeal to 25-54 year olds? How? That might be your spin. Can you make the story relatable to even larger audience groups with a clear character you can put in your package? If so, explain that right away. Can you add “a slice of life” element into the story you want to turn? Any way you can make the story feel real, to a broad group of people, will make you and your story ideas very appealing. This also means you must have a good idea of the kinds of visuals you will provide in your package and for teases and set ups. (See “Make your sell” for more on how to effectively pitch stories.) You don’t have to have great flames, dramatic car chases or screaming people to sell your story. You do have to help the producers and managers visualize how the story will play out. Remember, they are not just looking to fill 1:30 that day. The more they can really delve into content in a compelling way, the more appealing your story idea becomes. You have to help them see and feel the story.

If you really want to stand out in a producer driven shop, pitch stories in areas of the market where the station wants to grow audience. Source build there and look for stories you can turn in that part of the DMA that people living nearby would also find interesting. You have a key advantage over the producers and managers that are driving content. You leave the newsroom each day and get access to more people. The faster you source build and can provide information on developing stories, the more the “powers that be” will trust your instincts and trust your story pitches. By focusing on areas where the station wants to grow audience, you show you are savvy to the “big picture” which is a huge draw.

When it’s a slow news day don’t be afraid to pitch consumer stories and interesting new developments from stories you have covered in the past. Remember, a key part of producer driven shops is showcasing community involvement. That means follow ups are very important, as long as they have substance to them. Consumer stories usually have broad appeal. Viewers in nearly all income brackets are looking for ways to make the most of their money right now. That opens the door to a lot of interesting stories that can naturally be broken into several elements. Keep a list on hand, with good contacts for slow days.

Lastly, story tell, story tell, story tell! If you make a name for yourself as a versatile reporter who can weave interesting stories out of many types of content, you will be well respected in producer driven shops. You will get more leeway when pitching stories because managers know you will find something compelling to turn.

How the Trayvon Martin case can help define your news career.

By now you have read plenty about this case. You may have even written and/or voiced over stories about it. There are a lot of compelling articles that explain what we TV journalists have done right and especially wrong while covering the Martin shooting. I am not going there. Instead I am going to explain why this case can and more than likely will end up defining your career in some way.

This is the type of story and event that truly tests the limits of journalism. It tests the ability to be objective. It tests news philosophies. It tests personal ethics while on the job. For this reason, I strongly encourage you to keep a file of everything you read, watch and write about the case. Just file it all away. Write notes about any conflicts within you and add these thoughts to your file. Keep copies of your favorite stories you watched, and the ones you liked the least. Write notes on what you like and do not like about the coverage. The reason: As this case plays out, your views on ethics and philosophy will likely change a lot. So will the critics. We will talk about how this case was covered for years to come. Professors worth their salt are already beginning to track and possibly discuss it with future journalists.

The Martin case will become a litmus test for many news companies and news managers as they continue trying to shape what television news is becoming. There are too many hot button issues in it for the case not to become more than a story that simply comes and goes. Those issues will come up as managers consider newsroom policies on everything from fact checking affiliate copy to social media policy. For this reason, it will serve as the perfect talking point when feeling out the news philosophy at a station where you are interviewing. This case is so big, every news management team has likely had to make some sort of ethical call on it already. It will not be the last time either. Asking pointed questions about the Martin case to a news director or AND when you are job interviewing will be a good way to feel out their personal journalistic integrity also. Are you both in sync?

The Martin case is also a good litmus test for you to gauge your own value system and journalistic work. As you go into difficult scenarios in the future, draw on what you thought was done correctly in the Martin case. Remind yourself of the ethical issues that arose when coverage was less than thorough. It is a good reminder to us all that we cannot ever get too comfortable or too numb while covering stories. There are often many layers. Do we get to them, or leave them buried? Do we jump to conclusions? Have you? Really asking yourself and current and future news bosses these questions will help you define yourself as a journalist. It will help you brand yourself. It will help you weed out stations that may vary too much from your news philosophy. With examination, personally and as a professional group, the Martin case could help us define what TV News should be, and will become.