Writing – Page 19 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Own the night. Finding and executing stories night side.

This article idea came from a reporter on Facebook who recently moved to night side. If you have ever worked this shift, you already know what he asked. How do you find stories, much less break news, night side when everyone you’re calling wants to just go home for dinner and offices are closed?

No doubt generating solid content can be challenging on a night where there is not a big event planned, a huge story that easily carries through or breaking news. The biggest key to “owning the night” is recognizing you will need to give up a little of your off time to build sources and set up stories. When you first begin as a night sider this will be a little time consuming, unless you’ve already worked in the same city for a while and have sources. But, once you build up some sources (read “Cultivating Sources” if you need help building up sources), it will not take that much time to call and make your checks. In fact, in some ways, it can be easier to see if a story you are hearing about really is sound, than it is for dayside reporters. Remember, day siders have to try and figure out if a story is legit when people are eating breakfast, getting the kids to school and running late. You can make calls as they come back from lunch and are often tying up loose ends and actually have some time to talk. So, eventually, it will be easier to get the info verified quickly. You just need to figure out who to call on your beat.

Speaking of beats, act like you have one, even if there is no formal defined beat system in your shop. By that I mean, figure out what types of stories management bites on at night, and source build around those topics. (see “How to Pitch and Pull Off Stories in Producer Driven Shops” for more on how to do that) You just don’t have the time to source build in every section of the DMA on every subject. Pick a couple of subjects and areas of the DMA and stick to that at first. It will help you. Just make sure the veteran night sider hasn’t already built up a rapport with the same agencies and sources, so you are not double calling and confusing the agencies.

Try and work a day ahead if you can. Forward looking stories about an upcoming hot button issue in town, or a major event, you will probably cover in a day or two can be great “fall backs” on a slow news night. You can informally set those types of stories up ahead of time.

When I managed PM newscasts, my go to night side reporters, usually called the desk around lunchtime to see if an assignment editor had heard of anything that might pop that night. Then the reporter would make a few calls and come in with a solid story idea. I often got calls on my way into work from reporters who had checked with sources to feel out interest on potential stories they could pitch when we got to work. This was a great help as well. I could say, “Set it up.” or “Look for something else.” early in the process. It took all of us just a few minutes, and often paid off in the end.

This may sound obvious, but another station in town used to routinely “break” interesting crime stories a day ahead of us. We eventually figured out that one of their night side reporters would stop and pick up police reports (now you can usually just check them online) on their way into work. That person then knew anything that happened after a typical 9 a.m. check by a dayside reporter. The other stations didn’t check until the next morning either. So this station ended up with constant “exclusives,” “first on’s” etc. until we figured out the trick. It’s proof that simple moves can pay off big time for night side content.

My final suggestion is to buddy up with a dayside reporter. That person may know of three people you can begin to call in the early afternoon to build sources. Sometimes day siders get tips as they are coming off of their shift. If that reporter knows you are willing to get calls before you come into work, you might get the tip call instead of it just going to the assignment desk. But make sure you pay it forward. If you hear rumblings of something good that might pop in the morning, shoot off a text to that day sider. Having each other’s back only helps.

Those are some tricks to “own the night.” If you have more suggestions, please send ‘em so we can all learn.

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!

Want a great writing critique? Ask a photojournalist.

Yes, you read the title of this article correctly. If you want a really great writing critique, ask the guys and gals who focus on the images. Why? Because, in television news, the words are dependent on the images. The video and sound should truly tell the story. This is even true when using graphics to explain a subject. The visuals, combined with sound and words, are what makes this medium such an incredible pull for viewers. (despite the smaller screen you are using to read this article.)

Photojournalists really understand the powerful connection between the images and the words. They also know a lot of tricks to help you work around it when the stories are not as visually appealing as you would like. If you ever get a chance, sit down and watch a newscast with a photojournalist. It is fascinating to hear their rants vs. the rants of non-photogs in the business. Will you agree with everything? Probably not. But you will gain a lot of insight from the thought processes of a very visual mind.

So while you listen to the critique, keep an ear out for how many times the photojournalist mentions that a story did not make sense. My guess is you will hear that pretty often. Then take a closer look at the story. Chances are your copy and the visuals do not mesh at all. It really is fascinating to watch how often that happens in TV news. There is a large disconnect, especially in vo’s and vosots between the visuals and the words being used to describe the story.

Photojournalists help you understand just that. Your words describe the story. They don’t simply tell it. There is a difference in TV news. Let a photog help you see that for yourself. Get a critique. Who knows, the insight could make your writing style even better.

Want to stand out as an assignment editor? Ask to write copy

Clearly from the title, this article is aimed at assignment editors. But all journalists will do better at their job, if assignment editors focus more on writing. Yes, writing. They set the standard in most TV news rooms for source building and digging up exclusives. No one can complain about their workload when watching assignment editors hard at work. It’s no secret they are the glue that holds newsrooms together. That’s why assignment editors looking to really make their mark in this biz, need to write some of the news they find.

What many of us journalists forget is that assignment editors, by being the main information gatherers each and every day, really set the tone for how all of us write the news. After all, we write based on their notes in the assign queue. We ad lib based on information they share with us on the phone. We even depend on them for who is interviewed on a variety of subjects. One could argue that assignment editors have as much influence on the structure of newscasts as management does.

So why does that mean that assignment editors should write news copy, whenever they can? Because as veteran news writers know, practice is how you really learn to clearly decipher the facts necessary to write solid copy. You quickly figure out if you really understand a story, when you sit down to write it.

Since so many journalists hop into the queue for information, the way assignment editors write already bleeds into news copy. Think about it. I guarantee you rip off phrases under the slug file, especially if you are not a hundred percent sure about the facts and the assignment editor is too slammed to explain. It’s classic C.Y.A. mode. If the information comes into question later, you can say, “But that’s exactly how it is written in the assign queue.” Again, if I had a dollar for every time a journalist uttered that phrase!

By writing some news copy, assignment editors get a better understanding of what elements you truly need to write clearly and concisely. It should also help streamline the process, so the already stressed assignment editor is not getting phone calls asking to explain what’s in the queue. And when the calls do happen, the assignment editor may better understand why.

So assignment editors, if you want to really show off your stuff, write about some of it! You just might make other journalists in your shop stop and truly pay attention to what you have to say.