Stripping the Wire

Kid Gloves for Tiger?

2010-03-23T12:13:00.003-05:00

Media critic Eric Deggans says Tiger Woods is getting by without facing the tough questions. He says sports journalists are letting Woods control the story.

What do you think? Or do you even care?

Interviewing Tips

2010-03-15T15:35:00.002-05:00

Collin Marshall shares some good tips on interviewing.

SIU Alum Mike Schuh on Writing

2010-03-11T00:11:00.002-06:00

He has some great tips here.

Both Good and Bad on ABCs New Path

2010-03-01T13:46:00.002-06:00

Backpack journalism Dan Harris says he doesn't miss having a camera crew as he reports from around the world for ABC. But Harris says there are pitfalls, too.

ABC Layoffs, Lesson for You

2010-02-26T01:04:00.002-06:00

The recent announcement of as many as 300 job cuts at ABC News reinforces the necessity for broadcast journalists to know how to do multimedia. Advancing the Story blog has some thoughts.

News Business Can Be Dangerous

2010-02-18T10:53:00.002-06:00

A record number of journalists were killed around the world in 20o9. The details from the BBC.

Would You Have Run the Luge Video

2010-02-15T14:36:00.002-06:00

There is a great deal of controversy about news organizations last week showing the video of the Georgian luger's fatal crash. The Poynter Institute' Al Tompkins disucsses the pros and cons here. What would you do?

Weatherman Freaks Out at Cockroach

2010-02-10T14:13:00.002-06:00

Hope you handle unexpected interuptions better than this guy...

Critic Says Local News Shouldn't Blame Leno

2010-02-02T15:41:00.002-06:00

Tom Denari says it's not Leno's soft lead-in that turned viewers off.

Overused Expressions

2010-01-27T15:34:00.003-06:00

The Facebook Group, "Overheard in the Live Truck," was asked what overused phrases they heard from reporters. Here are some of the answers:

"If you thought this was,.....think again."
"Tonight we're LIVE from ______"
"the ultimate sacrifice"
"fought the blaze"
"Only time will tell."
"That's exactly right (insert Anchor name here)."
"A neighborhood is on edge tonight as...(name your crime/catastrophe/dilema)."
"wreaking havok", "running amok" and "blaze"
EFFORTING... what the hell is that? Not even a word.
We don't know much...but what we do know is"
"a ...... they'll never forget."
"Something went horribly wrong!"
"Its quiet here now but several hours ago......."
"We are learning more today/tonight about ..."

Jay and Conan -- A Great Explanation

2010-01-19T15:45:00.000-06:00

What to Do to Get YOU to Watch

2010-01-19T14:02:00.003-06:00

Advancing the Story has some interesting discussion about getting Gen-Y to follow the news. What do you think?

Back After a Respite

2010-01-19T13:55:00.002-06:00

Your humble correspondent has derelict in his duty here. But this new Spring semster also bring with it a new Online Journalism course to teach. So, I must lead by example and strive to be better blogger. So...we begin again.

You can be a good guy in this business

2009-09-05T22:22:00.002-05:00

Read about Peter King

Intern Positions Can Be the Beginning

2009-08-20T16:27:00.002-05:00

See that guy on the left?

His name is Matt Roberts.

He's just been promoted to executive producer of The Late Show with David Letterman. He started as an intern at Letterman's old NBC show in 1992.

An intern.

Now exec producer.

It's all about getting your foot in the door....then working hard to prove yourself.

Image from Variety

We're back...

2009-08-15T22:09:00.002-05:00

The school year is starting up again and so blogging here will resume as well.

Today, a story of how major market reporters are adapting to the realities of shooting their own video. From voiceofsandiego.org

Missing Verbs

2009-04-30T14:48:00.002-05:00

Where have all the verbs gone? Maggie hits the nail on the head. Why do some broadcasters write sentences they would NEVER say in real life?

Can't Start Too Early

2009-04-14T15:20:00.003-05:00

Chris Wallace grew up pretending to be a newsman. Worked out pretty well for him.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

2009-04-06T08:57:00.002-05:00

Advertising guru Roy Williams has a great example of why we should be careful of how we treat statistics. They don't tell the whole story. And, while Roy's point is for advertising professionals, the lesson equally applies to journalists who are building stories around statistics. Read it here.

The Birth of Online News.

2009-03-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

Check out this report from 1981.

The White House Press Corps

2009-03-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

From the Daily Show:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

White House Press Corps

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Anchoring Tips

2009-03-05T11:21:00.004-06:00

Doug Drew of 602 Communication suggested in today's Shoptalk that more stations may be headed toward solo anchors to save money. He also passed along some solo anchor coaching tips from Gloria Cohn. But this is good advice for my students whether you're solo or co-anchoring:

There are two things to consider: Can the anchor maintain energy throughout the entire show? Can the anchor make each story sound different?

Maintaining energy does not mean talking faster and louder. Varying the reads does not mean merely adjusting the volume and speed. It means learning to effectively use all of the communication skills. When an anchor incorporates all of the tools available, he/she will have a successful show.

The first step to a achieving a positive outcome is this: the anchor must pre-read each story for meaning. Then he/she should choose the communication skill(s) that will enhance the meaning of each story. The communication skills are: pacing, pauses, voice modulation, facial expressions, eye contact and hand gestures.

Voice Modulation:

Every story should sound different. To accomplish this, the anchor must first avoid any patterns like a singsong tone, a monotonous voice and a measured pace. Managing - and varying - vocal pitches is the cure for a singsong tone.

Adding expression and meaning to a word helps prevent a monotone, and well-placed pauses help vary the pace.

Also, at the end of every story, the anchor must change his/her voice as he/she begins the next story. When the talent ends on one note, he/she should begin reading the next story on a different note.

Eye Contact:

Breaking eye contact with the camera is a technique often used by solo anchors. Since there is no co-anchor to toss to, talent can look down at scripts in between stories. They can also glance down when reading numbers, dates or names.

The one thing to practice is timing. You don't want talent glancing down at the script so quickly that it looks as if they were distracted. The look down should be long enough so that the audience recognizes that the anchor is accessing information.

Don't Wait

2009-03-04T00:33:00.002-06:00

Sure, you can wait for job openings to be advertised. But the smart job-seeker doesn't start with the HELP WANTED ads. He/she looks first at the "On the Move" or "Names in the News" columns of the trade publications. When someone gets a new job, it usually leaves an opening for their old one.

So, get a jump on your competition. Get your tape and resume for a vacancy to the news director BEFORE the job is even advertised. The ND might be impressed at your enterprise and, at the very least, he/she will remember your early tape.

Advice for Producers

2009-03-03T23:51:00.002-06:00

Sorry I've been remiss in posting here lately. Ten lashes with a wet noodle for me.

To kick things off again, here's some advice from a network field producer on now to be a better producer.

Protect Your Objectivity

2009-01-28T21:13:00.002-06:00

Many of us participate in social networking sites like Facebook. And, we often "let our hair down" on these sites. But don't ever forget that many eyes are watching. When you express opinions about news subjects or promote political view...you're jeopardizing your position as an objective reporter.

Here's an example of one news manager who may be in trouble because of Facebook comments.

We're Back

2009-01-28T20:52:00.002-06:00

Now that the new semester is underway, we're back with items of interest for my students (and others who may be watching.

For the students...I suggest you take a look at the archives. There are some good tips in our past postings.

There's certainly a lot to talk about in the current media world. We hardly even need the antics of our Governor to prompt discussion.

Now...onward.

The Four Stories

2008-12-02T12:30:00.002-06:00

One TV news employee claims there are really only four types of stories in TV newscasts. Might be a bit of an exaggeration, butsome of the satire rings true. Read here.

3D Football

2008-11-26T10:40:00.002-06:00

It may look like the linebacker is crashing right through your screen. The NFL is planning a test of 3D technology.

Pulling Back the Curtain on Talk Radio

2008-11-14T23:46:00.002-06:00

Former WTMJ News Director Dan Shelley has some critical observations.

One Skill I Forgot to Tell You About

2008-11-12T15:06:00.002-06:00

Walking backwards. Lenslinger Stewart Pittman explains.

RREE on the Scene

2008-11-11T20:34:00.002-06:00

Secrets of the Daily Show

2008-11-10T18:20:00.001-06:00

Read about it here.

Newsrooms Could Learn From Obama

2008-11-08T21:55:00.003-06:00

Gannett's Ted Mann says there are some lessons for newsrooms in how the Obama campaign used text messaging and iPhone applications.

I Wanna Be A Pundit!

2008-10-23T10:48:00.002-05:00

OK, Jon Stewart is just toooooo funny.

Resume Tape Advice

2008-10-19T12:24:00.002-05:00

What format should your resume "tape" be in? Here's some spot-on advice.

TV News Job Losses Continue

2008-10-09T11:08:00.002-05:00

The RTNDA news staffing survey shows these changes since January 1st, 2008:

22.1 % of stations increased staff
28.6% of stations decreased staff
49.4% stayed the same

Researcher Bob Papper comments:

In an era of generally increasing TV news staff, those figures are comparatively depressing. Most years, the percentage of stations with increases would be 10 percent higher, and the percentage of stations with decreases would be at least 10 percent lower. This year, there were more layoffs than additions, far more people were cut than added, and some of those layoffs involved dozens of people at one time. In a number of cases, station cuts outside of news meant that the spared newspeople had to pick up the slack.

Stations that increased staff added an averageof 2.9 people (median 2); stations that cut dropped by an average 3.8 people (median 2). Subtracting gains from losses and projecting across all stations, local TV news, nationwide,has lost about 360 people since the first of the year.There are about 24,500 people who work full-time in local TV news.

Recession aside, news directors expect the remainder of the year to be far better.

Staff Changes Expected Over the Next Few Months

Staff Increase 17.9%
Staff Decrease 9.1%
Same 72.7%

While nearly three-quarters of the news directors expect no change in staff size, almost twice as many expect to add people as cut them.The industry-wide projection would be a net increase in TV newspeople of 151 through the remainder of the year.

It should be noted that these projections came before the financial meltdown of the past couple of weeks.

The full study is here.

Which Would You Give Up?

2008-10-07T14:09:00.002-05:00

Young men say they would rather give up TV than the internet. Perhaps not too suprising. But this study shows that advertisers are still not embracing online.

The Morning Meeting

2008-10-02T11:08:00.004-05:00

Doug Drew talks about the Morning Meeting in today's Shoptalk newsletter:

One of the most important parts of a successful newscast occurs hours before the show. Maybe as much as 8 hours before the show! It's the morning meeting. A good morning meeting usually leads to interesting, content rich newscasts later in the day.

What to bring to the morning meeting

Each station organizes and formats it's morning meeting differently, but there is one thing all have in common: EVERYONE who attends should bring AT LEAST one story idea with them. Two is better, three is the best. You get the idea! And these should not be "pie in the sky" ideas. These should be stories you could turn today, for tonight's newscasts. Realistic stories that can be produced with the staff you have that day.

This is NOT a meeting where you sit and listen and write down lists of stories that will be covered that day as announced by the assignment editor. The BEST morning meetings are brainstorming sessions. You can't have a brainstorming session unless each person in the meeting shares ideas.

And don't clam up in disgust if no one in the room likes your idea. News people are hard to please and are often quick to shut down others' ideas. I don't know why that is, but it's true. Even if they don't have their own ideas, many news people are quick to criticize others. News people are naturally skeptical. So, don't give up easily if you get shot down, and if you aren't successful that's why you need a few other ideas. Also, don't expect to be able to do your idea THAT DAY. It may be a great story, but if it doesn't fit the mix of what's needed that day, maybe it's a story for another day.

Come in a good mood

The morning meeting should be fun. In fact, the best meetings start off with a general discussion of the hot topics. If it's a Monday morning, talk about what movies you saw over the weekend and ask others what they saw. If there was a big sporting event or concert over the weekend, talk about that event and if there are any follow ups. These kinds of topics get everyone "talking,'" and often lead to great ideas. If there was a concert, and you saw ticket scalpers standing outside, maybe there's a story about scalpers.

If you come to the meeting grumpy or unhappy, it brings others down. Come in with ideas that you are passionate about and sell them.

Participate

Another key to a successful morning meeting is if everyone is open and willing to discuss the ideas at hand. A quiet room does not produce good ideas. Don't be afraid to speak up. Share your thoughts. The news management will appreciate this. Even if you are just an intern. Pipe up! You are part of the demographic that station is trying to reach. Your ideas are important! Your ideas represent a portion of the audience that the news department is trying to reach.

So, what's expected?

It's pretty simple. If you ask most news directors what they'd like out of the people in the morning meeting they'd probably say:

People in a good mood
People who bring in story ideas
People who participate in the discussion
That's it. That's all it takes. If you currently attend the morning meetings, ask yourself if you can answer YES to all of those. And for people who don't normally come into the meeting because they are intimidated or just don't think it's important for them to be there, realize that those three things are all that's needed. If you can do those three things, news management would love to have you attend and the newscasts that day will be better because you were there!

Doug Drew is a morning news specialist who does reporter and producer seminars for 602 Communications. If you have an idea, suggestion or question, you can send them to Doug at ddrew@602communications, or send them along to me at Tom@TVSPY.COM.

Advice From the Inside

2008-09-12T15:33:00.002-05:00

B-Roll.net is a sight primsarily for professional news photographers. One regular on the message boards there asked his colleagues to list the things they wish they had known in college about the business....and what advice could be given. Among the replies was this well-thought response from a poster called "newz2me":

1. You will not start out making $40,000 a year.

2. You will be working weekends and holdiays.

3. Try to make yourself stand out in the crowd and be confident but don't ever think you're God's gift to broadcasting and they can't do without you. No matter how good you are, you can be replaced.

4. A bad/snotty attitude will make for a big lonely newsroom for you.

5. There are people who have been doing this longer than you and know more than you. Listen to them and learn from any that are willing to teach you.

6. Understand that moving is part of this business especially early in your career. In order to make more money you need to move upward.

7. Market size doesn't always equal a better work environment or better equiptment or pay.

8. Thank God for the internet....Do a search on the ownership of the station you're looking at and try to determine if this is the place you want to go.

9. When going to personal interviews, look around the newsroom and see how the staff reacts. Are they calm/relaxed? What are the expressions on their faces? Do they look tired? If possible try to talk to a couple of them. What does the equipment look like(computers, cameras, studio)? Is the live truck 20 years old? Are they driving around in 10 year old rusted out Kias?

10. Your social life WILL suffer for a couple of years get used to it. However, you'll meet interesting people in the same boat as you and you will gain insight on life and maturity that you never expected.

11. Get used to covering the same story for days on end until you're sick of it.

12. Never trust consultants.
There's countless more but that's what floated to the top for now.

The rest of the posts are here, but I think this one is good enough to be thinking about for now.

Is It Any of Our Business?

2008-09-02T11:30:00.002-05:00

The news about Cindy Palin's pregnant daughter is re-igniting discussion about what is fair game for reporters and bloggers...and what is not. Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass has a strong opinion. What do you think?

Getting a Job...or a Better Job

2008-08-25T06:01:00.001-05:00

The photo at right is legendary former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka.

There are coaches for broadcast journalists as well. Randy Tantano is one. And he writes what may be one of most useful blogs I've ever come across for TV news talent. His tvnewsgrapevine site is full of tips on how to get that first job, building a resume tape, acing the job interview, etc. He also has strategies for those moving up in the biz...things like negotiating a contract, when to use an agent, how to get ahead in the politics of the newsroom.

I suggest you read the archives. This is some good stuff!

"Patronizing" and "Mind Boggling"

2008-08-14T20:59:00.002-05:00

That's what PBS's ombudsman says about the decision by The Newshour with Jim Lehrer to not run a piece about John Edwards' infidelity confession. Here's the explanation. What do you think?

TV News: The Tampa Rays or The New York Yankees?

2008-08-05T17:00:00.002-05:00

Here are some interesting thoughts from Fred Young of Hearst-Argyle Television on the future of TV News. He uses the analogy of the two baseball teams' payrolls to explain what is happening within newsrooms right now.

Local TV News Has A Death Wish?

2008-07-30T10:00:00.002-05:00

TV Consultant Dick Kirlander thinks so:

The death wish is most evident when actually watching a half-hour newscast. Local news is generally defined as crime, car crashes, minor house fires and endless weather hype. It's as if every day is a blank slate on the assignment desk. Whatever is easiest to cover with no real effort or manpower investment is today's news.

Read his full letter to the editor at tvnewsday here.

Lee and Gatehouse Struggling

2008-07-09T11:10:00.002-05:00

The parent companies of most of Southern Illinois' newspaper properties are struggling with hard economic times and crushing debt. Lee Newspapers owns the Southern Illinoisan, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and about 50 0thers. Lee lost $713 million last quarter. It's stock price is down to $4 from $20 a year ago.

Gatehouse owns over 500 newspapers, including almost all of the smaller dailies and weeklies in Southern Illinois (Marion, West Frankfort, Benton, Murphysboro, Harrisburg, DuQuoin and several more). Gatehouse's stock has plunged 85 percent since last April.

More from the San Diego Reader.

What's the future of print journalism? I wish I knew.

45 Words

2008-07-04T11:23:00.004-05:00

It's the foundation of what we do for a living. Moreover, the words of the First Amendment to the Constitution express the principles that defined our country from so many others...and still do today.

Have you read those words lately?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Happy Independence Day!

Photo/Video-graphers

2008-07-03T10:55:00.003-05:00

From Tampa comes word that the photo staffs of the Tampa Tribune and WFLA-TV will be merged. Photogs will have to reapply for their jobs. The story comes from St. Petersburg Times media critic Eric Deggans.

We'll be seeing more of this.

$38 Million a Year

2008-07-03T08:30:00.002-05:00

Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admire the talent of Rush Limbaugh. For 20 years now Limbaugh has been the undisputed gorilla of talk radio. His new contract will pay him a base of $38 million dollars a year, not including signing bonuses, merchandise, and additional ad revenue.

Limbaugh is not only an accomplished broadcaster, but also a powerful influence on our political system.

The New York Times Magazine has this rare candid conversation with "el Rushbo."

Audio Recorder the Size of a Pack of Juicy Fruit

2008-06-14T10:18:00.004-05:00

I love my little Olympus WS-310M (the WS--311M is the current model) digital voice recorder. It captures high quality audio in the WMA format for radio or online audio pieces. I can also download MP3 files into it, so it serves as my poor man's Ipod for traveling. The battery case pulls off, revealing a USB plug for direct connection to your desktop or laptop computer.

Some editing programs will not natively edit the WMA format, so you have to convert the files (I use a shareware program called Switch to do this). But higher end editing tools like Adobe Audition will import the files directly. Audio purists might not like that there is no way to control the record level manually, only the built-in ALC. But
I find that to almost never be a problem for interviews or nat sound.

One weakness...the battery door falls off easily. So, I keep a rubber band wrapped around mine.

Thanks to Mindy McAdams for recommending this particular recorder. As you can see from this week's New York Times photo, it has become popular with journalists on the campaign trail.

Spanning the Globe

2008-06-07T15:57:00.003-05:00

Today we pause from summer vacation to honor the memory of Jim McKay, a pioneering sports television journalist. McKay was best known for hosting Olympic Games coverage and for the long-running ABC's Wide World of Sports.

McKay won a dozen Emmys for his sports coverage, but also won a news coverage Emmy for his masterful anchoring of the coverage of terrorism at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Update: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Brian Burwell has this insightful column on McKay's legacy.

A Fountain of Knowledge

2008-05-04T09:48:00.005-05:00

Roosevelt University Professor John Fountain was the guest speaker in my RT 430 class on Friday. He showed examples from his reporting work for the New York Times, Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune.

Fountain reminded us that a journalist's first obligation is to report the truth.

It was a good way to end the semester with some thoughts to ponder.

Celebrating Excellence

2008-05-04T09:41:00.003-05:00

Sorry i haven't posted here in a while. Between the National Association of Broadcasters Convention, visits by candidates for Dean, and the end of the semester chaos, I just haven't made the time.

We had a very nice Radio Television Department Awards Ceremony the other night. Students were honored for their award-winning projects or scholarships. Students of the year were also named in each specialization.

The Connected Generation Not So Connected

2008-04-08T08:16:00.002-05:00

Journalism Profession Ted Gup has this commentary about what his students DON'T know.

Live Shot Philosophy

2008-03-20T14:46:00.003-05:00

Is it the process...or the product? TV Sports Photog El-Guapo has some musings worthy of Marshall McLuhan

You're Listening to the World News Roundup

2008-03-13T23:38:00.004-05:00

A tip of the hat to the CBS World News Roundup, now on the radio for 70 years.

Rant Mode On

2008-03-13T23:12:00.002-05:00

So, I'm watching the 10 pm newscast on WSIL-TV 3. Their fourth story tonight begins...."We're learning more t0night about the call girl at the center of the prostitution scandal involving New York Governor Elliot Spitzer..."

Excuse me?

This is the fourth most important story for the Southern Illinois viewing audience?

Keep in mind the Spitzer story first broke four days earlier.

I realize there is interest in such scandals. But until TV news makes an effort to be more relevant to viewers' everyday lives, audience interest will continue to wane.

I'm not trying to skewer channel 3...I'm sure plenty of other stations were doing the same thing.

This Job is Cr*p!

2008-03-04T11:22:00.002-06:00

A political reporter's job is not glamorous.

What Exactly Are They Selling?

2008-03-03T13:33:00.002-06:00

Billboard for the Fox Business Channel

Hearing the Bad News From a Reporter

2008-03-02T17:51:00.003-06:00

Here's one of the situations you hate as a reporter or a news manager. Unfortunately, it can happen to the most conscientious journalist.

Great Quote

2008-02-14T12:12:00.005-06:00

"There's no news in the newsroom," says 50-year photojournalist Bob "Scoop" Phillips.

Funny "Breaking News" Parody

2008-02-14T00:15:00.000-06:00

Breaking News: Series Of Concentric Circles Emanating From Glowing Red Dot

Cookie cutter...parodies

2008-02-11T13:59:00.000-06:00

Broadcasting and Cable magazine has some doubts about the future of TV news, if the present course continues.

The Boys(and Girls) on the Bus

2008-02-06T13:08:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite books is Timothy Crouse's The Boys on the Bus. It's about traveling with the candidates during the 1972 presidential campaign. CBS's traveling journalists have posted a video of some of the memorable moments from the current campaign.

By the way, if you're interested in the Crouse book from '72, here's an Amazon link.

More on staging

2008-02-03T18:47:00.000-06:00

We've linked before to veteran photojournallist Rick Portier. Rick has some thoughts about the accused staging incident talked about below. But I especially like this paragraph:

News is news, just like it happens. It ain't always pretty. It ain't always like we like it. But it's gotta be real. Creating an "impromptu" memorial wall is just as bad a carrying around accident debris in your trunk to scatter at your next accident vo. (Don't laugh, I know a stringer who did it.)

Fake Shrine?

2008-01-30T11:37:00.000-06:00

In Mobile, AL there's controversy over whether a TV reporter staged a scene involving a shrine to four dead kids. By the way, Mike McCormick, the news director quoted in the story, is an SIU grad.

2008-01-29T11:19:00.000-06:00

The National Association of Broadcaster is pressing the U.S. Senate to move on implementing a national shield law for journalists.

Obama Media

2008-01-29T11:11:00.000-06:00

Interesting insight on how Barack Obama is handling the traveling press.

When You're on TV, Your Mistakes Are Public

2008-01-23T18:19:00.000-06:00

ESPN's Dana Jacobson has been benched for some remarks made at a roast. Was alcohol involved??? No matter. Your actions are under the microscope when you choose a high profile career.

Not an Old-Boy's Club Anymore

2008-01-16T14:25:00.000-06:00

Mark Schwed of the Palm Beach Post points out how the gender balance has changed in the coverage of Presidential elections.

Eavesdropping on Katie

2008-01-16T14:08:00.000-06:00

Wanna see behind the scenes as a big-time anchor does primary election night coverage? Here's Katie Couric between live shots. This is pretty typical banter off-air...but still fun to listen in on.

Keith on Keith

2007-12-18T12:23:00.000-06:00

I know I said there wouldn't be much posting here until the new year, but this interview deserves watching. Bill Moyers sits down with MSNBC's Keith Olbermann

On Hiatus

2007-12-12T09:09:00.001-06:00

You may have noticed that there have not been regular postings here the past few days. The semester is ending...final exams are underway. So my students have plenty to do besides checking in here. This site will probably be pretty quiet until early January when classes start to ramp up again. I hope everyone has a great holiday season. We'll see you all here again soon.

Students, here's what NOT to do

2007-11-23T00:45:00.000-06:00

Jena Six Debate Continues

2007-11-19T19:38:00.001-06:00

I'm just not sure what to make of this story written by the Assistant Editor of the Jena Times. Is this guy just trying to salvage the reputation of his community? Or have we been misled? At some point we all need to take a closer look at how this story was covered...right or wrong.

Hybrid newsbox

2007-11-14T20:21:00.000-06:00

Here's one way to blend old traditions with new technology. Newspaper editor Scott Walker replaced the guts of a newspaper vending machine with a computer and video monitor. Instead of the front page of a newsprint paper, the window now shows digital pics of the front pages of newspapers from across the country. Here's more about his fun project.

Weather Winner

2007-11-12T13:09:00.000-06:00

SIU R-T Alumnus Chuck Lofton has been named National Weather Association "Broadcaster of the Year." Chuck works at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis where he has been a viewer-favorite for 22 years. Congrats, Chuck!

Assignments you hate

2007-11-11T21:32:00.000-06:00

Veteran TV photog Rick Portier wonders about the intrusion of cameras and microphones on funerals and grieving.

A Story Worth Reading

2007-11-02T15:18:00.000-05:00

About our own SIUC Basketball Coach Chris Lowery...

A Lot of Work for a Few Seconds of Live

2007-11-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

Here's a time lapse of setting up a TV live shot:

This is really neat...and really scary.

2007-10-29T10:07:00.000-05:00

Read about Northwestern University's News at Seven here.

Kudos!

2007-10-23T12:17:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to SIU RT graduate Molly Crow. A newscast that she produced earlier this year at KFYR-TV in Bismark, ND just won a regional Emmy award. Molly has since moved 0n to the ABC affliate in Albany, NY.

A Beauty Pageant Mentality?

2007-10-23T12:13:00.000-05:00

No one denies that looks matter in TV news. But former network correspondent Deborah Potter argues that the emphasis on beauty has gone too far...especially for women.

Advancing your Career as TV Audiences Shrink

2007-10-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

This article has some good advice for those preparing for a career in broadcast news.....or those already in it. Those who can prepare and adapt for the future will thrive. Read it here.

Suspended for Being Insensitive

2007-10-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

Just a few days after being named National Association of Hispanic Journalists' Broadcast Journalist of the Year, a Dallas reporter has been suspended by her station. It happened after viewer complaints about the way Rebecca Aguilar interviewed a 70-year-old man who had shot and killed an intruder. Read about it here and comment below.

More PAID Internships

2007-10-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

The National Association of Black Journalists offers paid summer internships at selected news organizations around the country. The deadline for application is December 3. You must be a member of NABJ (we have a good local chapter here at SIU).

TV Time

2007-10-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

Americans watch a LOT of television. Or, at least, the TV is turned on a lot. Nielson Media Research says the TV was on more than 8 hours a day in the average home. More here.

Live....Local.....and Pointless

2007-10-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

Baltimore Sun Newspaper critic Kevin Cowherd takes on the issue of TV reporters standing outside dark buildings where news occurred hours earlier.

Nat Sound Matters for Video

2007-10-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

Watch these two versions of the same TV package....one with and one without Nat Sound. What a big difference!

Approaching Sports Differently

2007-10-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

Some TV stations have dropped the sports segments from their newscasts...or dramatically shortened those segments. But Kevin Benz of News8Austin thinks that's the wrong approach.

Paid, Yes Paid, Internships

2007-10-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

We are fortunate at SIU that the Bayliss Foundation provides us with 6 PAID summer internships in the radio industry. These are available for stations all over the U.S. Plus, you can also apply for a $5000 Bayliss Scholarship. Krissi Geary-Boehm has the applications in her office (1032A).

You could get up to $500,000

2007-10-05T12:19:00.000-05:00

Do you have a great idea for transforming community news using new technology? The Knight Foundation is funding the Knight News Challenge. The News Challenge includes $5 million dollars of awards for innovative ideas in transforming news. But $500,000 is specifically set aside for Young Creators (under 25). So, put on your thinking cap and enter here.

BEA Scholarships Available

2007-10-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

October 11 is the deadline for submitting applications for Broadcast Education Association Scholarships. There are about a dozen scholarships available, some for as much as $5000. You can get application materials here.

ABC News One Man Bureaus

2007-10-03T13:06:00.000-05:00

ABC News says it is opening some new foreign mini-bureaus. The interesting part is that these new bureaus will be comprised of just one "digital journalist" with a small DVCAM and a laptop. Read about it here.

Newscasts are dying?

2007-09-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

So says KNBC News Director Bob Long. Long was on an RTNDA panel, where he predicted that traditional TV newscasts will die with the baby boom generation. Read more here.

How to be a Journalism Student

2007-09-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

Paul Bradshaw at the University of Central England has 10 quick tips.

The suspect is described as an hispanic male.....

2007-09-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

When is a racial identification useful in a news story? When is it simply meaningless as a description? These are questions newsrooms across the country continue to debate. Viewers and listeners want to know what dangerous criminals look like, but a description like "black male in a green hooded shirt" could apply to potentially hundreds or thousands of residents. So, do you use the limited description you have? Or does it invite racial stereotyping? Here's an article about the current debate going on at the Sacramento Bee newspaper. I'm interested in your comments because there are interesting arguments on both sides.

Another Storyteller

2007-09-25T12:18:00.000-05:00

If you've had any of my classes you know I like to show examples from NBC Today Show Correspondent Bob Dotson. Here are some remarks Dotson made about storytelling this past Saturday at Kansas University.

It's All About Storytelling

2007-09-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

I spend lots of time in class talking about how to shoot well-composed, exposed, steady video. But in the end, the most important thing is telling a good story. One of my favorite Video Journalists is a fellow named David Turecamo. Watch one of his pieces here and see what a good storyteller can do with just a handheld camera and excellent writing.

Is That What I Said?

2007-09-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

Today's electronic audio editors make it easy to slice and dice sound files. It's possible to make someone sound like they're saying something that they really never said.

That's why it's important to follow some ethical rules in how you cut audio sound bites.

Mary McGuire has a great list of guidelines here.

It's OK to "clean up" a quote, but never OK to change its meaning.

2007-09-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

SIU Alum Chris Bury has been a National Correspondent for ABC's Nightline since 1993. Now, the network is sending him back to Chicago as Midwest National Correspondent. That's good news on two fronts. First, we'll get to see more of Chris' reporting on other ABC News programs. And, since he's closer to Carbondale, perhaps we'll get to see him more often talking with students.

Chris has always been willing to come back to campus when he can. But now the logistics should be a little easier.

More on Chris' new assignment.