What impressed me about Galen Culver’s profile of a ten year old “Lil’ Rapper” from Oklahoma City was how open and comfortable the girl looked and talked on camera.
Galen, a multimedia journalist for KFOR-TV, has been producing “Is This a Great State or What!” since 1991. He partners with me in the training of multimedia journalists at client stations.
What’s your “secret” for getting people to be so open and at ease on camera?
There’s nothing like a one person crew to connect with the person you’re interviewing. It’s just you and your subject. I like the informality of just ‘coming over’ to someone’s house, sharing a cup of coffee, talking things over.
Two or three people and a lot of equipment can feel like ‘company’. An MM journalist feels more like a friend dropping by. It’s more intimate. Great for good interviews.
An MM journalist has all the power. For every great experience reporters and photographers have together there are probably an equal number of horror stories where someone you work with doesn’t know what they’re doing or care.
They miss a shot or mangle the language or they’re just plain hard to be around. Working alone is a simpler process. You get what you need. You’re as creative as you want to be. You make the decisions. There’s more responsibility, no one else to blame when something goes wrong, but if you work hard then good things usually happen.
What’s your favorite experience?
Some of my favorite experiences as an MM journalist have come late at night or very early in the morning when I’ve felt as though no one else has ever done what I’m doing with my camera. No one else has ever captured this kind of moment or been here at this spot to take a picture.
Those experiences come through initiative alone. They don’t involve asking the desk to OK the overtime for a photographer or having to wait around for a reporter who didn’t feel the need to get up so early. It’s just me and hopefully a very interesting person to talk to and learn from. Those are the kinds of stories I recall most fondly.
What’s most challenging?
Physically, the MM journalist’s job can be demanding. There might not be anyone available to help carry equipment. On something like a downtown shoot, in a government building, or hospital it’s a long walk to and from the car. Shoulders and knees take a beating if you don’t have a luggage cart or someone nice enough to help you nearby. I carry a cart with my news unit for just such occasions.
Logistically, an MM journalist can find themselves at a numerical disadvantage when it comes to certain stories. Big events where there are lots of other two or three person crews are tough. There’s no way to compete with extra boots on the ground. Court stories can be especially challenging if you have to listen to testimony and try to get pictures at the same time. It can be done, but not as well as the traditional two person local TV crew.
Safety can also become an issue on certain stories. A one person crew is wise to have trusted escorts in certain neighborhoods or when door to door canvassing. I try to keep a police officer in sight when covering spot news, and there have been instances where the police have cleared a crime scene and I refused to shoot anything because I was concerned for my safety.
Writing, shooting, editing is more difficult in many day to day instances. It can take longer especially if you’re on a learning curve but it’s not as hard as it used to be and it’s never been impossible.
Personally, I have to make a special effort to stay connected with the rest of the newsroom. Working alone, there are times when I miss the camaraderie good reporters have with good photographers. I’m usually the last to hear good ’scuttlebutt’. As the only MM journalist in the shop it’s easy to become the forgotten man.
More About Galen
In 1991, Galen began a unique assignment to find and showcase amazing Oklahoma sights and stories. Since that time the “Is This a Great State or What!” segment has aired nearly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on various NewsChannel 4 broadcasts.
Prior to joining NewsChannel 4, Galen worked as a reporter, photographer and weekend anchor in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
He broke into the television business a reporter and photographer in Missoula, Montana. Galen earned his degree in Journalism and Communications from Washington State University.
Galen has received many photojournalism accolades including the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. His coverage of the first Gulf War won an Oklahoma Associated Press Award for Best General Reporting.
Galen is married to NewsChannel 4 anchor and producer Tara Blume. They and their Oklahoma born daughters, Evelyn and Holly, live in Oklahoma City.
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