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Who’s the Best Interviewer at Your Station?
May 21st, 2011
Who’s the best interviewer at your station?
This Wall Street Journal ad quotes the New York Times’ choice of Chris Wallace. Who stands out at your station? Who in your market? How do you score? (The full ad was cut off in scanning, but you get the point.)
Reporters usually offer these reasons for cutting out their questions:
“My questions are too long, so I don’t have time for them.”
“My questions won’t make me look good.”
“I don’t know what to ask.”One news director, in fact, demanded that reporters cut out their questions because they were so weak, bogging stories down. That may be a short term solution, but doesn’t serve anyone well in the long run.
TAKEAWAYS
Remember the value of short, relevant questions that viewers want answered.
Don’t feel obligated to use every question, but look for opportunities to include your best questions.
Contact a manager for guidance if they know their questions are going to be weak.Learn more. Click:
This Takes Nerve — and Viewers Love It
Asking Tough Questions: Tips from a News Director
Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training | No Comments »
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Learn from Some of the World’s Best Photo Journalists
May 4th, 2011
You can learn a lot from still images. They’re a good starting point before you capture motion.
You might learn from this presentation produced by Leica camera, showing the work of some of most respected photo journalists. Even if your daily opportunities aren’t this dramatic, look for memorable moments.
Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training, Twitter | No Comments »
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Making Sequences Easy to Shoot and Edit
May 2nd, 2011
Here’s an excellent example of sequencing. And it comes in a promo for a morning newscast.
Notice how shooting people coming into or out of the frame makes editing quick and easy.
Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training, Twitter | No Comments »
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Capturing Big News in a Colorful Way
May 1st, 2011
You can learn a lot from this news source, www.nypost.com.
Whether it’s an everyday story or a huge one — like this — the website and newspaper communicate information in a colorful and engaging way. It’s their brand of journalism. It’s what separates them from most other news sources. Some critics complain it’s sensational. Yet many find it engaging — even as they complain.
Headlines are to-the-point, words like “payback” and “monster” capture the emotion of the story, and the graphics connect the new development with the bombing of the World Trade Center.Takeaways for multimedia journalists include:
Write to the point.
Try to capture the emotion.
Find or create graphics that paint a vivid picture.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training, Twitter | No Comments »
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A Checklist for Great Visual Storytelling
April 25th, 2011
“Quick, can you send me a checklist to improve storytelling?” That was the client request.
Here’s one that includes several fundamentals. You might want to tighten up or even build on it.
- Am I asking the questions most viewers would want answered?
- Am I leaving in the question because questions are an important part of storytelling according to viewers?
- Does my narration match my video, so there’s no “generic” or “wallpaper” video?
- Am I paraphrasing officials and spokespersons, focusing on the people angle of the story (unless they say something you got to hear to believe)?
- Am I going the extra step to nail down facts, letting viewers know so I get credit?
Yes, this is quite basic. But if you can answer “Yes” to these questions, you’re ahead of many multimedia journalists. And if you can answer “yes,” you might begin to develop your style as the best MMJs convey a style.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training | No Comments »
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Engaging Approach to Fun Storytelling
April 25th, 2011
This visual essay posted on Vimeo’s HD channel caught my eye.
Not only is it enjoyable to watch, but also you will likely appreciate the artistry by this Los Angeles videographer. Watch for the clever use of silhouettes in opening and closing shots.
Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training | 1 Comment »
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Finding an Ex-Gang Member
April 24th, 2011
Finding and interviewing a former gang member is a good start.
Here are suggestions to take the story to the next level.
The story appeared on KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, Washington. News director Robin Wojtanik ensures the station aggressively covers topics of high interest to viewers.Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, broadcast journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Strong Example of Digging Deep and Getting Credit for It
April 22nd, 2011
Going the extra step to fact find and take credit make this story by KEPR’s Lena Vargas worth watching.
News Director Robin Wojtanik provides consistent feedback to her staff — a major reason why this Tri-Cities, WA station delivers on its brand of journalism so consistently.
Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists | No Comments »
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Quick Visual Storytelling Shared Via Social Media
April 18th, 2011
Sometimes stories visualize themselves.
Take this artist we came across at a festival in Grapevine, a Dallas suburb. Visualizing the story was easy because this lady had a story to tell — and show.
This story gained more than two hundred hits on YouTube, where I uploaded it, and new business for the artist because several people posted it on their Facebook page. Charice thanked me for telling her story so others might benefit from it.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training | 1 Comment »
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This Video Concept Raises the Bar
April 17th, 2011
Watch, and you’ll see why this interactive video concept raises the bar.
You’ll see how it innovates to engage and possibly sell you in unexpected ways.
Other brands may jump on board, but miss out on the surprise factor.An obvious takeaway: The unexpected can engage and delight. See how you can apply this to your upcoming visual storytelling.
Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Social Media, TV news training, Twitter | No Comments »