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Multimedia Minutes: MMJ Station Manager
October 21st, 2010
Meet the first Multimedia Station Manager in the country, at least as far as we can tell. Mary Beth Farrell, station manager of Reno’s KRNV, uses her Flipcam when she spots the right opportunities. What made you think of shooting Flipcam video?
The President of our company, Ralph Toddre, suggested we get a couple of extra cameras for just this purpose so I bought flip cams for all of my Department Heads to expand our ability to gather video.
Being a news junkie, I’m always on the lookout for good video, and for something I think our viewers might be interested in seeing. That includes everything from breaking news to Fact Finders, to events coming up this weekend, and everything in between.
Did anybody at the station know you shot the videos?
Yes they always know when I’m sending video… I call right away. Or, they know in advance if I’m shooting a package.
Any reactions by them?
At first, people were surprised that the station manager was shooting stories but they’re getting used to it. I think it sets a good example and sends a strong message about my priorities and the station’s priorities. We work hard for our communities and news doesn’t take the day off.
One reporter/producer/photographer said “If she’ll do stories — and do them on her days off, I think we can all afford to go the extra step”.
When the stories air — like this one related to a major traffic tie-up — we tell viewers that the video was shot by a News 4 employee.
That’s because you can tell it’s not the same HD quality as our regular newsgathering cameras, and that gives us the opportunity to ask viewers to send us their video or photos.
News has always been my passion, and quite honestly, this has given me the chance to go back to my first love: telling stories. There’s something very meaningful about it and it’s fun.
Bob Note: Article appeared here last year, but it’s still timely and relevant.
WHY THIS BLOG IS VALUABLE: WHAT A GENERAL MANAGER SAYS
Regarding the blog videos, I’d say the most value is in their regularity and frequency. It’s good having something like that coming at the younger talent in the news room because it not only helps them in their growth, but makes them feel they’re on the “inside” and we’re engaged with them. — Greg Raschio, General Manager, KVAL-TV/Eugene, OR
Posted in Multimedia Journalism | 18 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: How to Put a Face on a Story
May 28th, 2010
Finding a “real person” for stories isn’t easy, so sometimes you just need to ask your viewers on your air and on your Web site. We’ve recommended this approach to news directors. They say it not only helps find human angles but also provides a deeper understanding of the issue from the people closest to the problem — parents and kids.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 1 Comment »
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Multimedia Minutes: Finding Humor in a Story
May 9th, 2010
Find humor in a story, add a creative touch, and you created engaging storytelling. Despite limited video, see what this reporter did:
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 6 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: When Visuals are Hard to Find
May 8th, 2010
A story or promo like this would normally lack strong visuals. Watch how this station planned the story and promo to avoid that problem.
Making this happen requires planning. You can’t easily fix a visually weak story or promo after you shot it. You should plan your strong elements to avoid the problem.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Why Throw a Brick at a TV Set?
May 2nd, 2010
A viewer threatened to smash her TV set if anchors and reporters continued to ask softball questions of officials when she wanted tough questions — especially those related to wasting tax money. Many viewers share her opinion.
This represents an opportunity to serve those viewers. One station with a “asking tough question” brand of journalism is WRGB-TV/Albany. We collaborated with news director Lisa Jackson on creating this promo, which grabbed viewers’ attention in a convincing way when we tested it in focus groups.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Dealing with “That’s a Silly Question”
April 30th, 2010
Savvy officials and politicians know how to manage the media — especially multimedia journalists new to their craft. One of the ways they can cut you down is by responding ”That’s a silly question.”
It can make you feel incompetent. But you can rise to the occasion, as the reporter in this promo did.
You also saw in this spot how asking the tough questions to get answers for your viewers represents a powerful brand of journalism. It takes preparation and courage on your part, but it’s way to thrive in an Extinct or Distinct environment.
Same for anchors. In this case, Greg Floyd at WRGB-TV get out from the anchor test to ask the tough questions. A great example of anchor as Chief Journalist and Viewer Advocate.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 2 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Can’t Get the Answers to Your Questions?
April 25th, 2010
How do you deal with an interview subject who side steps answering your questions? Here’s one proven way.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Kaplitz#p/u/82/N5iDmNNiCf8
You don’t need to be on 60 Minutes to ask follow up questions like this. As long as you do it in a respectful way, viewers will appreciate how you’re watching out for them.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 1 Comment »
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Multimedia Minutes: Producer Scorecard
April 24th, 2010
Checklists and scorecards represent powerful implementation tools. Without them, responsibilities and goals are fuzzy. Also, with a scorecard like this one, you can identify problems and address them quickly. This is an example. As a multimedia journalist, you should create your own scorecard to, well, keep score and get help where you’re not making progress
. To make this practical, use it as often as you like. Check the goals with your news manager. If you’re a news manager, make sure everyone’s goals are clear whether you call it a scorecard, checklist, or simply goals.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Distinct or Extinct
April 20th, 2010
You need to be good at visual storytelling, but also you should deliver on a brand of journalism. Valuable brands survive while commodity news — just covering the news of the day — will become extinct. It’s about being distinct in a valuable way.
Here’s an example of delivering on the viewer advocacy brand — like Taking Action for You or On Your Side — through various stages.
While it was originally based on viewer perceptions of anchors, it’ll work for multimedia journalists, too. Which stage are you in?
What do you need to do to get to the next level?
How will you eventually become a Brand Ambassador so you don’t disappear in a Sea of Sameness?
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 2 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: How to Promote Your Stories
April 3rd, 2010
Advanced multimedia journalists are sometimes called on to produce promos to sell their stories. Here’s what you need to know.
To become more valuable as a multimedia journalist, watch the learning videos under Recent Posts to the right.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
