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Multimedia Minutes: Overcoming a Big Challenge — No Action
July 24th, 2011
How do you overcome the challenge of virtually no action in a story? Say just a guy in a chair. Here’s one approach.
Learn more to create engaging storytelling. Click on the links to the right under “Recent Posts.”
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: How to Bring Your Brand of Journalism Alive
June 6th, 2010
Many multimedia journalists are surprised when we test their stories and the promos for them with viewers. They often get lost in a Sea of Sameness. But promos like these do punch through.
Simply put, make sure there’s nothng subtle about how you deliver on your brand of journalism.
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Sharpen your visual storytelling and promotion skills. Look at the Recent Posts to the right — fast becoming the largest library of learning videos for multimedia journalists on the planet.
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Multimedia Minutes: This Franchise Recruits Viewers
May 26th, 2010
One of the most powerful franchises we ever tested is simple in concept: Alert viewers to neighborhood crime trends so they can protect themselves. Many viewers say they’ll leave their favorite station to watch it because personal safety is important to them. Here’s an example of the concept.
Sharpen your skills as a multimedia journalist by watching the videos under Recent Posts — fast becoming the largest on demand 24/7 library of learning videos for MMJs in the world.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 31 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Strong Example of Viewer Advocacy
May 19th, 2010
Viewers want to know where their tax money goes, and this example offers you a story idea and a clever way to cover it.
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: Impact Team
May 9th, 2010
Viewers want to know where their taxpayer money– including stimulus funds – is going. They also want to be sure there’s no fraud, no waste. This promo shows the commitment of one TV station to deliver on that.
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Multimedia Minutes: Point of View Isn’t Always Pretty
May 4th, 2010
Point of view photography plunges the viewer into the experience. This example is from Darren Brown, News9.com Web Journalist:
I visit the blog OFTEN. Great stuff on there. I covered a story the other day I think might help demonstrate the “you never know” category. Here’s the skinny.
NFL Draft Day is a big deal around here. OU and OSU always have guys going early. But this year was even bigger–3 of the first 4 guys were from OU. Those guys were all in NYC, but there were some family draft parties around town. I was sent to cover Gerald McCoy’s. Since there was so much family and friends, they decided to have it a church nearby.Here’s the rub.The church didn’t have cable. Now that might not be a problem on Sunday mornings, or on Sunday nights, or on any other day…but when you’re having a DRAFT PARTY…IT’S A HUGE PROBLEM.The draft was supposed to start at 6:30PM. We all knew Sam Bradford was going first, but weren’t sure if McCoy was going 2nd or 3rd. So I figured I needed to be there when it started.I pulled up to the church at around 6:13, and walked inside expecting folks to be waiting patiently (or impatiently.) What I found was chaos. People were running around yelling, and there were laptops and cables everywhere.They couldn’t get ESPN. Someone had brought a satellite dish and they were fiddling with it, but it wasn’t working and neither was the laptop signal ESPN was streaming live.Now it’s 6:20PM. McCoy’s aunt, who was my contact for the party, was freaking out. “I’m not gonna miss this,” she was screaming.“Let’s go to my house!” yells some guy. “It’s just a couple minutes away!” And then more chaos.Folks ran outside, piled into cars, and took off. I rolled on it, and rolled on the drive to the guy’s house, where their boy got drafted number three overall by the Tampa Bay Bucs.After that, it was back to the church for more celebrating, a self-shot standup, and food…of which there wasn’t much left.I’ll admit that the shooting in this pkg is not my best, ESPECIALLY the stuff at the front. But I think it captures the chaos of the moment, and I can live with that.Sometimes you gotta go with what works even if it ain’t pretty.Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 18 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Valuable Learning Tool
April 28th, 2010
Here’s a valuable way to celebrate progress, keep momentum going, and raise the bar: Viewing examples of memorable moments every week. A news director or news manager ensures the best examples are dubbed off, viewed, and discussed. In the case of this viewer advocacy station, the examples show the tough questions for the week:
Yes, proof of branding will be much easier if you take this weekly approach.
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Multimedia Minutes: Setting Your Weekend Newscast Apart from the Pack
April 28th, 2010
Weekend newscasts are a low priority at most stations. Just “filling the time” is the goal given the higher priorities for other shows. And seeing evidence of a brand of journalism — like viewer advocacy — is rare. But you’ll see that’s not the case when you watch the first segment of KEPR-TV’s (Pasco, WA) newscast.
KEPR-TV’s news director is Robin Wojtanik says she spends time with producers reviewing and reinforcing priorities for shows, sometimes even working the overnight shift.
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Multimedia Minutes: Short Can Sell
April 27th, 2010
Cut the fat in your writing — especially for teases. Here’s an example from our files of a very short “sell” we tested with our Real Time Response methodology. You can see second-by-second interest by viewers and news people rise during the promo.
Here’s the short video. Watch carefully. It goes by fast but engages viewers. The first few seconds shows the above graphic, then the spot.
TAKEAWAYS
Use your best video, but on-camera “sell” can be effective.
Focus on the viewer benefit.
Get to the point fast when possible.
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Increase your value as a multimedia journalist by learning from the videos to your right — fast-becoming the largest library of MMJ learning videos on the planet.
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