Multimedia Minutes: Creative Opening Shot

May 7th, 2010

Promos demand the strongest visual elements from multimedia journalists because you’re trying to sell your news product.  This promo begins with an especially creative shot.

Viewers tell us that some creative angles distract from the sell of the message.  This example created by WRGB-TV’s Tim Pennings in Albany, NY shows shows can creativity can sell.

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Sharpen your skills as a multimedia journalist by watching the videos and short articles under Recent Posts — fast becoming the largest multimedia library of learning videos on the planet.

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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 »

Multimedia Minutes: Providing Video for Powerful Promos

November 24th, 2009

More and more multimedia journalists want to learn about promotion.  Specifically, what goes into a strong spot and the role they can play.  It’s consistent with our recommendation to learn as much as you can to play a valuable role in stations’ new business models. 

Here’s a good example of a strong promo created for a strong story from WRGB-TV/Albany news director Lisa Jackson and her team.  To get the most benefit from the video, feel free to stop it after every key point.  Notice how different this proactive journalism is from the typical reactive approach any stations default to. 

First watch the promo as it ran, then look for my comments at the bottom of the screen.�

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“Where’s My Money Going?”

August 14th, 2009

Viewers appreciate stations that serve as a viewer advocate — especially as a watchdog keeping an eye on where their tax money is going.  Whether you’re a multimedia journalist or part of a reporter-photojournalist team, you can learn from these strong storytelling elements.

Feel free to share your comments and questions.  For example, one viewer said the story delivered on viewer advocacy in a valuable way, but could have been tightened up by dividing it into two angles.

Posted in Power Tools for TV Journalists | 32 Comments »

How Throwing a Rock at a TV Set Created a Winning Promo

June 6th, 2009

Viewers depend on anchors and reporters to ask the tough questions. They see it as part of their job. Yet, you’ll rarely hear tough questions in newscasts. Viewers complain they do hear softball questions.

With that in mind, we collaborated with our Albany, New York client to create a proof of branding promo.  It  grabbed the attention of viewers and turned many into believers because it rang true.

http://www.screencast.com/t/o5UCs98iwo

Delivering on tough questions just doesn’t happen.  It takes planning, the crafting of questions, and anticipating answers to allow for follow-up questions.  And it requires focus.  You obviously don’t need to tough question a well-intentioned Girl Scout selling cookies that cost more this year than last.

Not incidentally, WRGB scored its best ratings in recent years in the May book.

Posted in Power Tools for TV Journalists | 9 Comments »

Put Your Career on Steroids

May 7th, 2009

If you’re not getting enough feedback, ask for it.  It’ll make you more valuable at a time when that’s essential for job security.  Multimedia journalist or whatever your position, you deserve to know what to celebrate and how you can raise the bar.

WRGB/Albany, NY news director Lisa Jackson, shown here with reporter Randy Simons, provides consistent feedback in one-to-one’s, small group sessions, staff meetings, weekly, and sometimes even daily emails.

This approach answers one of the most frequent complaints from news people:  “I don’t get enough feedback.”

See how specific, constructive, and candid the feedback you deserve can be as you read one of Lisa’s recent emails:

 Team:
 

An incredibly hectic week!  We covered breaking news and we broke a few stories.  Thank you all for the good ideas, hard work, and hustle. 

We continue to show daily progress in branding our newscasts so that viewers will appreciate the extra steps we take every day that set us apart from the competition.   We showcased our Fact Finders, we answered viewer email questions, we broke important stories and we’re planning for more opportunities for the anchors to contribute — those are branding goals and nice job delivering them.   

Here are a couple of examples from tonight, and suggestions to make them stronger. 

Plane in the Hudson Followup

        ALBANY INTERNATIONAL IS ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE DANGER THAT BIRDS POSE TO AIRPLANES.
        IN-FACT, LAST YEAR THEY RECORDED FORTY-TWO BIRD STRIKES AT THE AIRPORT.
        TONIGHT RANDY SIMONS SHOWS US THE PLAN … TO NOT ONLY BATTLE THE BIRDS — BUT SOME OTHER THINGS… THAT COULD REALLY ”FOWL” THINGS UP.

Good:  We identified two angles this morning to follow up on yesterday’s plane in the Hudson.  Angle 1:  How common are bird strikes and what is Albany International doing to prevent them?  Angle 2:  What should you do to increase your chances of getting out safe? 

To Raise the Bar:   Write that into your copy.  For example:  Yesterday’s crash raises two big safety questions:  How common are bird strikes and what is Albany International doing to prevent them?  And What should you do the next time you fly to increase your chances of getting out safe?  Our Fact Finder team ….we start with ….

This give us credit for identifying important safety issues, and viewers appreciate that  we’re fact finding to get them answers. 

Fire Depts. Not Getting Money

        THE STATE’S FISCAL WOES ARE NOW HAVING AN EFFECT.. ON THOSE WAITING FOR GRANT MONEY, FROM THE STATE.
        IN NOVEMBER, GOVERNOR PATERSON OUTLINED NEW “COST-CONTROL” MEASURES — MAKING IT MANDATORY THAT AGENCIES SEEKING GRANTS, GET PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE STATE DIVISION OF BUDGET.. AND THE OFFICE OF STATE OPERATIONS.

        THE NEW MEAURE MAY BE AN EFFORT TO CONTROL SPENDING — BUT AS MARCI NATALE REPORTS — IT’S LEAVING SEVERAL AREA FIRE COMPANIES… IN THE RED.

Good:   It’s an exclusive story that may affect a lot of families.
To Raise the Bar:  Need to make the relevance much more obvious.  Focus on “Why do I care?”  Will I have to pay more to make up the difference?  Will they have to cut back on other equipment that might put my family at risk?

Making Good on Our Promise

        EARLIER THIS WEEK — MARCI NATALE BROKE THE STORY — OF HOW MEMBERS OF THE ALBANY FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE BEING TOLD, THEY CAN NO LONGER VOLUNTEER IN THEIR OWN TOWNS.

        MANY OF YOU EMAILED US ABOUT THIS ONE —
        AND ONE OF YOU POINTED OUT — WE REFERRED TO PAID FIREFIGHTERS AS “PROFESSIONALS” — WHEN IN FACT, “ALL” FIREFIGHTERS ARE PROFESSIONALS — PAYCHECK OR NOT.

        AND YOU’RE RIGHT… GOOD POINT!
TAKE EMAIL ANIMATION
        REMEMBER — IF THERE’S A QUESTION YOU HAVE — OR A STORY YOU WANT COVERED — E-MAIL US AT “NEWS AT CBS SIX ALBANY DOT COM.”

        IT’S OUR JOB TO GET YOU ANSWERS!
Good:   We turned a mistake most stations would just sweep under the rug, into a branding opportunity that makes good on our promise of nailing down the facts because accuracy matters.  Because viewers rarely see this it makes an impression.  It’s a lemon because of the initial mistake, but you turned it into lemonade.

To Raise the Bar:  Keep the original email.  Quote from it to capture the viewer’s indignation.  And use his name at the end, Sam, you’re right.  Thanks for the email so we can set the record straight.  

Keep up the good work and have a great weekend!  Lisa  

__________________

Whether your news director offers you this feedback or you ask for it, it’s a great way to accelerate your learning.  Not incidentally, WRGB’s latest news ratings were their best in years.

Posted in Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists | 3 Comments »

Don’t Make This Mistake

April 26th, 2009

Viewers call it out of focus video — a technical problem. Fortunately, many photojournalists are no longer taking this approach.

You probably know the idea:  Protect the identify of the people you’re shooting. The old way of thinking was: “We need video, can’t show faces, so let’s shoot backs of heads, legs, and feet — or show faces out of focus.”

Even when I spoke to photojournalists, sharing viewer insights, at the NPPA workshops several years ago, the approach didn’t make sense to them. It was a waste of their ability to tell a story. And they were right.

Even though you’ll see it on the air, it’s a waste of your time, viewers’ time, and makes for bad television.

In this under two-minute learning Learning Video starting with part of a story by WNBC-TV’s Gabe Pressman, you’ll learn how get around this problem.

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