By: Mike Brannen

Storytelling may be a lost art in local TV. While there is a sporadic collection of stations determined to keep that art of reporting alive, most seem content to present simply the meat and potatoes of a story, rather than treat it as a full course dinner. The stations branding themselves as storytellers typically allow their on-air talent to take credit for humanizing subjects and making each report memorable. KARE’s Boyd Huppert, KGO’s Wayne Freedman, and KOMU’s Sarah Hill are masters of this craft, perfectly weaving words, pictures, and sounds seamlessly. Most of their work tells the stories of people in our communities. They remove themselves objectively from the dramatic, emotional, and comedic tales that make life interesting. But a photographer in New York last week took storytelling in a new direction.

WKTV’s Tim Fisher has been gaining attention virally this month. Fisher was sent out to cover a deadly house fire in Utica, NY. A family cried out, saying firefighters weren’t doing enough to save three people inside. One member outside of the house came at Fisher in a display of anger and fear. Firefighters fell to the ground, choking on the thick smoke. Fisher packaged the basic details for the 5 and 6 p.m. broadcasts as he would any other deadly fire.

Then, he took it even further, producing a 7-minute story narrative of what happened that day for the station’s web site. He provided more context for the man who aggressively pushed him. He took more time to show how beaten and embattled were the firefighters. He used words, pictures, sounds, AND PERSPECTIVE to tell the story. The viewer had a new angle to what in most cases would appear a routine house fire.

Most importantly, the story’s details dictated how long the piece should run. It’s refreshing, it’s different, and it’s unique.

Adding “perspective” to a story may sound like adding subjectivity to a story. I think in some cases it is okay, because in all storytelling accounts, subjectivity exists. As humans, we add flavor to a story based on how we tell it. We highlight details we find more important or interesting. Journalism requires objectivity when necessary information needs to be distilled. Objectivity exists as a means of remaining ethical when addressing tenuous topics.

I’m curious how it would look if stations explored adding more perspective like Fisher’s. I envision it wouldn’t go over well with some. Not everyone wants a “full course dinner.” Sometimes they prefer just the meat and potatoes of a story. I’ll take the former every once in a while, just to try something a little different.

There’s one more thing to take away from Fisher’s work. After garnering a huge response online in the early evening, WKTV chose to air the 7-minute piece in its entirety in its 11 p.m. newscast. It’s a brilliant move that seems like an obvious decision…on the surface. In reality, stations often forget they have fascinating web content that people might want to see on TV. Rarely does a project of this length originating on the web appear uncut for air. The fact that this piece was an exception to the rule speaks volumes about the excellent quality of Fisher’s anecdote.

Mike Brannen is a morning newscast producer for KIRO7, the CBS affiliate in Seattle. He recently received a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and completed his thesis, Motivational Use of Twitter. He previously worked multiple positions at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri during the past four years.

By: Jacqueline Ingles

Writing out a personalized thank you note, or any written correspondence, may seem as archaic as a horse-drawn-carriage in 2011. We both know that email is quicker and cheaper, so why should invest in nice stationary and write thank you notes to news directors and other prospective employers?

First, let’s take a few steps back. Even in college, I had a nice stash of Craine’s stationery (oh yes, the nice stuff) to write out thank you notes. Not only does it speak volumes about you as a person, but it is classy to send a hand-written note to thank someone for their time or being a source for your daily package. Now, you say you don’t have the means for the nice stationary, huh? Well cut back on that extra drink before graduation or that morning latte, and you can save the $20.00 it takes to own that “upper-class stationary.” Trust me when I say that Barnes N Nobles and Hallmark carry the good stuff.

Every true reporter is a writer at heart, at least in my opinion. So, go to the store and invest in quality paper like good writers do. I have off-white Crain’s stationary with my initial, “I,” written in cursive in a raised gold print. Not only will you sending a hand-written letter spell class, it will also be very personal to the individual on the receiving end. Just ask yourself, don’t you feel warm and fuzzy when you receive a personalized birthday card in the mail? Don’t you feel extra special? And, didn’t this person take time out of their busy day to help you out?

As for the nuts and bolts of writing that thank you note, here are some tips:

1) Typically, after interviewing with a news director or potential employer, you should have the letter in the mail within three days. You want your thank you to be timely. Sending one a month down the road just shows you are unorganized and perhaps writing the letter as an afterthought. Remember, you are aiming to send the message that you are professional and grateful.

2) As for the contents of the note, keep it short and simple.

For example:

Dear John Smith,

Jane Doe

3) If you have a business card toss it in to provide contact information. If you don’t, don’t worry.

Now, if an executive producer took time to meet with you and go over your resume, you owe them a note too. The same rules as above apply.

If you think that these notes are a waste of time, I can tell you different. For almost every note I have written, I have received an email from the person back thanking me for the note. My current boss even mirrored my behavior when I joined my team in Austin and wrote me a personal letter welcoming me aboard. It made me feel good to know he took the time to actually write something and not launch off a generic typed welcome.

Jacqueline Ingles is a multi-platform reporter for KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas. She writes, shoots, edits, fronts her story and then provides a more in-depth story version on her station’s web site daily. She founded the blog “In Ingles Please” in early 2010. A native of Chicago, Jacqueline received a master’s in broadcast journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She also graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola University-Chicago.