Before I head out on any broadcast piece, my managers are always yelling this from the assignment desk. If you are not familiar with what a TVU is you should be. A TVU is a portable, wireless electronic news tool that allows you to broadcast from almost anywhere. In other words, it is a live truck shrunken down into a back pack that you can carry to remote areas.
There is no doubt a TVU makes you more mobile. You can go places where you can’t pull cable. Here is proof:
Last October, I stumbled upon breaking news with my photographer. A 50-plus car pileup on I-75 south near Sarasota. We jumped out, left our car and headed toward the heart of the accident. And, if you watch the video, you will see what ensued. We were live in the middle of the pileup and could walk viewers through the scene. Every other station that showed up was a mile away doing stagnant live shots from the shoulder of the road. Instead, we were walking, talking, showing and conducting live interviews. In the end, our coverage ended up winning us a National Headliner Award.
Below is another example. Typically, crews are left going live outside the airport … you usually have enough cable to get you close to the drop off area or arrival pickups. The TVU allowed me to retrace the man’s last steps in the airport.
There is no doubt TVU technology is in its infancy but its potential is astronomical. That being said, there are kinks that need to be worked out before we can say bye to live trucks. If you have ever worked on TVU, you know that your signal is dependent on wi-fi and cell towers. Sometimes in rural areas, maintaining a strong signal is impossible–and there goes your live shot.
Not to mention there is a 4-5 second delay. That means your producer must be on their feet and cue you early…then wait til your package is nearing its end and again cue you. Trust me when I say it can throw you off to work this way.
But, these are all minor issues. I believe the TVU is like the first form of a computer….fast forward a decade or two and now computers can fit in your back pocket. Without a doubt, TVU is here to stay and will only improve over time.
Jacqueline Ingles is a multimedia journalist for WFTS-TV, the ABC affiliate in Tampa, Florida. She specializes in crime and courts in Pinellas County. She writes, shoots, edits, and fronts her own work while doing also doing all of her own web work. Prior to WFTS, Jacqueline worked for almost three years at KXAN in Austin, Texas, as a one-woman-band MPJ. While in Texas, she covered the devastating drought and wildfires. Jacqueline’s work appeared numerous times on CNN during her time in Austin. Jacqueline also worked at WCTV’s Valdosta, Georgia, bureau and at MTV News as a political correspondent during President Barack Obama’s campaign. A native of Chicago, Jacqueline received a masters in broadcast journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She also graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola University-Chicago. She held two internships at WBBM and WLS in Chicago. Her print journalism work been published in the Northwest Indiana Times, Chicago Syndicate, Beep!, and the New Mexico Free Press.
A quick prologue: I’ve discovered major breaking news events always reveal something about the way TV stations cover important stories. We find out more about what works for us, what doesn’t, what we should do, and what we shouldn’t do. Today, I have feelings similar to the ones I had after watching the unfolding tragedy in Newtown. It’s mostly sadness, but there is also a dose of reflection.
As a morning show producer, I’m asleep during the day. At 4:25 p.m. Monday, I just happened to wake up, turn to my phone, and see several breaking news texts. I rolled out of bed, turned on my TV, and switched through the networks’ live coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings.
I’m curious, and a know-it-all, so I wanted as much information as possible. As I changed channels, I stuck with CBS. Scott Pelley’s delivery engaged me more than Brian Williams (though I typically lean toward Williams). Once I realized CBS wasn’t getting updates as fast as I wanted, I hopped back to NBC, then my ABC station (which turned to a local broadcast), then to ESPN. I reached a point where I knew everything the stations knew (and what they hadn’t confirmed). It then dawned on me: competition doesn’t serve the audience well in times of chaotic breaking news.
Given the number of injuries, the lack of a suspect, and the potential danger still looming, this should have been a situation where the networks (and other news outlets) pool together efforts to ensure the public is correctly informed. I realize the FCC won’t allow stations to collude, but I know a bending of the rules should be allowed from time to time to serve the greater public. Clearly, some news outlets are better than others at getting the latest information from police, hospitals, public officials, etc. In the face of tragedy, the desire to “win” should be subservient to the need to get people informed.
I noticed the stations failed to acknowledge any developments on social media. After I turned off the TV around 5:30, I checked my TweetDeck, and saw people sharing Google’s Person Finder, to help people track loved ones. Perhaps the networks brought it up after I stop watching, but based on the hour of coverage I watched, they ignored social media.
Imagine how worthwhile and valuable TV’s coverage could be if all the networks shared important pieces of information like this to its viewers. This collaboration doesn’t have to last days. It might only need to last until the day ends (depending on when tragedy strikes), or a threat has subsided. By Tuesday morning, I think they collaboration window for Boston probably closed since an imminent danger seems to have subsided.
I’m sure my calls for “teamwork” will fall on deaf ears. I understand it might even be too difficult to contact every single news outlet to confirm what they’ve confirmed while scrambling during breaking news. But I will remain optimistic that something can be done that can improve TV’s response to tragedy that better serves the public.
Mike Brannen is a morning newscast producer for KSTP, the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis-St.Paul. Before that, he was a producer at KIRO7 in Seattle, where he led the 4:30 a.m. show to a #1 share in the U.S. He received an MA in Broadcast Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2010 and received his Bachelor of Journalism degree the year before. He shares more about his life at mikebrannen.com and on Twitter: @MikeBrannen.
Being thrust into the fray of becoming a full-time reporter, fresh out of college can be very stressful. The stress of a new job coupled with an already stressful working environment can be overwhelming and it can be easy to forget why you got into this profession in the first place.
Here are 5 tips to make it through:
1. Striving for perfection. In an effort to try to impress your new bosses, you may try to make every article or segment perfect. It’s OK to make it as good as possible, but at a certain point, you just have to understand that not every thing you do will be perfect. While striving for perfection, it is possible to hurt yourself because you focus on the little things too much and lose sight of the larger issue. There is a saying that sums this up: Perfection is the enemy of good.
2. Explore. On your day(s) off, take in the sights and sounds in the community. This will help you learn more about the area you are covering and interacting with people will help you learn about the community. It is also a good way to build sources.
3. Building relationships takes time. Don’t take it personally if some people are reluctant to open up to you since you are the “new person.” It may take some time to build that relationship, so do not get discouraged. Take care of business and do what you know you know how to d0.
4. Get to know your editors and producers. Knowing them gives you an idea of what they like and will make your life easier. Trust me.
5. Just breathe. When it gets overwhelming, just take a few moments and gather your thoughts. Clarity is a beautiful thing.
Ryan Broussard works as an intern at the Advocate in Baton Rouge where he covers crime and works general assignments on the weekend. He graduated from UL Lafayette with both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He has been an SPJ member 2006. Connect with him on Twitter, @ryanmbroussard.
Technology in the journalism world can be a fickle business. New tools are launching all the time, with Twitter’s Vine video app among the latest creations.
While some tools are mandatory for tech-savvy journalists, others launch big and die horribly. We’ve culled the graveyard of technology’s past for three tools journalists used that have bit the dust.
Note: Going with the “dead” theme of this post, each entry has a Ghostbusters reference.
Print
Egon Spengler said it best: “Print is dead.” That was never more the case than in 2013. Newspapers have had major layoffs and shut down completely. Entire websites have devoted to the topic, like Newspaperdeathwatch.com and Paper Cuts.
Yet some still have hope. Famed investor Warren Buffet recently bought the Tulsa World and Greensboro News & Record, according to the Poynter Institute.
Will print rise from the dead, even with tablet and smartphone users everywhere you look? Only time will tell.
Flip Video
This mini camcorder was so popular, Oprah Winfry used the tool to give her audience a back-stage pass to her show. Even Katie Couric used the camera to give a behind-the-scenes tour of the White House, according to the Huffington Post.
However, the tech was short lived. The New York Times reported in April 2011 that Cysco Systems shut down its Flip Video division.
It may have been short lived, but it was much more advanced than the camcorder Ray Stantz was lugging around in the New York Public Library.
Google Buzz
Remember when Google’s answer to Twitter was hyped all over the internet? According to Mashable, Google Buzz was first demo’ed in 2010. The company finally shut down the service in 2011, according to a Mashable article, to focus on Google+.
The social platform’s year of activity wasn’t without drama. The New York Times reported on Valentine’s Day, 2010 that Google issued an apology after users became concerned over privacy.
In the words of Peter Venkman, “Valentine’s Day – bummer.”
Rob McLean is a Digital Managing Editor with Hearst Television. He has been a member of the Society of Professional Journalists since 2010 and a member of the Online News Association since 2012. Interact on Twitter: @robertmclean.
Yet young journalists continue to find jobs. Non-profit journalism organizations are hiring reporters and editors fresh out of J-School. Recently, I spoke with three of these non-profit journalists about their careers.
From left to right: Michael Todd, Managing Editor of Hear Nebraska (photo by Rob McLean), Rebecca Thiele, Radio Producer for WMUK (photo courtesy of Rebecca Thiele), Lauren Mills, Digital Analyst and Reporter for IowaWatch (photo courtesy of Lauren Mills)
Lauren Mills, Digital Analyst and Reporter at Iowa Watch
Lauren Mills turned a student job into a full time journalism gig.
She landed a reporting gig at IowaWatch after applying for a fellowship program with the organization– a website that dedicates itself to “producing and encouraging explanatory and investigative journalism in Iowa, engaging in collaborative reporting efforts with Iowa news organizations and educating journalism students.”
Mills started out as a student reporter, but moved up to web manager and assistant editor during her senior year. After a brief stint at the Sioux City Journal, Mills joined Iowa Watch as a digital analyst and reporter.
Aside from reporting, Mills has sit in on board meetings, where she said she gets an inside view on what the organization is doing in various areas. It also gives her insight into how the organization is coming along in funding.
The main difference between working at IowaWatch and a traditional newspaper, she said, is the length of journalism. She said IowaWatch is able to do long-form pieces, averaging one article per week.
Participation is also different, she said. Iowa Watch has a smaller staff than her old newspaper, she said, which lets everyone participate in every aspect of the process.
Michael Todd, Managing Editor of Hear Nebraska
Full disclosure: I’ve made a monetary donation to and have written a few articles forHear Nebraska, a non-profit music journalism website focusing on the Nebraska’s music scene. That’s how I came to meet its managing editor, Michael Todd.
Todd has been with HN since the organization’s early days. He said he really likes the creativity he’s allotted by the website’s co-founders, Andrew and Angie Norman.
“It’s just very open, productive and creative,” Todd said.
He met the Normans, after inviting them on a radio show he hosted on KRNU – the University of Nebraska’s student radio station. After the show, Todd said he applied for an internship with the organization and worked his way to managing editor.
Todd said he focuses most of his energy on producing editorial content, leaving development and conferring with the organization’s board of directors to the Normans. However, he has worked on fundraising initiatives for the site.
Pitching ideas for the website is relatively easy, Todd said. He said he isn’t sure that would be possible at a newspaper that is already established.
Rebecca Thiele, Radio Producer at WMUK
I met Rebecca Thiele while she was freelancing for Patch.com in the St. Louis area. I was a Local Editor, and she had written some news coverage for the site I managed.
Thiele graduated from the University of Missouri in May 2011. She said she was trying to find a job in radio, and the WMUK job looked attractive.
She said the organization is very good about keeping the news department separate from fundraising and other nonprofit aspects of the organization.
“When we need someone to do on-air fund drives, the news people are pretty much the last pick,” she said.
However, she’s not totally isolated from all aspects of the non-profit model. For instance, the show she produces has underwriting from the Richmond Center for Visual Arts – an organization on which she might report.
Thiele said when an opportunity to cover the organization arises, she asks herself if she would cover that story if the organization wasn’t underwriting the show. If the answer is yes, she pursues the story.
Rob McLean is a Digital Managing Editor with Hearst Television. He has been a member of the Society of Professional Journalists since 2010 and a member of the Online News Association since 2012. Interact on Twitter: @robertmclean.
Check out our Pinterest page for some design inspiration. We’ll be posting things we like on our “What Inspires You?” board and invite you to share things with us (by tagging @SPJGenerationJ) that inspire you.
Then, submit your design by March 15, 2013. We’re going to start collecting submissions Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. Take some time this weekend to practice!
We will then pick our favorites and have a voting bracket of sorts on our Facebook page. More details to come on this once we see what you’ve got. We’re going to ask the Web to vote and, as an added bonus, we’ll add your Twitter name (and/or website) to your design so you get some exposure too.
Share this with your favorite designers — they don’t have to be journalists, they just have to get what we do. Think you have what it takes? Share it with us! We’re so excited to see what you come up with!
Not a day goes by where I don’t here an intern say, “I want to make it to market one, New York!”
New York City, the number 1 market in the country
Broadcast news is comprised of 210 markets. Many newcomers to the industry look at anything 150+ as the bottom of the barrel. There seems to be a constant rush to make it a to a top 50, then make it to a top 20, then make it to a top 10 and if the broadcast Gods are happy, make it to network.Calm down budding broadcasters!
Glendive, MT, the number 210 market in the country
Many people overlook that it is not the market you work in but the news you cover. In my personal experience, no one wanted to work in my Valdosta, Georgia, bureau. Sure, we were connected to Tallahassee, market 105. In reality, we were market 140. But, guess what? In the year I spent there, we had six homicides in less than eight weeks, historic flooding and a horrific crash on I-75. Not one reporter in Tallahassee had those reporting opportunities and experiences. After one year, market 47 called and I was on my way to Austin, Texas.
Jacqueline Ingles reporting from scene of washed away road.
One of the markets I always like to point to is El Paso, Texas. A border city, for a long time it was ranked market 99. With the international news coverage opportunities, national stories including boarder wars, drug related issues, etc, those reporters and anchors are launching out of that market right into top 5 jobs. So, the next time you snub a low ranking market job, rethink it. Instead of looking at number, ask the following questions:
1) What types of news does the station cover?
2) Is there a variety where I can cover a lot of different topics on a daily basis?
3) Is there room for creative and storytelling or is more of a nuts and bolts market?
4) Is there room to push yourself and do stories you are passionate about?
As a one-woman-band, I knew I had to work harder than a two man crew. But, pounding pavement, thinking outside the box and creativity led me to an exclusive that left other stations in the dust.In other words, I was in a market that gave me opportunity. Opportunity and experience are what you should look for because as you rise in markets (which you will), the opportunities lessen and you are more tied to a specific role and a specific beat.
Jacqueline Ingles is a multimedia journalist for WFTS-TV, the ABC affiliate in Tampa, Florida. She specializes in crime and courts in Pinellas County. She writes, shoots, edits, and fronts her own work while doing also doing all of her own web work. Prior to WFTS, Jacqueline worked for almost three years at KXAN in Austin, Texas, as a one-woman-band MPJ. While in Texas, she covered the devastating drought and wildfires. Jacqueline’s work appeared numerous times on CNN during her time in Austin. Jacqueline also worked at WCTV’s Valdosta, Georgia, bureau and at MTV News as a political correspondent during President Barack Obama’s campaign. A native of Chicago, Jacqueline received a masters in broadcast journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She also graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola University-Chicago. She held two internships at WBBM and WLS in Chicago. Her print journalism work been published in the Northwest Indiana Times, Chicago Syndicate, Beep!, and the New Mexico Free Press.
It’s Friday night. You’re stuck at home while a blizzard terrorizes your neighborhood. Instead of vegging out to a “Downton Abbey” marathon or watching Gangnam Style baby dance videos on YouTube (I’m guilty of the latter), here are five productive things you can do as Nemo drops the white stuff—or any night of the week. Oh, and electricity is required.
1. Update your resume: It’s something you never get around to doing but needs to be done. Crack open your laptop and edit away. I actually did this tonight and I’m so glad it’s done. I added that fashion class I took last fall, the Gen J session I co-taught at the Excellence in Journalism conference in September, and I revamped my current job bullets.
2. Check out Ed2010.com: In the WhisperJobs™ section, there are several great gigs listed for entry-level journalists including a couple of paid internships at InStyle magazine in NYC and a freelance editorial assistant position at Parents magazine in NYC. This is a wonderful resource for journalists who are trying to get their feet in the door.
3. Download the language app Duolingo: Last weekend’s WSJ newspaper tipped me off to this cool, free app that helps you learn a language through fun games. I downloaded it on my iPhone earlier this week and I’ve been brushing up on the French that I learned in college. I’m surprised how fast it’s coming back to me. C’est incroyable!
4. Add five new connections on LinkedIn: Find some interesting people that you’d like to know or who work at cool places. When you request to link up with them, tell them why: “we have a mutual friend” or “I love the magazine you write for.” If they accept, you never know where that connection may lead. If they ignore your request, move on and add someone else.
5. Reach out to former co-workers: See how they’re doing in their new job and catch up on any office gossip they might have missed. I caught up with my ex co-worker last night to tell her about all the layoffs at Time Inc. last week (sigh!). Looking for a new job (as so many are now)? Your former co-workers are sometimes the BEST resource for job leads and your next assignment.
Jennifer Nicole Sullivan is a writer at Real Simple, a Time Inc. magazine in New York City. She’s also a fashion, arts and entertainment contributing writer for the weekly paper Newport Mercury in Newport, R.I., and a member of SPJ’s Generation J committee. And she’s still a Dallas girl! Follow her on Twitter @trendyjenny and check out her website jennifernicolesullivan.com.
It’s a six second video app brought to you by Twitter. It’s a short (read: extremely short) video that’s on a loop. Why is this important? It hooks directly into your Twitter account and lets you start sharing right away. Of course, there are other apps that do the same thing, but this particular one is hot at the moment. I have used Cinegram in the past, but I like this one because more people are on it and, like I said, it’s the hot app of the moment so your videos are more likely to be viewed, especially if you hashtag (#) it properly!
Some ideas for #GenJ use:
- Video of your most recent clips
- Video of some production work – you at a computer, you at a coffee machine, you running around with a red pen
- Video of something you’re experiencing – graduations, parties, speakers.
Will you use #vine? How? Share your vines with us @SPJGenerationJ (#GenJ and #GenJVine) to help us see how you’re using it in the field!
Victoria Reitano is a Digital Producer for LIVE with Kelly and Michael. She is also the publisher of The Giornalista Files, her personal blog and portfolio site where she shares her ideas about being an early career lady journo with anyone who will listen. Reitano feels Bikram Yoga is the perfect compliment to her obsessive need to consume information on a constant basis. Connect with her on Twitter @giornalista515.
It’s not news to anyone that more and more news is being consumed online. Yes, people still read the newspaper and watch television and listen to the radio, but the Internet and social media are becoming the popular choice for consuming news.
So, we know this, but how are we capitalizing on it? And are we doing it often enough?
I would argue journalists can always do more with web content. More videos, more social media interaction, more interactives, the list goes on and on.
Here are some successful web content elements I have created.
1. Live streaming. The Oprah interview with Lance Armstrong is a perfect example of this. While the interview was live on television, it was simultaneously streaming live on the web. You can do this with court events, press conferences and more and you don’t have to interrupt any programs on TV.
2. Web interactives. Data is great but can be overwhelming and dull at times. Web interactives can make the data easy to understand andeasier to sift through for your audience.
3. Web extras. Have an incredible interview but can’t include it all in the piece? Why not add it to the web? Or behind-the-scenes videos or explanations of how the story came a part are always great too.
4. Live blogging. Live tweeting. Sometime your audience cannot always be watching or listening live to meeting, press conference or court event. So, why not live blog the event or live tweet it with hashtags? It can help you gain followers and it helps share information as it happens.
5. Photo slideshows. People love photos. From people to animals to scene photos, people will look and they will click on them. They are a great way to generate clicks and hits for your website.
I think all of these are worth trying and once you try them I bet you will keep doing them and see results.
Lynn Walsh in the Investigative Producer for WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida. She is the Chair for the SPJ Generation J Committee and also sits on the Board for the SPJ South Florida Chapter. Connect with her on Twitter, @LWalsh or send her an e-mail: Lynn.K.Walsh@gmail.com.
