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.

By: Mike Brannen

I’ve always maintained that the hardest part of a journalist’s job is enterprising original stories. It’s even more difficult if you have to do it five days a week. I do not envy the reporters at my TV station.

Presenting new stories daily is part of their job description. I am a newscast producer, so I’m not expected to offer my own original story each day. I feel I do get another pass because I work overnights. Come on, who am I supposed to call at 3:00 a.m. to develop good stories? However, I like to contribute something here and there.

When I talk about original stories, I think of a few things:

1. It’s not from a press release
2.  It’s a follow to a story that people might have forgotten about
3. It’s something no one else has even mentioned yet

Despite my work schedule, I do maintain a social life outside of work, especially when I wake up in the early evenings (you read that part right).

Recently, the Minnesota chapter of SPJ had a trivia night, and teamed up with the members of the Minnesota Public Relations Society of America. The first five minutes were tough; I didn’t know anybody and didn’t recognize anyone. I put my coat down near a group, and just said hello.

They were all PR folk. Minutes after the standard “where do you work, where are you from” questions, it was already time to announce the trivia teams. A trivia night was an excellent idea, because every team had a least one journo and one PR rep.

In between questions, our team learned more about each other, exchanged business cards, and had a good time (it helped that we took 2nd place). Afterwards, I caught up with the first group from that night, chatted more, and traded more cards.

I have at least three new story ideas from that night. Granted, look at who was there: PR reps. Their job is to GIVE you stories. It’s a match made in heaven. You need stories, they have ones they want you to cover.

I’m sure someone reading this will say, “those PR reps will send your newsroom a press release anyway, so why butter them up?” I argue that the personal connection with these people will give you an edge later. You’ve got a foot in the door and they’ll scratch your back a bit more. Your interaction with them gives them validation for what they are doing, and makes their efforts worthwhile. When you do something for someone, they’ll return the favor (at least, that’s the way it should be).

What I learned from that night is that an easy way to find good stories is to meet with the people who are ready to have a story to tell. Networking events (especially ones with PR) are packed with people who are trying to sell themselves. They WANT to talk to you.

Give them an ear, and see what you find.

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.

Is this is a criminal tweet?

“BREAKING: Confirmed flooding on NYSE. The trading floor is flooded under more than 3 feet of water.”

On October 29th, when Hurricane/Post-Tropical/Superstorm Sandy barreled through the east coast, water poured through the streets and subways of New York. Amidst the chaos, and people’s overwhelming desire to tweet the most exclusive information first, the aforementioned tweet was sent out through the Twitter user “@comfortablysmug.” CNN picked up the tweet before doing its own fact-checking, and realizing the New York Stock Exchange was not actually flooding.

CNN backtracked, which as of this year, has burned them badly. Cue the CNN Public Relations twitter account:

“CORRECTED: #NYSE officials reporting that floor is NOT flooding at this time.”

So many incorrect tweets, so much retraction. Now who is the culprit behind the original incorrect tweet? It is Shashank Tripathi, he is a manager for the congressional campaign of Republican Christopher Wright for New York’s 12th Congressional District. On Tuesday, October 30th, a day after his tweet, he resigned. He apologized for several false tweets, saying “I deeply regret any distress or harm they may have caused.”

I’m not sure of the timeline of events, but also on Tuesday, New York City Councilman Peter Vallone told Buzzfeed.com that he might consider criminal charges. He told the website, the “Manhattan DA is taking this very seriously.”

I want to discuss what is the likelihood of this happening and if there’s a Pandora’s box it could open. Since the First Amendment doesn’t narrowly address free speech posted through social media, we have to accept that all speech is protected (with perhaps the exception of violent threats, but that’s another discussion). Therefore, the chances of Tripathi facing any punishment seems doubtful. I’m certain Tripathi issued his apology after learning he could get in big trouble for it.

Clear and Present Danger Test
One could make the case that in times of natural disaster, such speech isn’t completely protected, even if it is on social media. Let’s go back to the old standard of protected speech: the Clear and Present Danger test. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. established it in his famous opinion for the case Schenck v. United States, back in 1919:

“The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that the United States Congress has a right to prevent. It is a question of proximity and degree.” Additionally, he said in times of war, speech is also limited given the tense circumstances war brings. Also in his opinion, he explains that free speech doesn’t protect someone from yelling “fire” in a theater when there isn’t a fire.

Natural disasters, especially in the moment of impact, create a dangerous environment. The dissemination of correct information is crucial when time is of the essence. People purposefully providing lies can jeopardize rescue efforts, or detract from them. However, what is difficult to prove is whether or not someone is intentionally lying, or just doesn’t have the right information. I would argue people who thoughtfully type the letters into a tweet are responsible for the facts they present. A simple verbal utterance, untruthful or misinformed, should receive a higher level of protection than that what is tweeted, because an audience within earshot of the message is smaller than the online community.

CNN Accountable
If the Supreme Court would rule on limiting speech made online, it could create a troublesome slippery slope for TV news. Consider how much cable and local news networks rely on social media to gather information. Earlier I mentioned CNN reported what Tripathi tweeted. Can you hold CNN accountable for false information? I’m sure the network would argue that by saying “we’re hearing reports” before any statement helps them wipe their hands clean of any responsibility. Obviously, they are still accountable for everything they report. A Supreme Court ruling may force CNN and other networks to do its own original reporting (gasp!). I would have to support such a ruling because it ensures accuracy.

When it comes to tweeters sending out information just to gain followers, Vallone told Buzzfeed: “I think the consideration of criminal charges will assure this kind of stuff doesn’t happen again,” but also said that the criminal case is a “very difficult case to make.” Ultimately, I don’t see the Supreme Court ruling on social media anytime soon. I think the Court is letting people use their own judgments when it comes to getting information from social media. So, people will simply have to rely on their instincts to figure out which tweets are true, which are incorrect, and which ones are completely made up.

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.

Lingering in the minds of many TV news employees is a scary question: will TV news end? It’s a question that occasionally drifts into our heads every time stunning new technology is introduced, or something embarrassingly and insultingly bad happens on our airwaves. TV news has survived a lot, and it’s still standing strong.

But something was unveiled in Kansas City in July that you wouldn’t think could end TV news. I’ve always said local TV news affiliates (and networks) will survive and have an edge over other non-TV news outlets as long as they could broadcast faster and with a stronger signal than anyone else.

That edge is gone in Kansas City. It now has Google Fiber, and it signals a potential death for TV News.

Google Fiber is a super high-speed and television service. It offers customers 1 gigabit of Internet download speed. According to Jeff Kagan of E-Commerce Times, that is one thousand times faster than the few megabites most of us get from our current cable/Internet providers.

The Internet is the biggest threat to television, especially since the television medium isn’t changing as fast as what’s happening online.

Look back at the last 15 years. What are TV’s greatest additions in the last decade?

TIVO? A glorified VCR.

Netflix? Blockbuster for the lazy.

3-D? Only if I take an aspirin as I’m watching.

Notice how each one is a “luxury” addition to TV. You can watch TV at a bar or an airport or any public place the same way you did 15 years ago without those additions.

Look where the Internet was in 1997. Try not to laugh. But you see the point. Our internet experience has vastly improved over the last 15 years.

So how does speed end TV? Speed makes Internet news sites more competitive with TV. When I talked with Kagan about Google Fiber, he brought up a great analogy. Picture a pie. When TV first began, there were 3 networks all sharing the same pie (which is the audience). When cable started, the networks had to compete with about 15 channels over the pie. Satellite comes along, and pie slices got smaller.

The pie changed even more with the Internet. It isn’t just a TV pie anymore. It’s a media pie. TV and Internet are part of the same pie now that computers and mobile devices force news outlets from different platforms to compete in the same space for the audience’s attention

You’ve seen newspapers, online news media, and bloggers all post video to the Internet. Their ability to stream content as quickly as television is dangerous for us working at TV affiliates. They may soon out-do TV stations when it comes to breaking news. Why bother putting on the TV if the Internet is just as fast? That’s a bone-chilling thought.

I don’t expect a major change to happen overnight where people suddenly abandon TV affiliates. I would get worried if Google rolls out Fiber in other cities. When people realize how fast their Internet experience can get, TV stations better have a game plan.

But, Kagan says this is just a warning shot. Google might not go anywhere else with this, and cable companies might just improve download speed a little more for its customers because Google put some pressure on them. TV can continue without fear, with Fiber out of sight, and out of mind.

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.

I love my job as a newscast producer because…

Each day is different.
It is unpredictable.
An average day can turn into chaos in seconds.
I feel an adrenaline rush when there is breaking news.
I get to witness history.

I work with smart, clever people.
I know a little bit about everything.
I know things before most people.
I help people feel confident about what’s going on in their world.
It’s funny when people say “did you see it on the news?”, because I always say “yes.”

Every morning is a competition with other stations.
There’s a lot of satisfaction beating them on a story.
The next day I get to find out if people like my show better than the others.
I get to learn what people do and don’t like about news.
What I write gets people to stay through commercials.

I’ve met Drew Carey.
I’ve met Scott Pelley and Russ Mitchell.
I’ve talked to Charlie Rose., Erica Hill, and Gayle King.
I’ve been on top of the Space Needle.
I know there are many more stories to come, because I’ve done this for only 3 years.

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.

I say it was rigged. There’s a conspiracy preventing me from ever winning a $640 million lottery. Everybody’s in on it. Guess I can’t buy my helicopter, Delorean, jet ski, boat, Segway, and waterfront mansion. Oh well. Back to reality.

Covering the big lottery required a bit of discussion in my TV newsroom. It was a story everyone was talking about. It’s the epitome of a water cooler story. It was like weather; everybody could relate to it. But the problem was that it wasn’t hard news.

Some days, there’s no doubt what your lead story is. The Mega Millions was a complicated one because it was the top story, but it was hard to lead a newscast with. What I learned from this past week is how to balance the big story versus the lead story.

Last Monday, when the jackpot was a puny $363 million, the story only needed 10 seconds:

“The Mega Millions jackpot is up to 363-million dollars. The numbers are picked at 8 tomorrow night.”

What else did you need to know? You couldn’t make that your first story in a show. Still, it was pretty easy to decide it’s a story worthy of being at the end of your first block, before your first commercial break.

When nobody won Tuesday, suddenly it was a big story. The next morning, I was pushing for one of our three morning reporters to cover the record-high jackpot of $476 million. We had one reporter go live at 5:15 and 6:15. It was a compromise between me and the other morning producers. We were in agreement it couldn’t be a lead story, but it was big enough to have a reporter front it.

Our reporter went to a local convenience store, and as he put it, pun intended, “hit the jackpot.” He got great sound from an employee who noticed more people getting lottery tickets than usual. I thought our reporter got a good angle. It’s tough to get a great angle at 4:30 a.m.
(more…)

I am a morning newscast producer for the CBS affiliate in Seattle. For almost a year, I have enjoyed having a conversation with new people about my work. I have realized people ask the same boring questions, and give the same tired answers. It’s almost become comical. Here’s a transcript of what these conversations sound like:

Friend: Let me introduce you to Mike.
New Person: Hi, Mike. I’m (new person).
Me: Hi, nice to meet you.

Friend: Mike works for…KOMO?
Me: (light chuckle) KIRO.
Friend: (smiles, embarrassingly) Right, right, sorry. I normally watch KING.

New Person: You work in TV? Oh that’s really cool. Are you on TV? Like an anchor?
Me: No, I work as a producer for the morning show.
NP: (saddened) Oh. So what do you do?
Me: (listing) I write scripts, organize the order of the show, request graphics, decide with the other
producers what we want our reporters to cover.
NP: Do you get to tell the anchors what to say?
Me: Well, I don’t tell them, I just write stories, and they’ll change things to fit their style.

NP: (curious) What’s (so-and-so anchor) like?
Me: I like working with them, we usually get along.
(more…)

by: Lynn Walsh & Mike Brannen

It’s time again. The Society of Professional Journalists Generation J Hangout is just days away and we want you to join us.

February is almost over, which means for those of us in the television news business, sweeps is coming to an end. So, why not take a break and chat with us about sweeps, the stories you have seen covered by local or national news organization or just journalism in general.

We all know the business is tough, but it is also exciting and that is why we are still writing, posting and interviewing. come chat with other journalists who are passionate about the news industry and want to see the industry continue to adapt to changing technology.

The next one is Monday, February 27, 8:00 p.m. EST.

To join just SPJ Generation J or Lynn on Google+. You can also shoot Lynn an e-mail: Lynn.K.Walsh@gmail.com and she can send you a personal invitation.

Our vision is to use the space for a “therapeutic” experience. We all need time to vent over the things that drive us nuts. Here, you’ll get a chance to do that without repercussion. We hope to gather a handful of folks from across the county, from different newsrooms, and share war stories.

(more…)

I’ve been employed for just more than a year at my first salaried “real world” job after college. I finally feel I’m settled in, and I tell friends I’ve finally gotten into rhythm with Seattle and its people. I’m not sure if it was the magic 12-month mark, or if it was turning the calendar to 2012, that brought about a sense of comfort. Being in a new city, unfamiliar with its dynamics, or its personality, had its challenges. For those of you about to embark on a life-changing move into a new workplace (journalism or otherwise), I’ve found certain tricks can help you maintain sanity, eliminate isolation, and enjoy life outside of work.

Get Connected With Your Local Alumni Chapter
Thank goodness for sports. Whether or not you like football or basketball, alumni groups meet often to watch their school play. This is likely your easiest and safest opportunity to meet new people in a new city. Wear your school colors, and you’ll find friendly faces. They’ll want to meet you, just as much as you want to meet them.

Get Involved with a Weekly Activity
The key word is “weekly.” Friendships start with familiarity. I’ve played volleyball for many years. I found an open gym one night in Seattle, met some people, and eventually joined a league. I’ve met dozens upon dozens of people from it. Whatever it is you like to do, put yourself in a position to get people’s names, and try to see them at that activity. Eventually it will branch out into opportunities to meet others, or take part in other fun stuff.

Move to the Right Place
Where you move can influence your social life and your attitude. I’ve lived in Seattle for 14 months without a car. I live within a 20 minute bus ride of work, which is also conveniently within a mile of downtown. The proximity of people makes it easier to meet with them. I have coworkers who have cars, and live farther away. While their rent is cheaper, I know I prefer my location because there are more, closer, social opportunities.

Give it Time
In reflecting upon my one year in Seattle, I recall some of the earliest people I spent time with, but haven’t seen in months. The first people you meet aren’t going to be the ones that will end up as your best friends. You might hang out a few times, but might not develop. It is on you to find the type of people you want to become close with. It won’t happen overnight. But my advice is that friendships are like (dating) relationships. You shouldn’t force it, and it shouldn’t take effort. It will happen naturally, and things should just “click.”

Plan Out Your Vacations
I believe that no matter what you do for work, a career is something you do to keep you busy, make ends meet, and pay for vacations. Periodic vacations, whether they are just for a weekend, or for a full week, can make your time at work pass faster. I’ve got a couple trips planned for March. That means I have to be good, and get through February (thanks, sweeps). A vacation isn’t just a trip, it’s a reward. Make sure you are rewarding yourself for your hard work.

Don’t be afraid to move to a new city where you have no connections. It can be exciting, and it helps you learn more about yourself. If you don’t like it, make sure you stay at least a year, and then get out. No one ever said you had to move to one place for the rest of your life.

Mike Brannen is a morning newscast producer for KIRO7, the CBS affiliate in Seattle. He finished his thesis Motivational Use of Twitter in 2010, and received an MA from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He received his Bachelor of Journalism degree the year before. Previous to Seattle, he worked multiple positions at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri for four years. He shares more about his life at mikebrannen.com and on Twitter: @MikeBrannen.

Getting your undergrad degree just wasn’t enough, was it? There’s a little bug gnawing at you that you can’t ignore. You want to beef up your resume, move your way into teaching, kill some time between journalism jobs, or learn something new. Sounds like you want to get a master’s degree. I completed a thesis, survived graduate school, and got my MA. It wasn’t the easiest thing I have ever done. But if you are considering this endeavor, here are five things you need to have to make your journey easier.

Time Management
Journalists are notorious for waiting until the last minute to get things done. In graduate school, that needs to stop. Focus on long term goals and break them down into smaller steps. What’s my specific thesis/project topic? How long will it take to research previous studies? How long can I spend gathering new data? How long must I spend analyzing my data? Set dates for when you want these accomplished and meet them.

You can’t finish an entire thesis or a project in one night. I tell people that a thesis is like a brick wall. Every day I worked on it, was one brick. When you have your finished product, it is quite the sight, and you wonder “how did I do that?” It is one step at a time.

Time management means budgeting out your day/week. Portion out your day to know how much you can dedicate to reading what’s required for your classes (wait, there’s classes I have to take?!) Know when and how long you can work on that, and when you’ll work on your thesis/project. This requires a little self-reflection, which ties into the next tip.

Self-Discipline
If there’s no self-imposed deadline, a thesis/project can drag on endlessly. Force yourself to reach your deadlines. This means buckling down on days you don’t want to work.

No one said you had to work on weekends, but even a sliver of work is good. Saturdays in the fall, I worked one hour in the morning on something I could easy finish. I felt a sense of accomplishment for the day, and I could relax. The rest of the day it was me and college football with friends. If you insist on taking off both Saturday and Sunday, maintain an adequate amount of time during the week to work.

Find a way to motivate yourself. This is hard. If you put off work, insist on a time where you promise to make it up, and stick with it. Every person is different, so I can’t tell you what’s the best way to get you motivated. What gets me going is by the end of the day, I felt I was productive. Sometimes it was working hard during the week to give myself more free time on the weekend.

People tend to think they work best at night. That may be true. I assume those people are just procrastinators and they would always late to the last minute to get work done.

In grad school, I had an internal clock that basically wouldn’t let me work after 7:00 p.m. My brain shut off by that point and I couldn’t get anything done that late. I was sharpest in the morning. Determine your personal clock, and find out when you are your most productive.

Quiet Space
Put yourself in a place where the most interesting thing going on in your environment is the research in front of you (in your books, on your computer). Create a physical space that is your work zone and nothing else. I rented out a “cage” at my school’s library. It was bland, drab, quiet, and there was nothing stimulating about it. That meant it was distraction free. I’ve never read more in one place on Earth. This is where you should accomplish your most work. I took the occasional nap in there to rest my brain, so you can make that work. Just make sure that space doesn’t turn into a crib.

Backups/Storage
It’s never been easier to save your work. I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories of someone busting their laptop the day before their presentation, and they didn’t backup their work elsewhere. There’s no excuse for that anymore.

I saved nearly hourly on my cheap flash drive. Even an hour of work is a lot to do-over. At the end of the day, I e-mailed the new research, or whatever I worked on, to myself. That creates TWO copies. It is in your inbox, and in your “Sent mail” folder. Also, if you have an external hard drive, update it at least monthly, even more frequently is better.

Friends
Finally, maintain a social life. I had good friends that kept me sane during graduate school. Saturdays and Sunday was always playtime, but even during the week we hung out. Remember my 7:00 p.m. deadline? After that, I would unwind with friends. Trivia night on Tuesdays, Must See TV on NBC Thursdays, and Friday night…well, it was Friday night! Just because you are a graduate student doesn’t mean you can’t have fun!

If you are able to identify all five of these topics, and make them work for you, then you will have a successful graduate school experience.

Mike Brannen is a morning newscast producer for KIRO7, the CBS affiliate in Seattle. He finished his thesis Motivational Use of Twitter in 2010, and received an MA from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He received his Bachelor of Journalism degree the year before. Previous to Seattle, he worked multiple positions at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri for four years. He shares more about his life at mikebrannen.com and on Twitter: @MikeBrannen.