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.

By: Jacqueline Ingles

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?

I found what I was passionate about in Austin.  Here is my crowning glory package that did appear on my demo real for Tampa.

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.

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.

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…)

The advent of the internet and blogs has ushered in a plethora of people sharing their opinions, views and whatever mumbo-jumbo is in their head.

As you navigate through the blog haven, you will most likely come across writing that should never have been put on paper or the web and others using blogs as their own personal soapbox in cyberspace. I call this unnecessary cyberspace clutter.

Anyone can write a blog but not everyone should. So, what makes a blog good?

1) Blogs Should Serve a Purpose
Anything you write should be of value to your reader and to you. Whether you are writing about the latest wedding trends or health, you have an opportunity to educate and foster conversation. Often times, bloggers turn posts into their personal diaries. Trust me, the world has enough soap operas, we don’t need yours.

2) Use pictures & Videos
Pictures liven up a blog and can lure readers to keep on scrolling and coming back. Every blog should have a picture or even videos. Video blogs are also great.

3) Be Genuine
It is tiring to see how many individuals use big words and hide behind them to pose as intelligent. Readers want to relate to you, not feel inferior. Don’t get me wrong, having a strong vocabulary is a good thing, there is just no reason to sound like you are reciting a chemistry encyclopedia. And, be honest. People can tell when someone is posing as something they are not.

4) Say ‘No’ to the Soapbox
Many blogs have hidden agendas. It is easy to read between the lines on most of them. Blogs should not say what is right and wrong and how you should live your life. Your life is your choice. Ultimately, blogs are opinions and thoughts and every person thinks different.

5) Update
Don’t leave your readers and followers hanging for weeks to hear from you. If you are serious about blogging, update daily or at least every other day. Some bloggers post multiple things a day. Constantly feed your audience.

MY FAVORITE BLOG
A blog that I read constantly and that I find ideal for me is Live, Laugh, Run, Today. The writing is fun, easy and enjoyable. Also, I can relate to the content. Yes, the disclaimer is that I am friends with Abby Gustus, the author. And, I openly admit that. You can read her or dismiss this as promotion…but, if you read her blog, you will see what makes it good and why she was invited to a Skype interview on the Today Show and why Katie Couric and fitness guru Joy Bauer follow her. Trust me when I tell you, those big guns tweet her.

You will see that on every blog entry, there are photos. No one wants to see black and white print on a page. Abby offers a window into her daily life and she becomes real. Her blog is almost a photo album.

She also has a purpose: being a young, working woman and trying to stay fit. There are a lot of women out there that have chaotic schedules and she addresses how to manage being healthy in our fast-paced society. If she slips up on working out or munches on a bad snack–well, she will tell you. Go look, she admits that one day she ate Greek yogurt and had a Diet Coke for breakfast. (Something I see women at my work do almost daily and I am also guilty as charged)

What is most remarkable about this blog is that Abby is in marketing. She decided to do this as something educational and fun–almost a side hobby. It goes to show that there are talented writers out there that can contribute something great to the Web.

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.

Let’s get something straight: Andrew Breitbart did not die a journalist.

The infamous conservative activist of the digital media age, who died on March 1 reportedly of natural causes, was just that. He’s not the only one of those energetically blogging or broadcasting in this era, and liberal crusading is plentiful. But this isn’t going to be a discussion about the political left media versus the political right media.

This is about the meaning of journalism.

In their book The Elements of Journalism (if you weren’t assigned reading from this book in college, then go find it now), Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel wrote: “Over the last 300 years, news professionals have developed a loose set of principles and values to fulfill the function of providing news – the indirect knowledge by which people come to form their opinion about the world. Foremost among these principles is this: Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.

“On this there is absolute unanimity and also utter confusion: everyone agrees that journalists must tell the truth, yet people are befuddled about what ‘the truth’ means.”

This theme of dubious fact-sharing was echoed by a recent ad for The Guardian in the United Kingdom in which the story of the Three Little Pigs has evolved into numerous viewpoints and ideas through open discussion and social media about whether the wolf was truly the culprit.
(more…)

This is not a blog about Tim Tebow. But if you came across this article by way of a Google search, then your thanks can be sent to Jen Floyd Engel.

Engel, a writer for FOXSports.com, wrote a roundup piece on the BCS Championship Game which posted on the Web Jan. 10.

As a sports fan, my opinion about this game was that it was an abysmal one – two consistently top-ranked NCAA football teams playing fairly sloppy for much of the game, particular the previously undefeated LSU. College football seasons often feel longer than their typical five months, but the bowl games typically make it worthwhile. And that held true this season – except for the big one.

In her review of the championship game, Engel opens with subtle criticism of the BCS ranking methodology, and then proceeds to discuss the strong game play of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron.

In her sixth paragraph, she writes this:

“(McCarron) went all Tim Tebow on this championship game. He did what nobody expected and few thought him capable of, and was the key element in yet another Crimson Tide national championship.”

I found the reference odd. First of all, in what way was McCarron performing like Tim Tebow? Was it based on the fact that he had a good game, shutting out the undefeated Tigers to win Alabama yet another BCS championship? Other quarterbacks have performed successfully with greater, equal, or lesser skill. Why him?
(more…)

A week ago I was given the privilege to cover my first concert featuring one of my absolute favorite So Cal bands. Not only was I excited about the assignment, but also a ball full of nerves. Sure, being a California native living steps away from the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world; this would be a piece of cake right? Well I soon found out, its much more than just a few pictures and a few

paragraphs about the band.

Like many journalists seeking a career in entertainment journalism, you really don’t know what you are getting yourself into when it comes to covering concerts. This is why I wanted to provide you all some tips and a few tricks I help when covering your first big show.

Do Your Research! That’s right, the first mistake you can do is show up to the venue and have no idea what songs are being played in the set, let alone what bands are playing. Sure, you are there primarily to cover the headliners, but give some tender love to the little guys! Hey you never know, you might be the first to stumble upon the next big thing. Also, listen to the music and identify what style (pop, rock, alternative, etc.) and their major influences. If you are confirmed an interview, read up on past interviews with the band to aid you on developing new questions. Trust me, these musicians have been asked about their influences many times, asking something new would make your article stand out.
(more…)

As I watched NBC’s TODAY Show this morning on the elliptical (while switching between channel 2 and 7 as well) I realized that broadcast journalism still relies heavily on hidden camera investigations.

And then I thought, is that right?

In a world where we, the “trained professionals,” are fighting to distinguish ourselves from the bloggers, do we have any right to go about using hidden cameras, concealed recording devices and other “007-like” techniques?

I don’t think we do, and I’m going to tell you why (and please, feel free to disagree in the comments, I love a good discussion).

Everyone is capable of performing a hidden camera investigation these days. For all you know, you could be photographed at any moment. Cell phones and other handheld devices have made it incredibly easy to point, shoot and record any and all interactions with others. And there’s nothing to stop these “photographers” from posting to their various social networks. What does that mean for journalists? We’re supposed to be different. We’re supposed to take photos as a means of recording historical (or soon-to-be) events. We’re not supposed to do it for the thrill; we’re supposed to have an ethical judgment that helps us know when to shoot and when to stop.
(more…)

by: Jacqueline A. Ingles

I have been working in TV news for nearly five years. And, while I do not believe TV news is a broken toy, I do think it is a toy that has been assembled without instructions— perhaps a few screws are missing or loose.

What do you mean by this you ask? Well, local television stations have a great deal of power to enter your living room or business on a daily basis and provide you with need to know information. In other words, the layout is there for greatness, but somehow, stations are taking the turnoff that leads to mediocre. I believe this is happening for the following reasons:

1) If it bleeds it leads: Almost all stations are quick to jump on crime. Nine times out of ten, if there is a crime that has occurred, this will take precedence over education reports, economic reports, etc. Sure, the crime may only impact a neighborhood, whereas the others stories reach thousands of people–it is the salacious nature of crime that pushes it to the top of the list. Now, do not get me wrong, if a serial killer is on the loose, by all means, let people know to be on the lookout. But, how many times do you hear about crime stories like a murder and there is no follow up? One day, the murder is covered and perhaps, if a news director thinks it is warranted, you will cover the funeral. Maybe. This motto has also given rise to niche journalism. Why should you have to wait through crime stories if your only interest is sports? That is why ESPN is likely to get to ESPN 50—they can cater to sports by state and still keep viewers coming.
(more…)