reporting – Page 18 – Survive Your Job In Television News

On the Spot! When anchors put reporters in uncomfortable positions on live TV.

I recently got a message posing this question: “Why do anchors so often make strange comments at the end of live shots that are nearly impossible for a reporter to gracefully respond to.” Examples you ask? Okay, see if these sound familiar. A live shot ends about something very sad, like a murder and the anchor says: “Great job, Joe Schmo, reporting live downtown.” What’s great? Someone died! Another common scenario: The reporter tags out with a fact like a vote scheduled in council tomorrow and the anchor parrots the very same fact like this: “You know Joe Schmo, the vote is tomorrow.” Joe the reporter is stuck thinking: “Yeah, idiot, I just said that.” and stares at the screen with a look of confusion. The final example, Joe the reporter explains an element of the story in the live intro or within the package, wraps up, then on the two shot out the anchor asks about that same element, like it was never addressed. The reporter is thinking: “Didn’t you listen to what I just said?” Usually that quizzical look is on his face, on live TV.

So let’s look at why this happens, then try and keep it from happening again. The “why” is usually tied to one of two things:

The need for the last word, to tie things up and transition.
Questions required in tags, by management, for interaction.

Let’s make it clear, in my experience, the need for the last word is not always an ego thing. The anchor may not be trying to act all knowing. Anchors often feel compelled to compliment reporters or reinforce team. They sometimes just don’t have very good timing. Hence the “Great job Joe Schmo” comments after a story about a murder. Instead of focusing on the story, the anchor is complimenting the reporter and it just comes off as weird. The intentions are good, but it doesn’t make the reporter feel complimented at all and leaves the viewers wondering what just happened.

Often anchors are ordered to make say something out of live shots, while in a double box. This can be mandated by management or producers who are taught to start and end live shots on double boxes, period. Sometimes this leads to the anchor getting stuck with nothing relevant to say while trying to transition. The end result is a weird comment parroting back facts the reporter just said and hoping it sounds different enough that it passes for a real reaction.

While we are on the subject of double box live tag outs, producers take note, scripting “Thanks Joe Schmo” is not always the best route. It sets up the inane comment scenario. Suggestion: Tell the anchor to call the reporter and ask for a factoid they can bring up in the double box.

Notice, I did not say ask for a question. That call should vary depending on the story and what the reporter knows about the subject. Often the most uncomfortable moments between an anchor and reporter are during a q and a in a live tag. Over time, I saw these q and a’s go awry most often when management required a question coming out of every live shot. I could (and probably will) go on and on about why scripting tag questions every time is bad in a future article. For now a summary: Sometimes it makes sense to ask a question, sometimes it is better to share a factoid the anchor can state quickly for emphasis. Both the reporter and anchor should not be blindsided. These double box interactions work best if the reporter and anchor can work them out together. Also, don’t be afraid to end a live shot, then do a two shot transition to a new subject. You can create team interactions other ways. Something like this:

((Joe Bob – 2 shot))

Thanks Joe Schmo, Suzie, there’s a similar situation in Atlanta tonight.

((Suzie Q -2 shot))

There is Joe… and it’s causing problems for a lot of people.

((Suzie turns to 1 shot))

See Anchor’s don’t have chemistry for more on how to work these two shot transitions.

Now, let’s look at more solutions to prevent these “on the spot” moments. Anchors, it is human nature to want to tie up a conversation with a thank you or a compliment. Just be cognizant of what the subject is about. Think about talking with a friend about a tragedy in his/her life, the end of the conversation might be silence. It might also be a shake of the head. That is appropriate at the end of a live shot as long as you are really feeling the emotion. If you are just plain uncomfortable, ask the producer not to script a two shot for that particular tag and explain that you are uncomfortable. Just remember, if the subject is heavy, that is not the time to tell the reporter “Great job.” Send a text after the show instead. Reporters, if the anchor does say great job, nodding your head and saying nothing else is fine. Reporters also do not have to have the last word. Let the emotion ride a second in the silence. It may seem counterintuitive in a business where you are paid to talk, but it is more natural to the way we communicate in the real world.

If the anchor asks about something the reporter just said, it is best for the reporter to briefly summarize with an added tidbit. You might say, “Yes Suzie, that council vote I referenced earlier will be at 7, and they’re expecting a big crowd, so you might want to come early if you want a seat.” This lessens the “Huh, he already said that!” blow. If you cannot add anything when you summarize, just say “That’s right.” and wrap.

Finally, if the anchor says something really out there and you don’t know what to do, just sig out. Viewers are used to seeing reporters not react to things anchors say and will likely assume you couldn’t hear the anchor or there was a technical difficulty. That assumption, and slightly tense moment is better than fumbling through a response that just doesn’t make sense and/or being visibly uncomfortable. Then make sure the producer knows what happened, so everyone can trouble shoot in the future. Bottom line, there needs to be communication between anchors, producers and reporters to avoid putting a reporter “on the spot” the next night.

Producer driven, doesn’t mean absolute power.

The trend in the TV industry keeps moving more toward the concept that “content is king.” In fact in the “2011 State of the News Media Annual Report,” trends show that in many markets managers consider newscasts appeal to be the brand more than the anchors. This means more newsrooms are turning into so called producer driven shops. Producers are becoming more of a commodity. With that comes more power. I even know of newsrooms in recent years where on air personalities took double digit pay cuts, while producers only had pay freezes. You can hear grumblings, “Yep it’s good to be the producer.” I also have seen some of those producers develop diva tendencies.

As a former producer it is nice to see producers get some long deserved respect for all the hard work. The job is a grind with a high burnout rate. Producers should be rewarded and compensated for taking on such an intense job. That said, you still need to form smart alliances with your coworkers. Especially reporters. In “Hey she got more time,” we explain to reporters how to think more like a producer. Now it’s time for producers to think more like reporters. Here’s why: When news managers decide “content is king” this ups the ante on producers to provide fresh elements in newscasts. In other words, with more attention placed on what you put into a newscast comes a price. You, the show producer, need to break news. You need to have fresh angles while on the line churning shows. You need to story tell even when the content is not presented in a reporter package form. (see “Produce it up.”)

Producers, the point is without your reporters solidly behind you, your newscast and you will fail. The crews provide the great nat sound for your local vo/sots. Reporters and assignment editors provide insight on how to source build if you are clueless. And don’t think that you won’t be expected to break news because you sit in the newsroom all day grinding a rundown. I worked in many producer driven shops and, in one of them, I was required to break 3 stories a week as a producer. Yes, that was on top of putting together my newscast and being unable to leave the newsroom to have lunches and shake hands with potential sources. How did I pull it off? I learned from some great reporters and assignment editors.

When content becomes a larger focus than showcasing anchor personalities, producers lose leeway for making mistakes. Mistiming a show and blowing a meter point can become a fire-able offense. I worked for one management team that did not allow us to go 15 seconds past a meter point. 15 seconds leeway is not easy to pull off, even when you are a seasoned producer. This means you cannot afford to have reporters miss slot. You cannot afford to have reporters turn in packages under or over time without your knowledge. The weather person cannot go long. Seeing my point here, yet? Producer driven shops actually make producers more dependent on other positions in the newsroom performing at a high level, for producers to also keep their jobs.

This leads to a big revelation for us control freak producers. Life doesn’t flow like a rundown. Commit that one to memory. Life doesn’t flow like a rundown. Time and again I witnessed producers that just could not roll well with change, especially late in their shift. Reporters were berated. Anchors were screamed at. The assignment desk was attacked mercilessly. You are paid to execute plans. You are told to make sure certain types of content runs at certain points. You hold your breath and hope to make the meter point to the second. On any given day the reality is, you will get about half of what you need to make your newscast sing.

You are paid to make it work even when you are handed a pile of crap. Lashing out at reporters and assignment editors that are not giving you the content you hoped for is a quick way to guarantee they will not go the extra mile to give you content the next day. If you want a newscast with killer content, and you don’t want to find all of it yourself each day, you need to cut your reporters SOME slack and hear them out when you are told certain angles just aren’t there. Sure there are some reporters you can count on more than others. Remember to not burn your stars that try to never leave you hanging. Those reporters are smart enough to know they are a big asset to you and can start pitching their ideas for other newscasts. This is especially true in mid to large sized markets.

So how do you think like a reporter? First have a frame of reference that stories don’t just appear in an hour. Be cognizant of drive time for field crews for example. If you want to tease a story that takes 2 hours for the crew to drive to, late in the day, then get creative about the tease and leave the crew largely alone. Don’t start calling to make sure the angle you want on a story is really happening, two hours after the crew walked out the door. That is, unless it is a late breaker and you have no choice because you are about to go to air. Be prepared to be flexible and move reporter pkgs around in the rundown if you must. Design a backup lead in case yours falls through. Field crews must be flexible all day long. Producers need to do the same, as much as possible. No, this doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards for content for your newscast. But it may mean you have to turn more of it yourself on a given day, if the crews are struggling. Do not berate the assignment desk or field crews over story ideas people come in with and belittle them by calling them “stupid” etc. If you do, expect major backlash! The thinking is “If you’re so great think of the ideas yourself.” I have been in plenty of editorial meetings and watched many reporters say, “I have story ideas but you won’t like them so tell me what I am turning today.” Suddenly you are in a very uncomfortable position.

Lastly, think about what it’s like to be left out to dry as a reporter. Do not leave field crews hanging, waiting to go live, without any clue when this will actually happen. Give crews time cues. If you must float them say “floating you.” There is little worse than standing in front of a camera, ready to go, and just hanging there wondering when you are actually going to be on. It is excruciating! I knew producers that would routinely get breaking news, then leave field crews sitting in ready position, for 20 minutes or more, without a word spoken to them. Then suddenly they would hear, “You’re up!” and the anchor is pitching.” IFB is going in and out. The field crew is thoroughly confused and caught off guard on camera! When quizzed about these tight spots the producers would say, “You should just be ready for when I say ‘Go!’” This is so unprofessional. It takes no time to say, “floating” or “stand down, need a few minutes.” Making your field crew hang in the balance feels like the heart pumping wait you endure when a package feeds at the last second before it is supposed to air. You hold your breath. You take a chance and you pray you don’t screw up and pitch to a story that isn’t cued up yet. Your adrenaline is gushing and it just plain stinks! You know how that feels don’t you? No reporter wants to be taken live looking like he/she is clueless to their surroundings. Just before air, even the most seasoned reporter has his/her adrenaline pumping, ready to go. Be respectful of what it takes to stand motionless and stare straight into the camera to cleanly go live. Give updates. Make sure the crew knows you are ready to go. Always remember, you don’t have absolute power. The best leaders respect and build up the people around them.

Need story ideas? The solution could be right in the newsroom.

It’s a new year. You’re feeling all refreshed. And you’re ready to again dig for some great stories.

But what if you don’t know where to start?

Maybe you’re dreading the morning meeting lately because it seems like not much is happening in your market.

Here’s what I suggest: Reconnect with sources you’ve “neglected” a bit over the last six months or so. You’re asking literally everyone you interview for business cards or other contact information, right? You’re keeping that info in a desk drawer or in a file on your computer, right?

Well, spend an hour digging through there looking for the great contacts who may have slipped your mind as you moved on to other pressing news stories.

Give them a call. Tell them you want to catch-up and you’re sorry it’s been so long since he or she has heard from you. Be genuine. Be relaxed with them. Don’t have your crazy I-am-a-news-reporter-and-I-need-a-package-idea-NOW voice on!

Sometimes, enduring the equivalent of writer’s block, I’ll literally flip through business cards trying to come up with the inspiration for a story — or to remind myself about a story I should follow-up on.

I’m kind of old school. I still like business cards. There’s something about seeing that logo next to the name that really refreshes my memory. (Yes, I’m horrible with names if I’ve only interviewed someone once.)

Here’s another tip: As you’re putting those award entries together this month (why must so many of them be due so close to the beginning of the year anyway?) think about follow-ups to these stories that you could be doing.

Every time someone does research on TV news audiences, it seems they find news consumers complaining that we don’t do enough follow-ups. Whatever happened to…? They want to know.

That company that promised 50 new jobs back in November? Have they hired everyone they need? How far along are they before they open-up shop?

Remember that congressman in your district who announced he’s retiring rather than running for re-election? Is he still showing-up for votes in Washington? Or is he out golfing on taxpayer time?

And don’t forget all of those families you focused on over the holidays who are barely scraping by because the mother and father have both lost their jobs. How are they making it now that it’s not the “season of giving” anymore? How are charities in your market doing?

As we were putting this article to bed, Poynter’s Al Tompkins wrote a nice blog post pointing to another great source of story ideas: the people you work with. He shows two examples where tips from colleagues led reporters to win 2012 Alfred duPont Awards.

“The lesson here is clear,” writes Tompkins, “listen to everyone.”

Lastly, you can also get a lot of inspiration from Twitter. As a courtesy to your audience, I recommend following back every person in your viewing area who follows you. It’s the nice thing to do. After all, you make money because they watch you. (Or you get fired if they don’t.)

So scroll through your “all friends” feed on Tweetdeck and see what people in your area are talking about. If they’re talking about it is — at least by one definition — news.

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Matthew Nordin is a morning anchor/investigative reporter at Raycom Media’s NBC affiliate in Myrtle Beach, WMBF News. Feel free to chat with him on Twitter @MatthewNordin.

What’s with the question? Make sure there’s an answer.

We recently got a Tweet from a frustrated journalist who had just watched a live shot from another station in another market. In that live shot the anchor asked a question to the reporter, and the question was not answered until the tag. The story came across as oversold and uncomfortable.

Sound familiar? The flow from anchor intro, to reporter live shot, to pkg, to live tag, to anchor tag is delicate to begin with. Then a whole bunch of writers step in, each with their own voice and tweak. The finished product often becomes forced and everyone looks uncomfortable or worse yet, detached from the information described. Then comes the big kicker: The consultant comes to town and tells the ND that the field crews and anchor desk must interact and seem engaged with each other. So what is management’s solution? Require anchors to ask reporters a question going into live shots. Then comes situations like the one at the start of this article. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are solutions.

First, the one question you never want to ask: “Joe are you live at the scene now?” Before you chuckle and roll your eyes, I lost count of how many times I had to copy edit that type of pitch question out of intros. It was constant, in every market size. Also, make sure the reporter knows the question is coming and what it is. That way the reporter doesn’t seem clueless. Remember, IFB can and does go in and out, you want the live shot to start out smoothly. The reason managers ask you to use a question in the pitch line is to make the interaction between the anchor and reporter seem like a conversation. When you think about it, most conversations do begin with a question and an answer. The person answering expands on the answer then, asks another question to move the conversation along.

With that in mind, here are some techniques to keep anchor questions required in the intro from seeming forced:

Reference live surroundings in the question
Provide perspective through the question
Write what a viewer ask

Now let’s delve deeper, so these are clear. Remember this exercise is supposed to help the anchor and reporter talk with each other, instead of at each other. It is one of the many ways you create flow within a newscast. So when writing the question in the pitch line, a natural way to transition is to ask about why the reporter is live at a particular place. Things like, “Joe can you walk us through the situation where you are?” makes the anchor seem authoritative and the reporter seem like an expert eyewitness. Another way to reference live surroundings is to give anchors the freedom to know they can ask about what they see in the live picture with the reporter. This is effective during fires, standoffs, fairs, holiday parties, political events… you get the idea. You can also have the reporter tell the producer if something interesting is going on, right before taking the shot. Then the anchor can ad lib with that information. Something like, “Joe, we’re hearing another fire truck just arrived, where is it and why was it called in?” If the live surroundings are stagnant (which is often the case) you can have the anchor ask something informative about the area like, “Joe, that’s usually a quiet neighborhood how are families there reacting to this situation?” All of these scenarios give the reporter a reason to reference why he/she is live. That is part of the natural flow of a conversation. Think of it like this, if you bump into a friend at the store, you often say “Hey, what are you shopping for today?” The person answers usually by pointing to the aisle he/she either just went down or will head down next. The key for this type of pitch question is to transition to what is immediately next in the live report.

Now, let’s talk about using questions for perspective. This is where pitch questions can often go wrong, like the scenario at the beginning of this article. You must ask a question that provides an immediate answer. No waiting until the package or tag. If your reporter is at a boring scene and is doing a story that’s been done over and over, use the pitch question to help show what’s new. Use something like, “Joe, before we were told the tax cut would be small, why is it possibly going up now?” Or “Last night we were told this was an accident, why are investigators calling it intentional now?” You are showing that the anchor remembers what he/she tells people and that there is something new. Again, before you snicker, sit down and watch a newscast. It is excruciating how often anchor intros are written in ways that make the anchor seems clueless about the subject, especially when it’s an ongoing story. The cheap copout way to write an intro is to fake that the subject is new by providing no perspective. If you are struggling with ways to justify why this information is being given to the viewer again, let the anchor be the antagonist of sorts and ask that very thing of the reporter. “Joe, we’ve been talking about this political issue for a week, why do families need to hear about it tonight?” That’s a natural question someone probably asked in the editorial meeting when you decided to cover the story. So let the anchor ask it of the reporter in the intro.

Which leads to the kinds of questions viewers would ask: Put the viewer benefit, front and center. (If you don’t know what viewer benefit means read “What’s in it for me.”) Now consider this: Anchors are considered the voice of the audience. They are the people who can ask what viewers want to know, but don’t have the means to ask. Use that connection between anchor and audience to craft questions to the reporter. Let your anchor be gutsy with questions like, “Joe, a lot of people think this tax cut is a joke, is it?” Or “Joe, does this really mean (star player) is walking away from the team?” Or “Joe, there have been a lot of break-ins in this area lately, what makes this one different?” Again, think about bumping into a friend and briefly catching up. Most of us have similar things to say each time, so our friend prods with questions to see if there are any changes. People expect to hear some of the same information, but appreciate anchors asking what is different.

Finally, understand that questions can be a crutch. It is such a common technique, that it can be over used. But if done correctly, it will not seem forced. Remember, asking questions is human nature. So don’t fear questions, just make sure the reporter gets to the answer right away.