Welcome to the PIT List!

I'm a network field producer who also worked in local tv as a line producer and field producer. Over the years, I have had the great fortune to work with super people. Now I'd like to pass along what I know and rant a tad.

"Dear Maggie..." pitlist@gmail.com
I check it sporadically, but I love answering emails, so if you have an issue or difficult person you need help with, don't hesitate to shoot it my way.

Maggie L

Maggie L
One of the rare times I'm in the office

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

TV station spoofs social media

If you've Tweeted one too many times or checked your Facebook page obsessively, you may get a kick out of this video done by Dallas Fox Affiliate KDFW. Apparently it was for an Emmy Awards ceremony.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/10/just_for_laffs_down_to_city_ha.php

Additional Journalism Training Resource

In addition to Poynter there's another good online resource for training. It's the Reynold's Center for Business Journalism. Granted, a lot of the seminars may be too specific for the news you're covering, but I just took a seminar on Search Engine Optimization-- basically, how search engines like Google find your articles or blogs online. Many of the articles/seminars may be bsuiness specific but could be potentially applied to any beat. Worth a look!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Opens

I got an email asking for ideas on opens so here goes...

Sometime's it's fun to treat them like mini-pkgs. Say you have a minute-- pick the top story, if warranted, and devote the whole minute to it. Pick nats and short sots to combine to give people a sense of waht's coming next-- but not give it all away. Build interest.

Or you could pick two or three different stories and grab a bit of nats and one sot for each and track them.

Or if it's something big where there's a great visual element (let's say a tornado or a big storm) you could use nats full... maybe a graph of vo after the nats. Then go out to anchors for a graph on cam and pop to triple boxes to show team coverage. Boom, get to it.

I am a big fan of content driving form and not the other way around. Take risks. Have fun with your show. I do like quick pacing though.. so watch your opens from previous shows... if you sense youself getting bored.. it's time to start putting in some nats or sots to change it up. This is also where you can show your stuff-- what a great writer you are. Find the best editor in your shop and let them handle your opens on a regular basis.