Parody Package on How to Do a Package

I thought it was pretty funny...

Haiti Coverage

What does everyone think of the Haiti coverage? I have seen a lot of editorials saying line between "covering the story" and "I am the story" has been crossed a bunch.

Have you guys been using much of Haiti in your shows? Maybe in the first week and now it's tapering off?

I meant to mention this early on, but maybe you do this already. On any big national or international story, it's always handy to do websearches to check for local ties. It might be as broad as "your state/city + Haiti..." just to see what pops up. Also, remember your local Universities. You'd be amazed. There always seems to be a language program or perhaps local students studying in the region that's impacted. In the case of Haiti, there were lots of U.S. aid (including local church) groups. Check with your local Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities. Don't forget local businesses that might import/export/have-some-kind-of-tie there. Or maybe someone from your area who's set up a business in the city that's been hit (like a hotel or restaurant). If your region contains a military facility, definitely check in with them.

All of this can make your coverage more local and relevant. Maybe you can arrange a trip with a group that's going? Or at least--maybe you give them a cheap disposable camera or a Flip camera and have them take pics. They can send them back during the trip if there's internet or you could just do a story once they get back. Even if it's only for the web, it adds a layer to your coverage and could be a really compelling first person account.

Finally, don't forget about using Skype. It's become more popular and you can search users by place. You might be able to set up interesting interviews with local people who are in the impacted area.

Promos

I saw something I liked with promos. Instead of having it taped, saw one local affiliate use that time for what was essentially a :30 live tease from a reporter in the field. It looked good and caught my interest. Maybe it's not something you do every night, but something to keep in mind to try.

Golden Rule

There's a lot of gruesome video coming out of Haiti. Understand, just because you have the video, doesn't mean you have to use it. You will never lose a night of sleep because you did not air something. When faced with the "should I run it or not" question, ask yourself this-- "If this involved someone I knew, how would I react?" Balance this with, "What do we lose and what do our viewers lose by not seeing this? Will they still understand the story and get the same impact?" The right decision is the one you go home feeling good about. The wrong one is the one you still question yourself about years later.

If you decide to use something graphic, please warn viewers. Consider putting it on show when kids might not be up. And NEVER and I mean NEVER use graphic video as wallpaper or in teases.

Liveshots

A couple things to remember on liveshots...

First, it's important to communicate with your crews. Give them cues-- 5 minutes out.. 1 minute.. 30... and then during the liveshot, tell them if they're in pkg or video or sound. This is especially important for the photographer who made be doing a move for you live... or may need to use the break of a pkg or sot to adjust his/her shot.

Also for lives, encourage your reporters to move around and show stuff if warranted. Standing in one place is boring especially when there's something to show. Encourage people to take risks in their storytelling. Encourage creative thinking and ideas by giving good feedback when you see them done in your show. And if something you try doesn't work out? So what? It's live TV not brain surgery.

Finally, if there is more than one hit, consider trying to change up each hit. So maybe you focus on one person and one area in this hit... another person and another area in the next. You can encourage this by checking in with the reporter at the end of a hit... "What are you doing for the next one?"

ABOVE ALL, if something is interesting and it is happening live, SHOW IT!! I was watching some live winter weather coverage and there was a live crew near a road that had iced over. At the end of the reporter's liveshot, he points out the car that is just now going around all the other cars toward the big ice patch on the road. The car starts sliding... and .... they go back to studio. ARG! What happened? In that case, the reporter could have said, "I know we need to wrap up, but let's just watch this guy... this is why these storms are so dangerous..." Or the anchor could have jumped in "Hey Bob, can we keep that camera up? Let's see what happened with that car."

Quick Snapshot on Haiti Prior to Quake

PBS aired this on Monday. Thought since we're all doing a lot of Haiti coverage, worth checking it out:

Another Station Goes with Multi-Media Journalists

This one's in Baltimore, a pretty big market. A friend of mine worked at a station in San Francisco where this happened and said it was pretty awful. The benefit to station managers is obvious-- it's a cheaper way to do news. I'm not saying there's not a place for this kind of work-- I think it's interesting and potentially a good tool in the newsroom, but there are very few people who can be master all things. For example, I think I'm a pretty good writer, but despite being around cameras for the better part of my life, I seriously doubt I could ever bring the kind of artistry and skill to videography I've been fortunate enough to see in some of my favorite stories.

The future of news? You be the judge.

Here's an article on the changeover in Baltimore:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-ae.wmar20dec20,0,7151631.story