The news business is notorious for promoting well-qualified journalists into leadership positions with little or no preparation. Some of them do just fine but others struggle with new and different responsibilities. It’s a big leap from producing a newscast to…
Month: April 2009
Breathing for broadcast
All the effort you put into writing and shooting a story may be wasted if your narration doesn’t measure up. Voice coach Ann Utterback says how you sound can make viewers decide to click away or stay tuned for the…
The big camera debate
Some veteran TV photojournalists have argued for years that bigger is better when it comes to video cameras. Only a heavy professional model could produce rock steady, broadcast quality images, the long-timers said. Or at least they used to. Oscar…
Never stop learning
The best journalists I know are life-long learners. They’re good at their craft but they never think they know it all. John Gross is one of them. He’s a photographer and feature reporter at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis who’s won his…
Doing more with less
Almost every broadcast newsroom in the country is facing the same challenge. How can they continue to produce quality journalism on more screens with fewer people? “It’s a struggle but we’re doing it as a team,” said Dan Salamone, news…
Getting started with online video
Most newsrooms understand that they need to include video in their online offerings. If they haven’t started doing it yet, they’re behind the curve. But what’s the best service to use for posting video if you’re not going to host…
Online jounalism jobs increase
The American Society of News Editors annual survey of employment at the country’s newspapers is rich in information for journalism job seekers. First, the news is troubling for anyone who has dreamed of spending a career working at a daily…
TV jobs, salaries decline
Fewer people making less money are producing more television news than ever. That’s the bottom line from the latest RTNDA/Hofstra survey released on Sunday. Jobs and salaries in local TV news dropped by more than 4 percent last year, but stations still…
Saving newspapers: The musical
The news about the news has been just a little depressing lately. Layoffs, cutbacks, stress and overwork are plaguing the profession we love. But all is not lost! The good news is that journalists in general have kept their sense…