Month: March 2010

Innovative interactivity

Who says local TV never tries anything new or different? The CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, WCCO-TV, has just launched a special section on its website that lets users track, comment on and contribute to developing stories. The Wire is a…

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Seven steps to using your SLR camera for video stories

As the saying goes, sometimes the best camera for the story is the one in your hand. Yet, when it comes to shooting video, some still photographers seem to avoid using their digital SLR cameras. Jeff Achen is an interactive media…

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Primary sourcing knocks down rumors

Exclusive! the headline screamed: “U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts considering stepping down.” The story was posted around mid-day last Thursday on the gossip site Radar Online, owned by the National Enquirer. It said Roberts might step aside for…

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Where we get the news

Most stories about the latest poll from the Pew Research Center focused on the growing popularity of the Internet as a news source. But the headline for me was the enduring popularity of television news, both local and network or…

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Tips for writing TV news stories

Mike Schuh has been covering daily news at the same station in Baltimore for 17 years, winning a Murrow and several Emmy awards along the way. His official title is general assignment reporter at WJZ-TV, but he prefers to describe…

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Preparing to ‘fill in’ anchor

Reporters who want to anchor often get their first opportunity as a “fill in” when a colleague is away. Some slide right into the chair and do just fine. But others worry that something will go wrong and they won’t…

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