Month: January 2012

Are Facebook and Twitter fair game for quotes?

The chairman-elect for RTDNA, Vince Duffy, wrote an interesting post that asks whether — from an ethical standpoint — comments on Facebook and Twitter are free for use as quotes in a story. Like many ethical issues, the answer may be,…

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Journalists must add mobile newsgathering to list of job skills

About two years ago, mobile newsgathering began showing up as part of the required skillset found in journalism job postings.  Now, according to a survey of jobs posted by the Top 10 newspaper and television companies in the U.S., almost…

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Lessons from a viral video

So, how do you get more than 5 million people to watch your story?  Take a look. 1. The content is compelling.  Many people, including me, have entered into this debate and the student producer, Patrick Romero, used a simple…

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How to write a one-page resume

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times: There’s really no reason for anyone’s resume to be longer than one page. So how do you fit everything in? Simply follow the same principle you’d apply to anything…

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Top 10 skills for online journalists

What are the skills most often used by online journalists?  Topping the list in a recently published survey was…drum roll, please… writing or editing scripts. Yes, in a poll of 49 online journalists, researchers Ryan Thornburg and Ying Roselyn Du…

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Tips from a prize-winning solo video journalist

Working alone in the field can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge that Michelle Michael has mastered. Since 2003, she’s been shooting, writing and editing her own stories for the US Armed Forces Network. This year, she won the…

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Tips for better stand-ups

Love them or hate them, TV reporters have to do stand-ups.A stand-up can help to establish a reporter’s credibility and build a relationship with viewers, giving them a face to put with the voice. The trouble is, too many stand-ups…

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Keep it simple when writing TV news

Every writer knows the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid! But too many writers forget to apply it, loading their stories with so much information that the viewers’ eyes glaze over. KGO reporter Wayne Freedmancompares the way writers over-stuff stories…

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