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, “It depends.” I think we can all think of situations in which using a tweet …
Continue reading ‘Are Facebook and Twitter fair game for quotes?’ »
It’s something we’ve been saying at Advancing the Story for a long time — multimedia allows you to tell more people more of your story. Now, Nielsen research finds that it might help TV stations make more money. Nielsen tracked total audience — both on air and online — for the ABC affiliates in Seattle …
Continue reading ‘Multimedia means more reach, more money’ »
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 one out of every five jobs mentions mobile. Gannett recruiter Virgil Smith says employers are …
Continue reading ‘Journalists must add mobile newsgathering to list of job skills’ »
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 point-counterpoint approach to shaping the story. 2. The audio is audible. If you read Advancing …
Continue reading ‘Lessons from a viral video’ »
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 else you write. Select, don’t compress. Deciding what to leave out isn’t always easy, but …
Continue reading ‘How to write a one-page resume’ »
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 asked practitioners to rank their daily duties from a list of 26 possibilities. Here are …
Continue reading ‘Top 10 skills for online journalists’ »
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 NPPA Solo Video Journalist of the Year award. What’s her advice to other one-man-bands? “If …
Continue reading ‘Tips from a prize-winning solo video journalist’ »
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 today go overboard with unmotivated movement, cheesy props or “reporter involvement,” in an effort to …
Continue reading ‘Tips for better stand-ups’ »
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 to the way travelers cram suitcases with so many clothes that everything comes out wrinkled. …
Continue reading ‘Keep it simple when writing TV news’ »