Improving your reporter stand-ups

Few things get ridiculed more than the cheesy TV reporter stand-up, but the fact is, stand-ups can play an important role in storytelling. Professor Dana Rosengard has been teaching young journalists how to create better stand-ups for years.  Here are his “Top 5 Reasons for Doing a Standup.” 1.  To tell a part of story …

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How to create the best reporter reel for 2013

It’s May and you know what that means… thousands of college journalism grads descend on news directors across the nation, all vying for hundreds of reporter jobs.  Yes, that’s right — thousands of graduates, hundreds of jobs — even if you’re not particularly good at math, you know that adds up to the fact that …

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Getting that on-air TV job

First and foremost, it’s not about you. Tanya Carter is assistant news director at WABG-TV in Greenville, Miss.  She’s also one of the primary news anchors, so she’s seen both sides of the job hunt.  She’s says that just having a good camera presence is not enough to get you hired. “So, you have the …

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Top journalism skills in 2012

So, it may seen a little arrogant to assume that our blog can act as a barometer of the journalism industry, but what the heck. If you look at the five most viewed posts of 2012, it seems reasonable to me to make the following assumptions: The fundamentals still matter.  The No. 1 post on …

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Ten tips for recording audio interviews by phone

Sometimes you’re just stuck conducting an interview by phone.  Many of the same rules of interviewing apply, but if you want to use the audio for a story, you’ll need to handle some aspects of the the conversation a little differently. 1.  First, be sure the person you’re interviewing knows you’re recording the conversation.  In …

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Perfect timing for social media

Time management is one of the most challenging issues facing multimedia journalists.  So, knowing the most critical times to post to social media can help journalists plan and prioritize. Bitly, a popular URL shortener, used its own data to find the the optimal days and times for posting links to social media. On the Poynter …

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Backpack live technology a TV news game changer

“I doubt I’ll ever buy a live truck again,” says Jeff Houston, news director for WTVA in Tupelo, Miss. Houston’s station just recently aired its first live shot using a TVUPack. The system uses multiple wireless modems to put out live or video feeds of higher quality than what you can do with a typical …

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Crafting a creative stand-up for TV news

For many years now, on-air journalists have been urged to do active stand-ups. In the best examples, the reporter serves as a kind of tour guide for the audience. Here’s the advice we’ve offered in Advancing the Story on how to do them well: Use the scene, don’t just stand with it behind you. Show …

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How to sound more conversational

I’ve always been a huge Robert Krulwich fan. His stories on NPR and ABC News break through the standard news blather thanks in part to his memorable delivery. Unlike so many reporters who tend to “announce” their scripts, Krulwich just talks, or at least that’s how it appears to the listener. But don’t be fooled. …

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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 NPPA Solo Video Journalist of the Year award. What’s her advice to other one-man-bands? “If …

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