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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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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If you’re one of the thousands of journalism graduates looking for an on-air job in TV news right now, this post is for you. By now you’ve probably put together your resume reel and posted it on YouTube or elsewhere online. And, if you’re like most others hunting for reporting jobs, your reel begins with …
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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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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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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 …
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It’s not easy communicating with a camera lens, but it something you get better at with practice. So says Craig Ford, who has been anchoring at WTVA in Tupelo for the past 11 years. “I still record nearly every newscast,” says Ford. “Not because I like to watch myself, but because I want to critique …
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What are news directors really looking for when they go through demo reels? Jacqueline Ingles, a multi-platform reporter for KXAN in Austin, Texas, sat in on a recent screening session and emerged a little shell-shocked. I always thought it was a myth that news directors only watched demo reels for an average of 10 seconds. I …
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The transition from general assignment reporter to multi-platform journalist isn’t always easy, but people who’ve made the switch often say they’d never go back. For Josh Hinkle of KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas, working as a one-man band makes it easier to be creative. “I don’t have to explain my concept to a photographer or editor,” …
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Our text, Advancing the Story, details strategies for solo journalists who need to shoot their own stand ups. One approach involves using your light stand as a stand-in for your body as you frame your shot. Bob Kaplitz of the consulting firm of AR&D has created a short video explainer of the technique, along with an …
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