Tag: Reporting

How to find stories every day

Cherri Gregg calls herself “the queen of the fish fry.” As community affairs reporter for KYW radio in Philadelphia, Gregg says she finds stories everywhere, from church events to flea markets. But when she started the job in 2011, it…

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How to cover a meeting

Meeting stories are often the dullest of the dull. The piece begins with a wide shot of people sitting in a room. Some of them speak, but remain badly lit and often off-mic. There are murky cut-aways of people listening.…

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Write that down

Do you take notes on paper or an electronic device? I’m a longtime advocate for the paper approach. In a post five years ago I pushed back at suggestions that apps like Evernote mean reporters can leave their notebooks at…

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Data and graphics create a new kind of journalist

Take clean and accurate data, strong visualization and excellent writing and you get some of the most powerful reporting available right now. Sarah Frostenson has the job title of graphics editor at Politico, but she’s really a new breed of…

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Downsides to working as an MMJ

Ask a few TV reporters what it’s like working as an MMJ and you might get very different stories. We recently shared advice from KGTV’s Joe Little and KARE’s Heidi Wigdahl, both of whom have embraced careers as solo journalists.…

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Take a hike to find a story

Most journalists know that to find really good stories they need to step away from the computer. Sure, there a ton of information online that could lead to a story, but nothing beats getting out of the office. And the best…

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Salaries for TV news reporters, producers increase

When newly graduated journalists start getting those first job offers, they’re often at a loss as to how much they can expect to be paid.  The annual RTDNA Salary Survey is one of the best places to start, and this…

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Tips for finding story ideas

Photo by Flickr user Polandeze

One of the most basic skills every journalist needs is the ability to come up with stories worth reporting. It may be basic, but it’s not always easy. Some reporters have lots of ideas but they fail the “so what” test.…

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Avoid the pack

When you’re just starting out as a TV journalist, one of the hardest things to do when you’re on assignment is to strike out on your own. If you hang around with the other reporters, the thinking goes, you’ll learn…

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