I often get done with rehearsals with music stuck in my head and I begin humming the tunes aloud. And then I thought, I aspire to have my journalism be like a catchy tune.
When I hear a good piece of music, I find it memorable. It sticks with me and I often talk about it or sing about it. And while I literally don't want people singing my journalism, I want the concept of it being memorable. I have a feeling if people sang Poker Face by Lady Gaga after viewing my piece I might become untrustworthy because poker faces are deceptive or if they suddenly thought of Rockstar by Nickelback I might think I was over jazzing the performance a little. You get the idea. A little humor and pop culture in this seriousness.
I want them to get done seeing my piece then remember it like that catchy tune. I want them to think about it without realizing it and share it as if it's a natural conversation topic. People humming tunes don't even realize they do it sometimes. We have been behind the lady at the supermarket singing a tune. And I want that sharing to be like a good piece of music. People come up as a conversation stater and say, "Hey did you see that report on the news?" And everyone knows which one they are talking about.
You might think I have a big goal. Now what? Well it is a big goal but dreaming big is better than dreaming small. And we need the work of good journalists in a field that loses more trust everyday. My work now may be very entry level but as I begin to analyze and learn lessons, I can become one step further each story, each day, and as I advance to the top. It is my goal to use this blog as a reflection.
Personal Lessons of the Week
The biggest lesson I learned this week was simply to check the calendar. It sounds simple but I decided to run with a story idea about Columbia Public Schools and their lunch program receiving an award for improvement. I had set up a perfect interview with the head chef and even planned out my shots, how to incorporate parents and teachers into the story, and when I was going to accomplish these ideas.
I had the interview with the chef during his prep time, which was planned so I could get some footage of him making the food. I got some images of the kitchen, the cafeteria, and even filmed my stand up during those 3 hours I had the camera.
I had the plan of coming back the next day to film the students eating lunch but I asked the principal and he looked at me and said, "School is not in session. It's a teacher work day."
It was time to think of a Plan B and shift my gears fast. As Wayne Freedman says in his book, "It Takes More than Good Looks to Succeed at Television News Reporting," I needed to be able to be felxible. I was not going to be able to get the footage I wanted but I had to think how to make what I had work.
Personal Praise of the Week
Despite my trouble, I stuck through the story. Deadline was approaching and it was too late to do something else as I spent the other days of my time researching and trying to get of hold of people in the district by calling different people. I was able to still find interviews at the last second as I had perseverance to complete the story. I thought of alternative means. I began to realize the importance of networks. I could call someone if I knew who to talk to. Fortunately, my work had several thousand parents and students around Columbia that I stopped one on the streets to talk to them. I was even told I could not talk tot the head chef at Columbia Public Schools but I used a network at the University of Missouri I knew to persuade him to talk to me. I contacted the Campus Dining Services head chef who knew me from working at the old Eva J's. He knew Bradley Faith and put me in contact with him. Faith had a new willingness to allow me to interview him.
News Lessons of the Week
I got a call from my mom telling me the news anchor who inspired me to become part of news in the first place was in the hospital due to something she did as a reporter. I knew Kyle Dyer from 9news in Denver as she was a personal mentor in high school. I had shadowed her on her daily tasks, talked with her about the field on the weekly basis, and went with reporters to their stories.
She was doing a story about a dog who was rescued from a pond. They had a studio interview with the dog and owner and Kyle Dyer always loved dogs and jumped on animal stories. Despite some warning signs from the dog that he was uncomfortable in the studio, Kyle Dyer still reached down to pet him and he bit her in the face. This was on live television. I don't want to show this clip as 9News is trying to not show it (you can find it on the Internet on your own). She later admitted that she did not check with the people to make sure this dog was friendly and assumed because it was in the studio, he was fine. It posed how to handle emergency situations in the newsroom. They had to pitch to the second anchor who was overcome by the situation to speak and it was a dead newscast for a brief moment.
I learned to not assume in any situation. Personal safety is more important than a news story and just because something looks safe, it is always better to ask. My favorite journalism quote says, "Don't judge a man by his answers but the questions he dares to ask."- Voltaire François-
News Praise of the Week
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6490509n
What Makes this Memorable:
- People tell the story; not the newscaster (The people who felt, experienced, and
worked all told their accounts)
- They combine details with images that make you feel
- Central Compelling Character: Mike Williams - Chief Electrician Aboard Rig
- Ask Compelling Follow Up Questions and Don't Settle for No
- Huge Issue taken Behind the Scenes (Not the same News Report)
- Explain Technical Terms with Made Images (Know what they are Talking About)
- It is very one sided but they did mention they tried to interview BP management with a
declined interview (So they tried to make it fair)
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