Thursday, December 11, 2008
Grazed by the Axe
The worst part is watching the names trickle in.Management refused to disclose the names of who was let go, for good reason, I suppose. But on some level, I'd rather just know, not because I want to be in people's business, but because these are my friends, my colleagues -- in some cases, what I consider my family -- being shown the door.
Instead, I have to read names in the paper or on the blogs.
And my heart is broken all over again.
Some of you know I spent a long time trying to get into the place where I work today. And it hasn't been easy staying -- no place is when you're the kid and the minority. But I've been blessed with what I called a "workplace family" -- folks who encouraged me, challenged me, gave me a swift kick in the butt when needed, and quite literally saved my ass when something was about to go down. They encouraged me and protected me, all because they knew, too, the difficulties of being the odd man out.
But now I'm reading their names. On blogs. In the paper.
And now my support system is shattered.
Suddenly I feel like I'm standing alone. And I can't help but to feel a little shattered too.
Labels: broadcasting, dying newsroom, layoffs, mentorship
continue...Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Welcome to the Show
So... I was on NPR's Talk of the Nation today.
Nope, I wasn't working the show. I was on the show.
I was a guest... on Talk of the Nation.
HOLY CRAPCAKES, BATMAN!!!
I don't think I can understate how nervous I was. Little young thing, sitting in the studio with Neal Conan and Ron Elving, dudes who have been in the game for years. Not to mention, I was trying not to make any noises while the mics were on.
But, nerves aside, it was pretty friggin' cool. I talked about the last piece I wrote for TheRoot.com. And my cute Puerto Rican friend who works on the show gave me a thumbs up -- two actually -- when I was finished. So I was good.
But hey, stop watching me yammer about it and just go listen... here.
And just for the record... this TOTALLY made my day. :o)
Labels: broadcasting, diversity, political coverage
continue...Saturday, September 06, 2008
Multimedia Mini sessions
On camera tips- sit up straight
- breathe -- think of calming things
- consider a Flip video-- $150 for an hour of video
- Use your nervousness and allow it to keep you excited
- Don't "uptalk" (allowing your voice to trail up), keep your voice steady and speak with authority. Don't question what you say. Believe it.
- Think about three points you want to make -- not about stats. Think soundbites -- those are the things that draw emotion out.
- Make eye contact -- try not to use your notes
- Shut up and listen. Let the silence work for you.
- Have fun!
- Check out NYTimes reporter David Pogue, a technology writer, and his Web casts. Engaging!
- Think about what you're wearing: no sleeveless, no low cut necklines, simple, clean jewelry, DON'T wear black or white, or small intricate patterns.
SOCIAL NETWORKS
- It's the Social Mullet: Business in the Front, party in the back
- Business: LinkedIn -- get recommendations, put resume up and make contacts
- Party: Facebook -- put up those pictures of you at your college kegger, but just be sure to set your settings to 'private' so employers won't see your misdeeds (or your midsection)
- Twitter is like microblogging.
- When blogging, be tasteful and be cautious
- Google yourself! Keep in mind what shows up on your search page
- Always, always, ALWAYS set your privacy settings. Always.
BEHIND THE CAMERA TIPS
- Always white balance -- zoom in on something pure white to correct the color in your videos
- Use manual focus
- Audio check the person and adjust the volume so that you don't get spikes in the volume level when someone speaks
- when doing a 'man on the street,' make sure the mic isn't visible in the shot. Also remember that everything in the screen is a part of the story.
- Gain -- it adjusts light sensitivity on a camera. Can be used to brighten a scene if there is very little light. But be careful, it makes quality grainy (think adjusting the brightness of a photo too much)
- Establishing shots help provide context. If it's an interview, show both people sitting first, then feel free to zoom in on one person or the other.
- Adjust the camera so it moves smoothly and as you pan, zoom in so that it is all in one smooth motion.
- LISTEN -- use your journalistic discretion about when to pan and when to focus. Only zoom or move the camera with a purpose.
- Use a tripod if you can; if you can't, hold your breath while you're taking the shot or use a chair or something to steady your arms on the camera -- or if you have a large camera, sandwich the camera between your shoulders and head (a la broadcast) to help steady it.
- Action -- Never leave the scene without "B-roll" --- those supplemental shots of the subject working or (gasp!) shots of whatever you're talking about actually taking place.
- Get as much video as possible, but have a script of what you want. Do your research and know what the subject will be speaking about. If you can, WRITE DOWN THE TIME CODE when something interesting happens. It'll make it easier to find later as you edit.
WEB SITES TO VISIT:
- Journalism 2.0
- Poynter E-Media tidbits
- IWMF.com
- BNHphotovideo.com (to buy multimedia equipment
There was also a session on Flash, but it's just so complicated, I'm thinking it wouldn't do you any good to get a step by step on how to make a mini slideshow. But, do check out online tutorials at a bunch of places to get a handle on this very important program for multimedia.
Labels: broadcasting, JAWS, seminars/workshops, tech corner, technology
continue...Friday, April 11, 2008
Here we go yo, it's Vandy on your radio
What? Your radio isn't perpetually tuned to NPR?Well, just in case you missed Thursday's edition of News & Notes, our very own Vandy was a panelist on the sports roundtable. The crew talked about all things sports, including Tiger, the Olympics and even O.J. Mayo. Here's the link to Vandy's segment.
Scroll to minute 2:56.
or minute 6:17
or, shoot.... Just listen to the whole thing. It's only 12 minutes.
Good job, Vandy! We see you polishing your radio game!
Labels: broadcasting, I-ain't-never-scared, radio
continue...Wednesday, April 02, 2008
A Rainbow of Talking Heads
If the New York Times is reporting it, then it isn't just my imagination -- networks have been pulling in a noticeably more diverse crop of commentators this past year.The Times suggests the Techicolor shift could be attributed to the presidential race, what with its black and female candidates and their courting of the Latino vote.
Whatever the reason is, here's one newswatcher that's thrilled about it. For the first time, I've been able to look at the television and listen to people who are saying exactly what's in my head. It's a welcome change from becoming frustrated at so-called "experts" who, really, in most cases, have no idea what they're talking about -- especially when it comes to issues of gender and race.(I remember last year when several networks had all-white, all-middle-aged panels talking about Don Imus' comments and the implications of hip hop. Maddening.)
My personal favorite in all this: Roland Martin. Hits the nail on the head every time. And leaves everyone else without a leg to stand on in the process.
Some say the diversity isn't enough, that TV needs more, and you know, that is true. As Aaron mentioned a few posts ago, there's still a noticeable dearth of color in terms of actual reporters and journalists on the ground. But I am glad at where this is all starting. Let's just hope it continues well past the November election.
Labels: broadcasting, diversity, election, the industry
continue...Tuesday, January 22, 2008
I wonder...
Here's my question... and possibly a volatile one. (Or not. It's never that deep.)How did your newsroom react when news of Heath Ledger's death crossed the wires?
Here, there were shrieks abound. From the women, at least. The men? Not so much.
"That's unfortunate," one older colleague said. Then he asked me to put out the broadcast script, and that was that.
MSNBC and CNN cut in with breaking news, rehashing Heath's past movie roles and what may have caused his death. And then... back today's other news. The economy. The stimulus package. Oh, and that pesky presidential campaign.
"They're not going all 'Anna Nicole' with the wall-to-wall coverage?" another young, female colleague pondered.
"No... I guess not, huh?" I replied.
Even within our newsroom, the surprise quickly quieted to the usual dull roar. I cocked my head to the side.
"You know," I countered, turning back to my co-worker, "I bet if women ran the newsrooms, it would be SOOO 'Anna Nicole' with Heath."
"You think?" she asked.
"Yeah!" I pointed to the reactions just 15 minutes earlier. We freaked. The guys, again... not so much.
Then I pointed to the text messages and Facebook communiques that started coming in. All but one, from women.
"So you're saying because Anna Nicole was a chick, she got all the attention?" my co-worker said. It was her turn to cock her head to the side.
"Hmmm... I think I see where you're going with this."
Labels: 24-hour news cycle, broadcasting, journalism, musings
continue...Monday, December 03, 2007
A Lesson in Journalism ... from an Athlete
It's been one of those days where it's easy to forget that you're a journalist, and just as easy to be irritated with your industry. No, scratch that, this whole week has been that way.Today was the funeral of Sean Taylor, aired live on several local stations. I watched as his family, his teammates, his longtime girlfriend fought to get through the three-and-a-half hour service without breaking down. Some were successful. But most weren't.
Tears stung my eyes, while some spilled onto the cheeks of a coworker. It was hard. It was heartbreaking. A supervisor said she wasn't watching specifically because she didn't want to end up sobbing at her desk. And I wanted to turn away myself at times.
But what was keeping me glued in? The fact that for once, in this terrible, terrible week, Sean Taylor was being remembered for what he truly was, by people who truly knew him. Not being analyzed by desk-dwelling anchors. Not being examined by columnists who didn't know him personally. And not being dragged into the tired news narrative that implies everytime a young black man dies, it must have been because of the nature of his "thug" lifestyle.
Luckily, for Sean, his family and his memory, I wasn't the only one choked with frustration. With a bit of a swarm of media people at the service, those who had the opportunity took the chance to bite back at everyone who "reported" on Sean's "thug lifestyle" throughout the week.
Otis Wallace, the mayor of Florida City summed up the sentiment -- saying the media should be ashamed for jumping to conclusions merely on speculation. And he added that he hopes "the media gets a small lesson in grace and humility" from it all.
At my desk, I nodded in agreement and said a quiet "thank you." And an arena-full of mourners stood to applaud, loudly.
But I couldn't help but wonder -- how many times will that quote show up in tomorrow's papers? Will journalists be willing to examine themselves, just as critically as they examined Sean?
I did a Google search. The Washington Post's Jason La Canfora is the only one so far to do so, in his Redskins Insider blog.
I hope it won't stay that way.
When Sean was first wounded, journalists found it necessary report legal woes from years ago, stemming from an incident where he allegedly brandished a gun while trying to keep men from stealing his property. Some, in Sean's death, found it necessary to recount the times he got in trouble on the field. Their implication -- that Sean fell to a lifestyle that, as his loved ones say, he actually wasn't involved in.
So will those same journalists feel the need to report on the open criticism of their work (used loosely) at Sean's service? Will they note that Wallace's words, and the same sentiment from other speakers, drew the some loudest, most earnest applause?
I hope so. We're supposed to report the full story, right?
Labels: 24-hour news cycle, broadcasting, diversity, frustration, industry analysis, journalism, prejudice, sports, the industry
continue...Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Hello, Neighbor!
I wonder how my Ten95 cohorts would feel if a new group of journalists moved into their newsrooms.Not "new" journalists, as in recent graduates. But journalists who have a different way of doing things. Journalists who yell when major news breaks... who watch TV all day... who laugh raucously as the antics of our favorite celebrity news figures... who occasionally assault inanimate items when the computers crash.
In a nutshell -- broadcast journalists.
Make space guys. We're moving in.
My bureau of the AP -- the Broadcast News Center -- is moving in with the Washington print bureau on the corner of 13th and L. And everyone's sharing one floor.
They've been described as a library. We've called ourselves a circus.
So I guess my question is whether librarians and ringmasters can cohabitate in peace.
Probably not. Print's already moved in while we ship our stuff over in a few weeks. But in the meantime, select groups of us have been visiting for training sessions. And those groups -- of five or six people, at most -- have easily generated enough noise to distract the inkies from their work.
Now, imagine an entire floor moving in.
An entire. Floor.
Plus TVs. And radio equipment. And machines that take in broadcast feeds, along with others that play them.
And no, there aren't any partitioning walls.
Dees ees gonna be funnnnnnnnnnnn.... :-)
Labels: broadcasting, musings, office politics
continue...Saturday, August 25, 2007
Smile, You're on YouTube!
Sometimes I'm glad that I didn't decide to go the broadcast route in my pursuit of journalism.Besides my fear of the red light, I wouldn't want to look back 20 years down the road and find my face popping up on YouTube videos.
There wasn't even a thing called the Internet when newly elected NABJ President Barbara Ciara recorded this promo in the '80s.
Little did she know that 20 years later, it would appear on the Internet for the world to see.
Looking good, as always, Barbara.
Labels: barbara ciara, broadcasting, youtube
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