Sometimes, it works just right

A lot of what I've written in the blog posts describes strategies MMJs can use to solve problems. The list of obstacles to overcome on the way to producing a story on deadline is pretty extensive: getting people to agree to talk, getting there in time, making sure the equipment works and on and on. That's part of the job. You can't wish it away. But what you can wish for is just one day - JUST ONE! - where things go right. That happened today, the last day of my 2016 KPIX summer experience.

Over the past two years, the success of the Golden State Warriors has buoyed the spirit of the East Bay community. Folks of all stripes are totally behind the Warriors. So, when the team doesn't do well, when it loses, it strikes deep into the fan base's psyche. In fact, you might say the Warriors fans were whining about last night's Game 6 loss in the NBA Finals. Post-game sound bites included: "It was the referees;" "The NBA wants the Warriors to lose;" "This whole thing is rigged."

That sounded like a story to me: How come sports fans make excuses after a loss? Who on earth can I talk to about that? Some type of sports psychologist, maybe? I started the story process as many reporters do with a Google search: san+francisco+sports+psychologist+fans. The second result looked promising:

And indeed, check out the author's byline in the Washington Post story:

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YESSSSSS!!!!! Knowledgeable and local. Perfect. The assignment desk helped me find his phone number and he agreed to the interview in a timely manner. I consider days such as these a reward for all the hard work MMJs typically have to put in to make TV magic happen. Just right. It's not often you can say you talked to the person who "literally" wrote the book on your subject.

Like it or not, journalists need to grab the viewers' attention to be successful. It sounds like marketing because it is. There's so much competing information out there, we can no longer just publish and expect the audience to follow along. Sometimes, being a little provocative can help turn eyeballs our way. In this case, the story could have been presented generically: "Expert says human brains are wired to express passion about sports teams." Fine, but not all that compelling. Instead, the social media and anchor intros I wrote focused on Warriors fans being whiners. That's a hot potato! Check out the response I got to my promo Tweet. I'm guessing she tuned in to watch the story.

Live at Oracle Arena in Oakland

Live at Oracle Arena in Oakland

Going live is a skill that takes time to develop. There are lot of things to think about, and "just look comfortable" is a lot harder than it appears. But one thing beginning reporters can do to make their live performances look more professional is keep them short and simple. A big mistake many students make is writing an elaborate live shot script. This inevitably leads to stumbles and a painful result. "Short and simple." I kept that in mind today, the only time I was live in the field this week. I didn't need to get into a lot of the details of the story, I only needed to keep the viewers interested until the package rolled.

That's it for this year. Thanks again to all the folks at KPIX who make this possible. Some random parting shots. Click for the caption.

Get it right the first time

Because MMJs are always under the time crunch - ALWAYS - it's tempting to try to cut corners. But the fact of the matter is, it's faster to go slowly and do it right the first time, rather than hurry and risk having to do it over a second time.

NASA recruiting poster.

NASA recruiting poster.

Today's story was about a new advertising campaign NASA unveiled to try to get average folks to sign up to fly 30 million miles to Mars. I found a researcher at UC Berkeley who was willing to participate. As I set up the interview in the office anteroom, I realized the framing wasn't quite right. It was close, but easily could have been better. The extra three minutes it took to re-frame the shot was worth the effort. The viewers would never know because they'd only see the finished product, but still, a reporter's job is to do the best job possible in the time allowed.

After setting up the interview for the second time, I noticed the audio (by listening through the headphones) had a faint hiss in the background. Again, good enough, but room for improvement. I checked the batteries - they were OK. I then had the interview subject take the wireless microphone transmitter out of his pocket. That did the trick, and now we were ready to go. Another few minutes lost, but the result was a better story for the viewer. Lesson re-learned: it doesn't get any better when you begin editing. What you record is what you get. Get it right the first time.

Before finding the cooperative Berkeley researcher, I had the misfortune of trying to work with some public relations folks at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. I had called them first, thinking NASA Ames would be able to talk about the NASA advertising campaign and the NASA Mars mission. I didn't get a call back from the public relations folks so I decided to drive an hour from San Francisco to Ames, sure in my belief that these folks would want to talk about their own program. Wrong. When I finally arrived to the Ames Visitors Center (90 minutes later because of traffic), I called the public relations office again: "Hi Simon, I was just getting ready to call you back." Yeah, right. The public relations folks, whose job it is to promote NASA Ames and facilitate media coverage, said today's time frame wasn't going to work and I'd have to find someone else.

Reporters have to get used to this, despite the extreme frustration it causes. Reporters don't always take what public relations people say at face value because our allegiance is to the public, not the companies they represent. But what's difficult for reporters to understand is why public relations professionals, whose allegiance is presumably to their employers, would pass up an opportunity to engage the media and present their message to a wider audience.

iPhone 6, flexible tripod, harness.

iPhone 6, flexible tripod, harness.

So I left Ames and drove to Berkeley and it all worked out in the end. In fact, it worked out pretty well. I got the chance to use my iPhone as a second camera in the interview. With a flexible tripod and an iPhone harness, the second angle on the interview added professional polish to the story. There is some extra work required: because the iPhone audio isn't any good, you have to sync up the iPhone video to the main camera audio. It's a breeze in non-linear editing.

 

The iPhone second-camera setup.

The iPhone second-camera setup.

This is another opportunity to be transparent with the interview subject. I told him flat out what I was doing. "I'm experimenting with using my iPhone as a second camera to get extra angles in the interview. Even though I'm here by myself, this allows me to replicate the work of a production team on a multi-camera shoot.." As you'll find usually happens, the interview subject was just fine with whatever the professional journalist wanted to do. Keep in mind the people you're talking to are the experts at something else and trust you to make them look good.

A screen shot of the interview angle shot with the iPhone 6.

A screen shot of the interview angle shot with the iPhone 6.

I'm convinced TV reporters should use video in their social media posts, rather than solely rely on text. Video is what we do in TV, and being able to take the viewer to the scene in a creative way is helpful in building a brand that keeps viewers coming back. Even though the story was about Mars, the my video Tweet still made a connection to where I was in an engaging way.

Takeaways:

  1. Do it right the first time. It doesn't get better when you get back to the station. "If you didn't get it, you didn't get it."
  2. Be prepared to deal with public relations people who don't want to deal with the public (the media). It's frustrating, but the viewers don't care what problems the reporter has during the day. Keep pushing to get what you need.
  3. Incorporate smart phones in your video gathering process. The HD cameras in them can help add professional polish to the story.
  4. Engage with your background and be creative in shooting social media videos. They help make a connection to your followers and will keep them coming back to you.

TV takes teamwork

While the definition and spirit of the MMJ (multi-media journalist) is to do everything oneself, the truth is, no one person can make a TV story, much less a TV show. It takes a team, and teamwork.

Today's story was about the renewed search for the East Area rapist, a man who is accused of raping and killing dozens of people during the 1970s and 1980s all across the state - from Sacramento to Southern California. The FBI created a new website and was pushing for media coverage in hopes someone would remember something, as we near the 40th anniversary of the first crime.

Sure, as the MMJ on the story, I drove to the scene, I shot video, I wrote the script, I edited video. But there were a lot of parts to the story that wouldn't have happened had my teammates not come through for me:

  • My first task was to get video from the FBI press conference, held in Sacramento and shot by our sister station, KOVR. Because it's been a year since I was here last, I'd forgotten how to get the video from the server. A producer helped me.
  • I wasn't exactly sure where some of the crimes had been committed, which mean I wasn't sure where I needed to go shoot video. An assignment editor emailed me some Google Maps.
  • I needed to import some elements off the new FBI website dedicated to letting the public know the killer may still be out there. An editor helped me reformat some documents that wouldn't work with the editing software.
  • The FBI posted to the website some compelling interviews with victims of the suspect, but there was no video to go with them (I assume to allow the women to remain anonymous). I needed some images to cover the audio in the story. The executive producer put in the graphics request and made sure it was completed on time.
  • The audio booth where reporters record their voice tracks had been revamped since I was last here. A reporter walked me through the new system.
  • Monday's audio meltdown left me gun shy about how my story would sound so I asked for an extra set of ears to review my work before it aired. A videographer stepped in and told me it sounded just fine.
  • I presented my 5 p.m. story from the newsroom. A technical crew member helped me with the lighting.
  • I presented my 6 p.m. story from the studio, the director showed me where to stand.

Granted, many of these examples are due to the fact I'm a sporadic MMJ at KPIX. Still, it goes to show just how many people it takes to put on a newscast and make it look good.

A little creativity with non-linear editing made for another standup that stood out from the usual. It's not all that groundbreaking, but still helps to distinguish the story.

 

While I was out shooting broll and the standup, I tried to talk to some neighbors about the case. Perhaps someone might remember something. I ran into the brick wall that is so common for TV reporters. No one wanted to talk. Granted, it wasn't that crucial for this story, because the elements at the press conference and from the FBI were pretty compelling. Still, it's worth remembering reporters have to have a thick skin. Being told no isn't personal. They're telling the reporter no, not you. Although, one man I approached turned to look at me, and when I asked, "May I talk to you for my story?" he just turned away and kept walking. No acknowledgement whatsoever. Not even a "no."

TV control rooms are an awesome sight. The KPIX control room has been remodeled since I was here last. Truly, it is the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Take a look at some of the photos.

The director is the choreographer. Everyone listens for his instructions to play video, to raise audio, to speak. Here's a snippet of the 6 p.m. show as it's happening live from behind the scenes.

Takeaways:

  1. Don't ever forget you cannot do it alone. Be nice to your co-workers and they'll help make you look good.
  2. Don't take being told no personally. The reporter's job is to ask questions and some people don't want to give answers.
  3. Behind the scenes, putting on a newscast is like a symphony. So many parts, but when it works, the final product is seamless.

Accurate AND understandable

On most stories, TV reporters are like translators. They talk to experts who are well-versed in the subject being discussed (that's one language) but have to present the information to viewers who may have no idea what's going on (that's another language). Knowing what the audience does know, and more importantly, what the audience doesn't know, is crucial to telling a good story.

A firearm receiver.

A firearm receiver.

Today I covered nearly a dozen proposals coming out of the California Legislature that would make gun control regulations more strict. One bill in particular had to do with requiring background checks on people who bought gun parts. The idea is that some bad guys can bypass the scrutiny of law enforcement that comes with buying a gun by instead buying the pieces that make up a gun. One of those pieces is called the receiver. It's where the trigger, hammer and safety lock go.

The firearms manufacturing engineer I spoke with knew this stuff forwards and backwards, using the precise and proper terminology for each gun part. I didn't understand a lot of what he was saying, and I knew a lot of my audience wouldn't either. So I said as much. There's no shame in saying what you don't know. In fact, it's a good idea to let the expert know the story needs to be understood by lay people, not the expert's colleagues. Negotiate with the experts you include in your stories. Tell them, "I know this is the way you say it, but can we simplify and say it like this?" The goal here is to be both accurate and understandable.

The drive from the newsroom in San Francisco to the interview in Morgan Hill.

The drive from the newsroom in San Francisco to the interview in Morgan Hill.

Getting started on the story was a challenge. My first task was to review the legislature hearings being fed into the San Francisco newsroom from Sacramento. Once I'd waded through a couple of hours of bill discussion, I then had to figure out a story focus and which local person I'd interview. The firearms manufacturer who came through for me was in Morgan Hill, south of the newsroom - way south.

So once again, I was faced with a decision reporters have to make all the time. Was it worth it to drive that far to get the story? Could I still make deadline?  Would a better strategy be to stay in the newsroom making calls to see if I could get someone closer. For me, the answer is usually, "Get on the road now. Go with the sure interview, no matter how far away it is, instead of waiting and risking no interview at all."

The video upload process: from laptop in Morgan Hill to server in Los Angeles to server in the KPIX newsroom in San Francisco. A 1:30 story takes about five minutes.

Technology is what makes all that driving feasible for an MMJ. There's no way I could have made the return trip to the newsroom in time for deadline. So instead, I just sent the story back over the internet. It's not all that new a technology any more, but it's still pretty cool to see how it changes the workflow for a TV station. No longer do newsroom managers have to worry about who can drive the live truck to the scene in time. Now the question is, "Do you have a strong enough signal?" I did and so the story made it back in plenty of time. Still, watching the internet transfer process can be a little disconcerting. No sigh of relief until the counter gets to 100%.

Takeaways:

  1. Never forget for whom you work - the audience. Negotiate with the experts on the best way to tell the story so it's correct and the viewers understand.
  2. An distant interview in hand is worth two possible interviews close by.
  3. Technology is awesome, when it works. It's revolutionized and liberated how newsrooms operate by changing the logistics paradigm. In many cases, "how far" is now irrelevant.

A fast news day

My story today was to follow up on the Apple World Wide Developers Conference held in San Francisco. One of the big things Apple showed off was an improved Siri, the iPhone function where you talk to the phone and it answers your questions or fulfills your requests. Experts said Apple had fallen behind Google and Amazon and others in perfecting this form of artificial intelligence. Today, Apple wanted to prove it was back in the game.

I found someone who used Siri and a competing product, the Amazon Echo, which can also understand voice requests and responds with an artificially intelligent "person" called Alexa. So the storyline was pretty clear: Siri vs. Alexa, in the battle of the voice bots.

In the end, Siri and Alexa each had her advantages. But by setting up the story as a confrontation between the two, it led to an idea for a standup that demonstrated that confrontation. All it took was a little creative non-linear editing.

Siri vs. Alexa as shown in the standup.

Siri vs. Alexa as shown in the standup.

TV news is a brutally honest business, in the sense there's no hiding your mistakes when they go out over the air. What's on TV is what everyone sees - you're exposed. That's why it's so frustrating to be surprised when what you thought was a polished piece turns out to be not so hot. That happened today. What sounded good to me in the editing stage ended up sounding like garbage when it played in the newscast. As I listened to the package play live my heart sank. About 50,000 people are hearing my work and it's not up to Market #6 standards.

Everyone's heard the phrase "Must be a slow news day," usually said derisively as a criticism of the stories a TV station decides to air. It's a complaint that the stories that made the newscast weren't worth all that much. Today, my first day back, was not one of those days. The morning meeting began with a slew of potential lead stories:

The morning meeting story idea list.

The morning meeting story idea list.

Really, any one of these is worthy of the lead story. It goes to show how dynamic covering local news can be. For days it can be nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing and then everything hits at once.

 

Today's dayside reporters.

Today's dayside reporters.

Day 1 back on the job after a year off always leaves me with butterflies in my stomach. But, seeing your name on the reporter list never gets old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's worth pointing out Newhouse students are working with professional grade equipment. Recent graduates and current Broadcast and Digital Journalism students will find the images from my KPIX work kit familiar.

Takeaways:

  1. Time invested in learning non-linear editing techniques pays off with stories told in a more creative and memorable way.
  2. Accept you're not infallible and look at mistakes as opportunities to improve. Also realize, TV mistakes are made in public.
  3. All newsrooms will go through spells where the stories are mundane. Don't despair. Major news always seems to be just around the corner.
  4. Newhouse students are training with the same equipment they'll use on the job. Master it, and you'll be prepared.