Reporting Skills for Your Weather Staff
How many times a day do you think If we only had one more reporter. Or how often do you hear your producers say ..I can't fill the show! We have no reporters working today.? One of the most underused departments in the newsroom is the weather staff. During breaking weather they are incredibly busy and their time is well spent, but on average everyday weather days, they could probably be turning a story. This workshop trains your weather reporters how to identify and package stories. This seminar shows them why it's important that they help gather the news, and teaches them how to write, produce and package those stories.
Adding Urgency, Immediacy and Excitement to your Newscast
"Thanks again for the wonderful seminar. I have gotten so much positive feedback from the anchors on your sessions. We're going to work hard at making it stick!"
Jerry Mihoch, CNN Headline News
This workshop teaches the staff how to start every story and every newscast with the latest information (what's happening RIGHT NOW), as compared to the stale method of telling stories in chronological order. We show how the same techniques the staff uses in live breaking news can be applied to average, everyday, non-breaking stories. This is NOT about hype or calling stories breaking news, when they are NOT really breaking! This is about good journalism and how to tell stories that grab the viewers attention in an appropriate and ethical manner.
As we all know, many viewers will start flipping almost immediately if the lead doesn't hook them in right off the top. We will show your news staff why it's not just the selection of the lead story that is important, but, the manner in which it is written and presented can be critical in building and retaining your audience.
The producers will come out of this seminar charged with the responsibility of making sure their newscasts are produced in a more immediate and urgent style.
Big Whomping Producer Seminar
"I know it's rare that folks get a pat on the back for all their hard work, but I think you deserve one. Just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed your presentation yesterday. I've been in this business for 17 years and it's so nice to have a course like yours. Thanks again for a valuable lesson...you are truly talented."
Kathleen Kennedy, CNN Headline News
This is THE seminar for your main producers, or producers that you are trying to train for the future. How many times have you said I can't find good producers. This workshop trains the staff in the basics, and some of the advanced techniques needed to produce a contemporary newscast. We cover all angles related to producing.
- Immediacy and urgency
- Writing to video
- Getting your anchors more involved
- Breaking news
- Improved storytelling
- Doing great live shots and standups
- Getting rid of monotony and predictability
- Advancing stories newscast to newscast
- Winning the lead
Getting Anchors More Involved
The anchors are like quarterbacks of a football team. A team prepares a game plan each week for the big game, and the quarterback has to study that plan and understand it. But very few newsrooms prepare their anchors for the daily newscasts. In fact, most producers probably hope to get through the afternoon without having to even talk to their anchors! We will show both anchors and producers how simple it is to get the main talent more involved. It can be something as simple as trying a new venue for them in the studio (for example, standing by a monitor), or simply having them make a call that generates new information for a story. The anchors need to understand the importance of this, and also be willing to SELL the fact that they were involved in the show that day using phrases that illustrate to viewers that they are more than just news readers.
Breaking News
"Thanks again for a great two days earlier this week. The staff really got a lot from the seminars and we've seen immediate improvement. We're working hard at sustaining that effort and making it routine."
Peter Roghaar, WPTV Director of News and Broadcast Operations
Most stations do a pretty good job covering breaking news. But do you do it better than the folks across the street? This seminar zeroes in on how to produce breaking news. How long do you stay with the story live? How often do you come back to it? Does your graphic package have the necessary elements for breaking news? Your producers will come away with a new understanding of how to produce breaking news from the control room. We work with your anchors showing them how to handle breaking news, ad-libbing for long periods of time. This workshop is for all new staffers, from producers, reporters, editors, photographers, assignment desk, etc.
Story Gathering for Photographers
Photographers do a lot more than just get the pictures. Newsrooms are increasingly relying on photographers to gather more and more of the day-to-day news. This workshop is designed for photographers who are routinely asked to grab soundbites, take some notes in the field, and provide writers and producers with the framework of a story. We show them how to ask questions so they will get the good sound bite, and show them what kinds of things the staff back in the newsroom needs to write the stories effectively.
Helicopter Workshops
Since the news helicopter is often the most expensive tool a newsroom has you would think the chopper would be one of the most memorable things in a newscast. Yet despite the dollars spent keeping it in the air, most news choppers become nothing more than an expensive additional camera. This workshop shows how to make the best use the news helicopter and make sure that the viewers distinguish your stations chopper coverage.
Most choppers cover spot news and traffic problems. But it is difficult to be memorable doing just that. In many markets, each station has its chopper over the same spot news story, and they all have their areial pictures of traffic slowing down in the same place.
In this seminar, through multitudes of video clips, we show how to make coverage of breaking news from the chopper more memorable and more compelling than the competition. In addition, participants will see how to make chopper coverage more interesting on days when their isn't breaking news or signficant traffic problems. There are many ways in which the chopper can be used on average days to make the newscasts more interesting.
This seminar teachers producers how to use the chopper effectively, teaches the chopper reporter and photographer how to win on
breaking news and what to look for on those slow news days, and shows the promotion staff how to market the chopper.
Advancing Stories from Newscast to Newscast
"It's amazing how our news dept has really been good about applying your principles. No negative feedback or backlash heard yet. Honestly, you know how cynical TV people are, but I still have not heard one person whine or moan about your seminar... Ten days later, and still no complaints. Amazing. That's gotta' be some kind of record. Our staffers BELIEVE in your message. That's the difference. It's going to become part of our culture, rather than some mandate from "on high." I know our GM says she can sense a change, a difference and FOR THE BETTER. I gotta' hand it to you... We're on the right track."
Joseph Kozlowski, WDAF Dallas
How many times have you heard a producer say I don't have enough to fill my show!? How many times have you heard viewers in focus groups say ..they just keep repeating the top stories throughout all their newscasts. I've seen these stories before.?
With better planning, many stories can actually become two stories, or three! Most reporters feel the need to cram every detail, every sound bite, every great piece of video into one huge super-sized story. Often it would serve the newscasts and the viewer better, if those stories were divided into different pieces. Why not save a couple of those angles for your next newscast? This workshop looks at exactly how to develop multiple stories out of one topic. It's all about focusing each story on one or two specific components. We have great taped examples of stories that should be divided into multiple parts, and examples of stories that were advanced from newscast to newscast using new angles. Participants see how much easier the stories are to understand, and how easier it is to tease a story from newscast to newscast.
Great Live Shots & Stand Ups
"I must admit like many reporters I'm leary of *consultants* swooping in from outside the market and *dictating* how to do news. Sometimes the suggestions aren't very practical and rarely seem important...at least to me. However....EVERYTHING you said I thought was beyond valuable. It has made me rethink a lot about the way I tell stories, work with producers, and even tease my coverage. I enjoyed both days and everything you showed us. Keep up the great work."
-Travis Mayfield, KXLY Spokane
Too much of the news is filtered and processed. That translates into being predictable and boring. We have to ask ourselves, Is this story better told live or live-on-tape? Breaking news and reality television are compelling to viewers because they are unpredictable. We show producers and reporters that the same formula can be used on average, everyday stories. See examples of good and bad stand-ups and live-shots and talk about what the reporter could have done to make it more compelling. We also show producers why they must be involved in deciding what the reporter does in their live shot. Reporters and producers learn why it is so important to set-the-scene right off the top in live shots. Too many times reporters simply launch into the script that they have brought from the station, but what viewers really want to know is what is going on at the scene right now. A major focus of this session is on reporters and photographers working together as a team in the field, and the need for them to stay in touch with producers in the newsroom.
Storytelling
We focus on how to highlight and sell the unique qualities of a story. You can change graphics, sets, anchors, franchises, etc, but it in the end, improved ratings all come down to how good you are at telling interesting stories. This seminar covers the basics of good storytelling and looks at the new trends and techniques in writing and reporting the news. We look at story structure, how to identify the most interesting angles of the story, how to highlight those memorable moments, how to use sound, stand-ups, and more importantly, how to tell stories as compared to reporting facts. This workshop shows reporters and producers how to identify interesting stories and different techniques to help make their stories more interesting and memorable.
Getting Rid of Monotony & Predictability
Probably the number one complaint from viewers is that there is too much crime news, and all newscasts are the same. We show producers how to get rid of the monotony in their newscasts; how to get rid of the back to back to back crime stories that viewers always complain about in focus groups. In addition, we teach producers a technique called planned spontaneity where producers plan a moment that is unique or unpredictable.
Wake Up your Morning Newscast
Does your morning newscast need a shot in the arm? We show your staff how to add energy, enthusiasm and excitement to your newscast. We show your producers how to write those morning headlines and news stories so that they are fresh and forward, and not just a re-hash of last night's late news. We also examine the issue of how to handle national and international stories versus local stories; an important issue since the significant stories that normally break overnight are not local! How to handle breaking news is a significant part of the training, as that is often the only type of news that is fresh in the mornings. In addition, we show the staff how to handle and format lifestyle segments (cooking, home repair, gardening, crafts, health, pets, etc.) so it fits in with the format and feel of the newscast seamlessly.
Revitalizing your Assignment Desk
This is one of the newsroom's most critical functions, yet it is usually the least defined. This workshop is for all news managers and assignment desk personnel. The seminar examines several different areas:
- The goals and mission of the desk
- How to do more advance planning
- What types of stories interest your viewers
- How to increase communication among producers, desk and crews in the field.
- Why it's important not to blow up the good stories you decided to cover in the morning meeting for your average everyday spot news story.
Better Franchise Report
"I can see immediate results from your sessions. I am pleased to say that the reporters and weather folks have made big gains."
Scott Morrow, KTRK Houston
Are your franchise reporters really nailing it? These folks should telling really cool stories in very interesting and compelling ways. Are they picking the right stories? Are they doing cool live shots? Are their standups and content memorable? This workshop zeroes in on the specific issues in franchise reporting . We look at which stories work and which don't, how to report a complicated story and use video, fonts, and stand-ups to better tell a story. Too many health and money stories often go right over the viewer's head because they are too complex and use jargon that is often too technical and clinical. Why do so many health reporters gravitate toward the disease of the week story when what the audience wants are stories that affect their lives: new types of band aids, new allergy medicine, finding out which power bar is the best, and which cereal should they serve at the breakfast table? This seminar helps franchise reporters and producers simplify stories, making them more conversational and more interesting, and gives them ideas on how to make their stories look better than the run of-the-mill general assignment piece.
"I've definitely noticed a positive change in their 'attitudes', Slowly but surely I'm seeing the results on-air. Everyone had nothing but positive feedback on your sessions. I'm definitely going to try to have you back. Thanks for the great work with our staff."
Terry Connelly, SVP & General Manager, The Weather Channel