Hi Ferlon,
First of all, pretty good for 4 months in. You're doing a lot right and it's paying off for you. Lets start with some technical bits.
Camera light - You need to scrim that WAY down in a dark setting. I'm guessing your camera is digital and you need to push the gain up to 12db or 18db and accept the gain. From there bring in your top light as scrimmed down as you can (you can use a dryer sheet with gaff tape to hold it in place).
Look and listen for natural sounds - was the bar tender mixing drinks or washing glasses? Was the b-ball game in the background making noise? Establish a soundscape and take the viewer to the place. Just stick you lav on the bar for 5 minutes and you'll get all kinds of stuff.
Bigger issue is the storytelling, and it's the hardest part of being a photog. The fact that you're here and asking is very cool, caring about your craft is the first step.
Think about all the work you did in the smoking story getting 3-4 interviews and then shooting your facebook page. Leave the FB out of the pkg, it brought everything to a skidding halt. Ask your producer or reporter to break it out after the story, perhaps involve it in the live wrap.
FOCUS ON PEOPLE STORIES - find one person in the bar, tell their story and maybe build in a reveal... make me care. Set the bar as your backdrop and tell a little story about how Joe Bob comes there to meet his friends and has for the last couple of years. It's a little community. Then reveal that Joe Bob is a committed smoker and bring in your conflict. Joe Bob + Smoke / law = good story. You may have to pre-interview a few folks to find the really angry guy/character, but once you do he'll right your story for you. Get your interview (hopefully without your top light, or with it really scrimmed down) and when you've got a few core bites change your framing up, just a little. Maybe tighten your shot or go for a slightly more profiled look. When you've got good sound and the reporter (or you) are done, leave the mic on. Say "Joe Bob keep doing your thing, I'm just going to get some shots of you being a real person so you don't just look like a talking head on the news". Back off, way off. get out of his line of sight and push in tight. Roll some tape and listen, get a good nat and change your shot. 3 good nats and 3 good bites and you've go a decent pkg going.
I think you're on the right track. You're in smaller markets now so you need to understand that it's on you to help the reporter find the people angle. Get your facts in but make the viewer care... tell a story.
